The Idaho Hunger Relief Task Force envisions that in a state as abundant as Idaho hunger will not exist and works to put public and private resources into action statewide in order to eliminate hunger and provide food security for all Idahoans.
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Senior Hunger Report Card™ from Meals On Wheels Research Foundation Finds America Failing Nation’s Seniors
8.3 Million Seniors Faced the Threat of Hunger in 2010, a 78% Increase since 2001
Alexandria, VA (May 3, 2012)—The Meals On Wheels Research Foundation (MOWRF) today issued the first annual Senior Hunger Report Card™ (Report Card), which evaluates the nation’s performance in reducing food insecurity and eradicating hunger. The Senior Hunger Report Card™ examined America’s progress in eight categories and assigned grades including the following:
A grade of “F” for Overall Performance: 8.3 million seniors faced the threat of hunger in 2010. This reflects a 78% increase since 2001 – and a 34% increase since the start of the recession in 2007.
A grade of “F” for Economics: Since 2009 and the end of the recession, the risk of hunger for the overall US population has declined. However, during the same time period food insecurity increased among those age 60 and older – primarily among the near-poor, with income one to two times the poverty level.
A grade of “F” for Women’s Studies: The effects of food insecurity are disproportionately borne by women, who make up over 60% of seniors facing the threat of hunger. Senior women are more likely to face the threat of hunger than their male counterparts – and the gender gap has widened since 2009.
A grade of “F” in Ethics: In the richest nation on Earth, more than 1 in 7 seniors is threatened by hunger. This increase from 1 in 9 seniors in 2005 foretells an alarming human cost if this national crisis is not reversed.
Other grades include: a “D-” for Geography, a “D+” for Multicultural Studies, a “C-” for Home Economic and an Incomplete for Health & Physical Education.
The opinions expressed in the Report Card are based on MOWRF’s independent review of the original research and data published in “Senior Hunger in America 2010: An Annual Report,” which was also released today. The report was prepared by Dr. James P. Ziliak of the University of Kentucky and Dr. Craig Gundersen of the University of Illinois.
The report also found that, of the 50 states and the District of Columbia, the 10 states with the highest rates of seniors facing the threat of hunger are the following:
Mississippi 21.53%
New Mexico 21.24%
Arkansas 19.42%
Texas 18.14%
Tennessee 17.57%
Alabama 17.29%
Georgia 17.12%
South Carolina 17.10%
Florida 16.64%
Nevada 16.50%
“There is no question that we are failing our seniors, some of the nation’s most vulnerable citizens,” said Enid A. Borden, Chief Executive Officer of the Meals On Wheels Research Foundation. “The numbers spell out our failure with clarity, and at the same time they call us to action. No one in this, the richest nation on Earth, should face the threat of hunger, no one. And seniors, who have little power to change their circumstances, deserve our special attention.”
This Senior Hunger Report Card™ is the first in a series of annual report cards on the state of senior hunger that the Meals On Wheels Research Foundation plans to issue. These will be based on the Foundation’s analyses of annual research reports prepared by Drs. Ziliak and Gundersen, who will examine national and state-level data from the December Supplements to the Current Population Study (CPS), a nationally representative survey conducted by the Census Bureau for the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
For additional information, please contact Peggy Ingraham at 703-548-5558 orpeggy@mowaa.org.
About Meals On Wheels Research Foundation Formed in 1995, the Meals On Wheels Research Foundation (MOWRF) is the only research entity of its kind focused exclusively on the areas of senior hunger and senior nutrition in the United States. MOWRF seeks to support the Meals On Wheels Association of America’s (MOWAA) vision of ending senior hunger by 2020 through the sponsorship and promotion of research that increases understanding and awareness of the issue. Ending senior hunger is within our reach.
EMMETT -- Hunger is an issue that almost every town in America faces.
In Emmett, the community is working to be hunger free -- and that work is receiving national attention.
The program started when the group running the town's food pantry and weekly dinners suddenly stopped.
The Emmett Valley Friendship Coalition (EVFC) stepped in to keep the efforts going. That was four years ago.
Today, the entire community seems to be involved in the effort -- including the mayor's office, school district officials, churches and local farmers and ranchers.
“If you'd been here at this time yesterday it would have been full of food," said Janet Monti, the secretary for EVFC.
Every Tuesday night, the food pantry serves the community dinner. Most recently, the group made turkey a la king. During a typical week, EVFC serves dinner to 185 people and right after the meal food boxes are handed out to just as many families.
But the community is trying to do more than fill the town's bellies, they are working to solve hunger.
"Hunger is not food, it's jobs, it's education, information and transportation, and knowing where your resources are. Food is just a symptom of it," said Monti.
The Emmett Valley Friendship Coalition got the town together -- all the elected officials, business leaders, and churches.
"Once we got our meetings going we found out there was other programs in our community that we weren't aware of that were already helping," said the Emmett Mayor Bill Butticci.
Instead of working on a common goal separately, the town started working together.
It caught the attention of the Idaho Hunger Relief Task Force. They choose the city as the pilot for their first Hunger Free Community. The hope is what is being done in Emmett can be an example for other towns to model.
"It is that neighbor to neighbor, community, trying to build that community," said Gem County Commissioner Lan Smith.
The town plans to one day make this food pantry obsolete by having one program build on another.
To solve huger, the community knows they need to improve education, transportation and help people get jobs.
One idea the town has is to use vans churches and schools already have to help people continue their education.
"If we could partner with them to get people to those evening classes where they could learn a skill or a trade, we could get them back on their feet," said Butticci.
The town's next step in getting people on their feet is creating a food hub, a place where local farmers and ranchers could sell their products.
"It would supply jobs in the food hub, but it would also have the ranchers and the farmers and the orchards be able to hire more people," said Dian Streeby, the executive director of the Gem County Chamber of Commerce.
It's becoming a chain reaction in Emmett and the people here hope it will spread to other cities in Idaho and across the nation.
This past year, a National Emerson Hunger Fellow from the Congressional Hunger Center spent six months in Emmet studying the towns food program. The fellow shared his knowledge with the town but also learned from what it was doing.
A few months ago, the fellow went back to Washington, D.C., to present what he learned to congressmen from all over the country.
Leaders in Emmett's hunger free program were also invited to present at the National Hunger Free Community Summit in Washington, D.C.
Dan Popkey: If Obama is 'the food stamp president', what's Idaho Gov. Otter? Since he took over Idaho have become number 2 in the nation for food stamp growth Idaho Statesman Published: 1/25/2012
Last week, GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich called Barack Obama the “food stamp president,” citing a record number of Americans receiving food aid.
Idaho has set its own record, as the number of people receiving food stamps rose from about 87,000 in 2007 to about 229,000 in 2011, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Now, 15 percent of Idahoans get food stamps.
Since Otter became governor in 2007, the food stamp caseload has jumped 163 percent, putting Idaho behind only Nevada’s 172 percent growth rate.
Between 2007 and 2009, the most recent year available, the percentage of eligible Idahoans who received food stamps rose from 62 percent to 70 percent, still 2 percent below the national average.
Otter agrees with Gingrich that the blame belongs to Obama because his mishandling of the economy has put more people on the dole.
“I think he was right on,” Otter told me Tuesday.
Otter acknowledges he contributed to program growth by easing eligibility requirements. For 24 months, from June 2009 to May 2011, Otter waived a $2,000 asset limit. In June, he reset the limit at $5,000. (A house and a vehicle used for work are exempt from asset calculation).
“I made a humanitarian decision,” Otter said. “I have no liking to see anybody go hungry either, or make a decision between whether they’re going to put heat in the home or food on the table.”
Otter also said there would have been substantial growth without relaxing the asset standard because of job losses. “We said, let’s give this a couple years and hopefully we’ll be out of this by then.”
The average monthly food stamp benefit is $130 per person; about half of recipients are children under 18.
Some lawmakers, including House Speaker Lawerence Denney, R-Midvale, and House Minority Leader Mike Moyle, R-Star, are unhappy with food stamp growth and want reform.
“Yeah, we’re the food stamp kings,” said Denney.
Last year, the Legislature passed laws criminalizing any attempt to get food stamps with an improper Social Security number and allowing the state to verify the number of children in a household by requesting birth certificates.
Among the ideas for further reform are putting names and photographs on food stamp cards, which act like debit cards.
Denney said he sees abuse in the program, including people not buying staple foods. “I remember one guy that had a whole shopping cart full of hamburger, but he wasn’t buying it for himself. He couldn’t buy dog food, so he bought hamburger with food stamps to feed his dog.”
Moyle said he once saw a woman who seemed short of needy. “The gal used food stamps and got in an Escalade. That’s a $70,000 car.”
Moyle worked with Rep. Christy Perry, R-Nampa, on an ID bill that died last year. She’s now pressing that and two other ideas: a minimum-age requirement to use food stamps at a store — perhaps 15 — and a pilot program barring junk food purchases.
“We are trying to put some reins on a program that, yes, is seemingly running away,” Perry said. “But I think that has an awful lot to do with just the dire straits that people are in right now.”
House Health & Welfare Committee Chairwoman Janice McGeachin, R-Idaho Falls, supports adding the ID and pushing the feds to cut out junk food because of its public health impacts.
But she defends Idaho’s looser eligibility rules. “We were trying to accommodate the needs of our people. If (Gingrich) wants to characterize it that way, that’s his choice, but he’s not the one that has boots on the ground dealing with real people and real problems.”
Her Senate counterpart, Patti Anne Lodge, R-Huston, cautioned that Gingrich was making a rhetorical point in a campaign. She also backs Idaho’s looser standards.
“What’s $5,000 worth of assets?” she said. “Some of these people have lost their jobs. They’ve been making their house payments. Food stamps are a hand up to get you through tough times. They’re not something that you’re supposed to stay on for a lifetime.”
House Commerce and Human Resources Committee Chairwoman Sharon Block, R-Idaho Falls, declined to opine on Gingrich’s rhetoric. “I do know that with the economy the way it is, there are more people truly in need. I think it’s the responsibility of civilized society to help those who are truly in need.”
Dan Popkey: 377-6438
Read more here: http://www.idahostatesman.com/2012/01/25/1967127/if-obamas-the-food-stamp-president.html#storylink=latest#storylink=cpy
USDA Blog: Taking a Closer Look at the Benefit of Farmers Markets
Farmers Market Month may be over, but USDA’s commitment to promoting the use of farmers markets continues. Farmers markets are important for a number of reasons but, in particular, they’ve been an integral part of our efforts to bring nutritious foods to Americans who participate in programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Farmers Market Nutrition Program. Since the number of markets accepting nutrition assistance benefits has increased, we think it’s a great time to look at how effective farmers markets have been when it comes to increasing low income household access to nutritious foods.
For this reason, USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (with some valuable help from the Agricultural Marketing Service) is working to conduct studies regarding SNAP participation in the three major parts of the farmers market industry: the markets themselves, SNAP clients who shop at farmers markets, and non-profit organizations that support markets.
The first of the studies, the Farmers Market ManagersSurvey, focuses on how FNS’ commitment to bringing healthy foods to underserved communities can be aided by bringing farmers directly in contact with SNAP clients. Farmers market managers and direct marketing farmers are a vital connection in a chain that brings quality fresh fruits and vegetables from the fields to nutrition assistance clients. They are the ones who arrange times and places for people to receive the benefits of local agriculture. In addition, they are often the individuals who make decisions about which FNS programs in which they or their markets will participate.
This study will enter the field in early January 2012. It will ask the onsite managers of farmers markets about the characteristics of the markets they run, whether they accept SNAP EBT benefits, and what they think of the process for becoming SNAP approved. The final report is expected in the fall of 2012.
The second study, the Farmers Market Client Survey, is still in the early stages of development. Its goal is to determine why some SNAP clients shop at farmers markets, while clients with similar access do not. Data collection is anticipated in late summer of 2012, with a final report expected in the spring of the next year.
The third and final study, the Farmers Market Incentive Provider Study, is also still being developed. Presently, a number of non-profit organizations are providing financial incentives for SNAP clients to shop at farmers markets in order to obtain more nutritious foods. The goal of this study will be to understand how these organizations operate and make decisions about what markets they should support with their funds. Data collection for this study will begin in the fall of 2012 with the final report expected in the summer of 2013.
Since the second and third studies are still being developed, FNS is accepting feedback on the study plans. If you’d like to provide suggestions to our researchers, please contact the Office of Research and Analysis at FNS-FMstudies@fns.usda.gov. For more information on the surveys, click here.
USDA Celebrates One Year Anniversary of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010
Department Takes Historic Steps to Stem Hunger, Improve Nutrition and Curb Obesity for Nation's Children
WASHINGTON, Dec. 13, 2011 — First Lady Michelle Obama and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today highlighted the achievements of the historic Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, one year after the legislation was enacted to combat child hunger and obesity and improve the health and nutrition of the nation's children.
"The success of our nation tomorrow depends on the choices we make for our kids today. The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act is vital to the health and welfare of our kids, helping them build the healthy futures they deserve," said First Lady Michelle Obama. "We've seen the connection between what our kids eat and how well they perform in school. And we know that America's success in the 21st century means having the best-prepared and best-educated workforce around. So it is critical that we work to ensure that all children have the basic nutrition they need to learn, grow, and to pursue their dreams. As we celebrate the many accomplishments of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act's first year, we also pledge to continue taking bold steps forward to advance this goal."
"The strength of our communities, our economy, and our national security, rely on the health of our children," said Vilsack. "The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act strengthens the school nutrition environment, expands access to healthy meals, and simplifies processes so every child can receive a well-balanced school meal. And today, we celebrate those important accomplishments and look forward to those achievements which are still to come."
The Act makes many critical improvements to the child nutrition programs that serve millions of children across our country each day. It provides for improved access to nutrition assistance to make it easier for children to get nutritious meals when they are away from home. The legislation also improves the entire nutrition environment in schools and will enhance understanding of the causes and consequences of hunger and food insecurity among children The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 advances the goal of solving the problem of childhood obesity within a generation, which is at the heart of the First Lady's Let's Move! initiative.
USDA Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services Kevin Concannon said, "School nutrition improvements are an investment in our children's future. By working together, USDA and its partners can make these changes happen to feed every child the nutritious food they deserve – to excel and thrive in their lives."
The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 marked a great win for the nearly 32 million school children that participate in the National School Lunch and the 12 million school children that participate in the School Breakfast Programs each school day. USDA is working to implement historic reforms that will mark the most comprehensive change to food in schools in more than a generation. USDA's efforts to improve and enhance the school food environment include: updated school meals nutrition standards to increase fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy; science-based standards for all foods and beverages sold on the school campus; performance-based funding increases for schools – the first real increase in 30 years; and training and technical assistance to help schools meet improved standards.
Key accomplishments from the Act in the first year include:
Nutrition Standards for School Meals: USDA proposed new meal patterns and nutrition standards that align school meals with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, analyzed over 130,000 public comments, and used them in drafting a final regulation for publication.
Common Sense Standards for Revenue: USDA issued new rules to ensure that all revenues from school food sales keep pace with the Federal commitment to healthy school meals and properly align with costs, providing local schools as much as $7.5 billion over 5 years to invest in healthier meals for children.
Nationwide Expansion of At-Risk Afterschool Meals: USDA worked closely with states to expand the availability of afterschool meals across the nation through the Child and Adult Care Food Program. USDA estimates this expansion could provide supper to an additional 140,000 kids in low-income areas.
Categorical Eligibility for Foster Children: USDA issued guidance and provided technical assistance to states to ensure that more than 400,000 children in foster care are certified to receive free meals in all USDA child nutrition programs.
Strengthening Direct Certification: USDA provided guidance, technical assistance and grant funding to states to improve their direct certification systems to help more children already receiving benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR).
Implementing Community Eligibility: USDA is working with three states – Illinois, Kentucky and Michigan – to implement a "community eligibility" approach to reimburse schools for meals without the need for paper applications.
Simplified Area Eligibility for Family Day Care Homes: USDA provided guidance to states to simplify the kinds of information that family day care home providers can use to qualify for participation in the Child and Adult Care Food Program.
Improved School Wellness Promotion: USDA provided guidance to enhance local wellness policies in schools in order to promote healthier lifestyles for children.
Bolster Farm to School Connections: New USDA policy ensures that children have access to fresh produce and other agricultural products and give a much-needed boost to local farmers and agricultural producers.
Key accomplishments from the Act expected in the coming year and beyond:
Nutrition Standards for School Meals: USDA anticipates finalizing the actual standards to align school meals with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans in early 2012.
Nutrition Standards for All Foods Sold in School: USDA plans to propose new standards for foods sold in school other than reimbursable meals, such as those in school stores, a la carte lines, and vending machines.
Implementation of Performance-Based Reimbursement: The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act included the first real reimbursement rate increase for school meals in roughly 30 years. These funds are tied to performance in meeting the updated nutrition standards for school meals. USDA plans to begin issuing these funds in 2012.
Implementing Direct Certification using Medicaid Data: USDA will select states to participate in a demonstration project to test the use of Medicaid data for connecting eligible children with free school meals.
Nutrition Standards for the Child and Adult Care Food Program: USDA will propose updated standards for child and adult care settings, as well as other early learning settings that participate in CACFP, to better align the meals served with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
Implementing Community Eligibility: USDA plans to continue evaluating the current States participating in community eligibility and expanding to others.
Tiny store solves 'food desert' problem in West Seattle by ELISA HAHN / KING 5 News
Posted on November 4, 2011 at 4:48 PM/Updated Friday, Nov 4 at 7:52 PM
WEST SEATTLE -- In parts of West Seattle's Delridge neighborhood, the only way you can get to a grocery store is by walking, taking the bus, or catching a ride.
There, you'll find one or two convenience stores, but it's an area known as a "food dessert."
"A food desert is an area where people don't have access to fresh produce or groceries staples within walking distance, within a mile of their homes," said Jacqueline Gjurgevich, one of the creators of the Stockbox Grocers project.
Gjurgevich and former classmate Carrie Ferrence decided to change that, making it easier and safer to access fresh foods for low-income neighborhoods.
Using an old shipping container, they opened Delridge Stockbox, a temporary grocery store in the middle of an apartment complex parking lot at Holden Street and 24th Avenue Southwest.
"The first impression when the walk into the store and see 300 items, it seems like it can't possibly be that much when you're looking at it from the outside," says Ferrence.
Their goal was to provide staples like tomato paste, chicken stock, fresh produce and other healthy items to cook with that can't be found in a convenience store.
"I usually have to walk to Westwood Center to get my groceries and that's a pain," says Raf Salazar, a customer and apartment tenant. "So it's been really helpful."
But now at the end of their 8-week prototype project, Gjurgevich and Ferrence will close the store to make a few changes, but plan to reopen in three new locations. They're looking at Delridge, Skyway, and South Park.
"We're really passionate about making a difference and doing something for communities," said Gjurgevich.
Stockbox Grocers is already getting requests for franchise opportunities from several cities across the country.
USDA Announces Winners in Summer Food Service Program Story and Photo Contest
WASHINGTON, Oct. 5, 2011 – Today, USDA's Food and Nutrition Service announced the winners of the first ever Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) "Food, Fun and Sun!"Story and Photo contest to highlight how the program provides free, healthy meals to children in low-income areas during the summer. Launched earlier in the summer, USDA received over 100 submissions representing sponsors and sites in over forty states.
"We must do all we can to ensure that children get nutritious food during the summer so they are ready to learn and succeed during the school year. The organizations that participated in the contest demonstrate the commitment that people in many communities have made to reach this goal." said Kevin Concannon, USDA Undersecretary for Food Nutrition and Consumer Services. "All organizations participating highlighted the critical role of the Summer Food Service Program in ending childhood hunger by providing our children the nutrition needed to be healthy, active and ready to win the future." "
Food, Fun and Sun!" showcases successful, model programs in four categories to share with SFSP sponsors and sites across the country. Photo contest categories and winners include:
Volunteers: Using volunteers to support their work: Youth and Family Services (Rapid City, SD)
Older Children: Addressing hunger among older kids, aged 12-18: Boys and Girls Club of Ada County (Boise, ID)
Creative: Programs that "think outside the box" serving kids and teens: Kinsley Library, (Kinsley, KS)
For more details about the Food, Fun and Sun! Summer Food Service Program Story and Photo Contest including winning submissions, please visit the SFSP Contest webpage at http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/summer/contest/default.htm .
The SFSP, a federally funded program designed to alleviate hunger during the summer for children 18 years old and younger, operates through partnerships between USDA, state agencies and local organizations. Program sponsors, which include schools, government agencies, residential and non-residential camps, non-profit organizations, and faith-based organizations, served nearly 134 million meals at eligible sites in 2010.
During the regular school year, about 21 million children from low-income households receive free or reduced-price meals through USDA's School Breakfast and National School Lunch programs, compared to about 3 million fed through summer programs. Hunger doesn't take a summer vacation – and communities across the Nation are working hard to make sure every child has the food they need, even when school is not in session.
USDA's most recent data shows that while in most households, children were protected from substantial reductions in food intake, children experienced very low food security in about 386,000 households (1 percent of households with children) in 2010. In these households, one or more children do not get enough to eat – they had to cut the size of their meals, skip meals, or even go whole days without food at some time during the year.
To tackle this challenge, this year FNS has launched several opportunities under the Ending Childhood Hunger initiative to include:
Stakeholder Guide to Ending Childhood Hunger, a guide to assist individuals and organizations in choosing value-added activities and finding resources to help end childhood hunger;
Ending Childhood Hunger Video Contest ( endhunger.challenge.gov ), an opportunity for students in grades one through 12 to submit short videos about what they are doing, or what ideas they have about ending childhood hunger. The submission period runs through October 21, 2011.
Become a Champion to End Hunger, an online commitment drive that encourages organizations and the public to select actions they will take to reduce childhood hunger;
End Hunger Volunteerism Portal, a website developed by CNCS where organizations can post volunteer opportunities and individuals can search for volunteer opportunities in their communities;
USDA's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) oversees the administration of 15 nutrition assistance programs, including the child nutrition programs, that touch the lives of one in four Americans over the course of a year. These programs work in concert to form a national safety net against hunger.
BRAD PAISLEY, KIMBERLY WILLIAMS PAISLEY AND THE SESAME STREET MUPPETS HELP FAMILIES COPE WITH HUNGER
Primetime Television Special Sponsored by Walmart will Premier on October 9 at 7 pm ET/ PT on PBS Featuring New Muppet, Lily, Whose Family Faces Hunger
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE. NEW YORK, October 4, 2011 – Growing Hope Against Hunger, a one hour primetime television special, produced by Sesame Workshop with documentary films by Academy Award winning director and filmmaker Cynthia Wade, will premiere on PBS starring Brad Paisley, Kimberly Williams Paisley and the Sesame Street Muppets airing nationwide on October 9 th at 7:00 PM ET/ PT (check local listings). The special, made possible by the generous support of Walmart , presents families’ personal stories to raise awareness of the widespread issue of hunger in the United States, as well as strategies that have helped these families find resources and grow stronger together. Growing Hope Against Hunger will also introduce a new Muppet named Lily whose family has an ongoing struggle with hunger.
A preview of the special was presented today at the Bethel Gospel Academy with H. Melvin Ming , Chief Operating Officer of Sesame Workshop; Andrea Thomas , Senior Vice President of Sustainability at Walmart; Vicki Escarra , President and CEO of Feeding America and Sesame Street Advisory Board Member ; The Gleason family , who were featured in the special; and Sesame Street’s Grover and new Muppet Lily . In addition, a Spanish version of the special will air on October 22 nd at 1 PM ET/PT on Univision and on October 23 rd at 1 PM ET/PT on Telefutura. All materials will also be available online at sesamestreet.org/food.
“Food insecurity is a growing and difficult issue for adults to discuss, much less children,” said Brad and Kimberly Paisley. “We are honored that Sesame Street , with its long history of tackling difficult issues with sensitivity, caring and warmth asked us to be a part of this important project. We hope that it will not only provide families with the tools they need to help them cope and live the healthiest life possible, but will educate the general population about the extent of food insecurity and hunger in the United States.”
Families facing food insecurity is a growing issue in the United States. The United States Department of Agriculture estimates that 17 million American children — nearly 1 in 4 — have limited or uncertain access to affordable and nutritious food. Of these children, more than half (9.6 million) are under the age of 6.* In response, Sesame Workshop , the nonprofit organization behind Sesame Street, with funding and partnership from United HealthCare and the Merck Foundation, launched Food for Thought: Eating Well on a Budget in Fall 2010 . The multimedia and bi-lingual (English and Spanish) Food for Thoughtresource kits , created by Sesame Workshop with the guidance from an Advisory Board, were developed to provide free resources in support of families with young children coping with uncertain or limited access to affordable and nutritious food.
* Nord, Mark, Margaret Andrews, and Steven Carlson. Household Food Security in the United States, 2008. ERR-83, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Econ. Res. Serv. November 2009.
With a $1.5 million grant from Walmart, Growing Hope Against Hunger extends the Food for Thought initiative through the national television broadcast of the new primetime special, the distribution of 35,000 Food for Thought resource kits and following the premiere of the special, 15 screenings will be hosted in select Walmart communities. In May 2010, Walmart committed $2 billion to fighting hunger in the U.S. through 2015 and at the premiere today in New York Walmart announced today that it will be donating 8,000 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables to City Harvest , who will distribute it directly into the hands of hungry New Yorkers through open-air, farmer’s market-style distributions in high need communities as well as deliver it to preschool and afterschool programs serving children in need throughout the five boroughs
“At Walmart, we’re committed to fighting hunger and providing healthy, affordable food to families across the U.S.,” said Andrea Thomas, Senior Vice President of Sustainability at Walmart. “We’re proud to partner with Sesame Street to help raise awareness of the issue of hunger in America and what we can do to help our neighbors.”
“Sesame Workshop has always been at the forefront of creating resources for families with young children to help address some of life’s most difficult issues.” said H. Melvin Ming, Chief Operating Officer of Sesame Workshop. “ Growing Hope Against Hunger is Sesame Workshop’s contribution to all those who face the invisible crisis in the United States that is food insecurity. We are honored to have the generous support of Walmart and to work with Brad and Kim and all our supporters and especially the families who share their very personal stories so others can learn and benefit from their journeys."
The special highlights several strategies of empowerment, told through the eyes of children; viewers will meet a 7-year-old child who organizes a food drive for the pantry that helped her family; a community that arranges for struggling families to get unlimited access to healthy, fresh organic produce; a 10-year-old girl who collects food from high-end restaurants for an urban "food desert"; and a family that uses food assistance (WIC and SNAP) as the mother received culinary job training program -- a program that ultimately changes their lives. These stories mirror some of the things shown happening on Sesame Street : food drives, a community garden, and neighbors who help neighbors.
USDA Recognizes States for Efforts to Provide Timely Nutrition Assistance
for Americans in Need USDA Press Release
WASHINGTON, Sept. 27, 2011 - USDA Under Secretary Kevin Concannon today commended select states and the District of Columbia for making program improvements to ensure Americans eligible for the Supplement Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) received benefits in a timely manner, in addition to improved program efficiency and integrity.
“USDA is working every day to spend less but invest wisely and to make sure that our programs are operating efficiently as we bring assistance to Americans in need,” said Concannon. “USDA and our state agency partners continue to make improvements that strengthen the nutrition safety net while helping hard-working individuals and families transition to self-sufficiency.”
USDA provides monetary incentives to the eight states with the best and most improved program access index. The program access index is the ratio of participants to the number of persons below 125 percent of poverty and reflects State performance in reaching those eligible for nutrition benefits. USDA also provides monetary incentives to the six states with the highest rate of timely processed applications, an important indicator of customer service in administering the Program.
Working in collaboration with USDA, state agencies continue to enhance SNAP program integrity even as demand has increased in response to national economic conditions. This year, USDA is investing in process improvement efforts that examine local office processes and identify and implement efficiencies. The department is also interested in funding projects that use technology to achieve procedural changes, such as document imaging, telephone interviews or web-based access to case status information. Today's announcement proves that states’ efforts to ensure program integrity and improve their process for administering SNAP are working.
“Improving access and customer service in SNAP is critically important for the millions of individuals, children and families who rely on these benefits to put healthy food on the table each month,” noted Concannon. “Today’s announcement underscores that state efforts to improve the process to administer SNAP are working.”
States recognized for their exemplary and timely customer service in Fiscal Year 2010 are:
Best Program Access Index:
Maine
$879,776
District of Columbia
$550,883
Delaware
$444,836
Oregon
$2,652,247
Michigan
$6,009,251
Vermont
$389,718
Most Improved Program Access Index:
Delaware
see ‘best’ above
New Hampshire
$438,214
Michigan
see ‘best’ above
Idaho
$635,125
Best Application Processing Timeliness:
District of Columbia
$518,936
Idaho
$597,263
Oregon
$2,471,660
New Mexico
$1,056,711
West Virginia
$1,082,661
North Dakota
$272,769
The District of Columbia earned a timeliness bonus for the fourth time and third consecutive year. West Virginia has earned a timeliness bonus seven times. This is the first time Idaho, New Mexico, North Dakota, and Oregon have earned a timeliness bonus.
