1. Healthy Food is Over-Budget for Many Households
(ABC News, December 19, 2007)

Researchers at the University of Washington focused on the costs of eating foods that are high in nutrients and low in calories, such as lean meats and vegetables, and found that the costs of these foods increased by 20 percent over the past two years. This was a dramatic increase, compared to the five percent increase in the overall costs of food. Also, in the same time period, the costs for high-calorie foods either remained level or dropped in some cases. “We were shocked,” said Adam Drewnowsky, director of the Center for Public Health Nutrition at the University of Washington. “The nutrient-rich calories, the food we should be eating, are zooming out of sight.” While many people would like to eat right, they have to eat cheaper. “Sometimes it’s the only decision they can make when the rent is due,” he said. The study, by Drewnosky and fellow researcher Pablo Monsivais, was published in the December issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

Read more: The study was published in the December 2007 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. The full text is available only to subscribers or by purchase.     

2. Mixed Reports on U.S. Economy Find Continued Job Growth, But Increases in Hunger
(Los Angeles Times, December 18, 2007)

While the current U.S. economy is “troubled,” President George W. Bush pointed to 51 months of continued job growth as a sign of its strength. But, a recent report released by the U.S. Conference of Mayors found increases in the demand for food assistance in 80 percent of surveyed cites. According to the report, foreclosures, increased costs of living, and higher food costs were driving the rise of hunger in the cities. The Administration has proposed a plan to help homeowners stave off foreclosure, and the Federal Reserve is working to assuage recession fears.

3. Celebrity Chef is Former Food Stamp Recipient
(The Patriot News, December 19, 2007)

Sandra Lee, best known for her “Semi-Homemade” cooking series, said she learned about food by shopping and cooking with her grandmother. “It came from my childhood when I had to use food stamps, and I had to go to the grocery store and figure out how to stretch out a dollar,” said Lee. She went to cooking school, and quickly realized that most homemakers are not able to easily prepare the recipes she was learning. Lee’s recipes use 70 percent ready products and 30 percent prepared products. “I could instantly, in a classroom, look at a recipe that had 25 ingredients and break it down to five just by knowing so much about the grocery store,” she said.

4. Changes to WIC Program Include Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
(Sacramento Bee, December 23, 2007)

States have up to 18 months to implement the changes to the food packages offered by the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program. The changes, unveiled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, add fruits, vegetables, and whole grains to the package. According to federal and state officials, the revisions bring the package in line with current dietary guidelines. California accounts for more than one in eight of WIC recipients nationwide. Pressed for funding, California and other states were preparing to ration WIC benefits. That’s not necessary now, said Linnea Sallack, head of the WIC program at the California Department of Public Health, since Congress passed an omnibus spending bill that ensures the program will be funded at current levels. But, demand for the program continues to rise. Teri Duarte, director of the Sacramento County WIC Program, said that participation in the county grew by 30 percent over the past three years. “We’re serving everyone who’s eligible, but we couldn’t if everyone who is eligible applied. We’re only serving 55 percent of the eligible population,” said Duarte.

Read more: “ Changes will bring better food choices to Women, Infants, Children program,” Republican American, December 19, 2007

5. Vermont Advocates Find Lack of Transportation Barring Access to Food
(Times Argus, December 13, 2007)

Visits to food pantries are up across the state, but rural Vermonters cite lack of transportation as a major barrier to accessing food. According to Dorigen Keeney, director of policy and research at the Vermont Campaign to End Childhood Hunger, transportation challenges were consistent themes among five focus groups in Washington County. Members of The Hunger Council of Washington County discussed ways to make better use of existing resources, including using schools buses to transport meals to seniors. Hunger Council members also noted some successes over the past year, including an increase in the number of low-income students eating school breakfast. The state legislature is considering a bill that would require the state to cover the costs of the reduced-price breakfasts for students. Washington County food service directors find that when students become ineligible for free breakfast, they often skip breakfast rather than pay the reduced price.

6. Food Bank in Texas Expanding Food Stamp Outreach
(KAUZ-TV, December 18, 2007)

The Wichita Falls Area Food Bank ( Tex.) is joining a statewide initiative to raise awareness of available programs to clients that may be eligible, but not participating. The Social Services Outreach Program will provide information on food stamps, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and other programs. Workers will help residents fill out the applications either in person or over the phone. “Often they are intimidated. They may not have the means to apply,” said Veronica Harvey, outreach coordinator. “Seeing that there’s a lot of poverty out there. There’s a lot of need.”

7. Vermont among Seven States Awarded Funds to Modernize Food Stamp Application Process
(WCAX-TV, December 13, 2007)

Vermont and six other states were awarded funds to improve their Food Stamp Program. Currently, individuals must apply in person for food stamps, but the state hopes to modernize the process by introducing call centers and online applications. Vermont received $1 million for its program, the second highest amount awarded for the modernization efforts.

8. Virginia Social Service Agency Reporting Increase in Food Stamp Enrollment
(Martinsville Bulletin, December 26, 2007)

In November, the number of households receiving food stamp benefits surged past 5,000 households, according to the Henry-Martinsville Social Services agency. The agency also saw an increase in the number of households receiving Medicaid. According to officials, job losses and economic problems are contributing to the increase.

9. State Audit Finds Fault with Broward County ( Fla.) School Meals
(South Florida Sun-Sentinel, December 18, 2007)

In her winning essay, fourth-grader Arissa Cushnie said that “[s]chool breakfast is excellent because it helps you focus on your work and not on your hunger!” Cushnie, a student at Indian Trace Elementary School ( Fla.), was one of three winners in a statewide contest. Students were asked to write essays on the importance of breakfast. Broward County schools, however, are still serving meals with too much saturated fat and too few calories or nutrients, according to a state audit of how the district meets federal mealtime standards. These federal standards specify the amount of fat, calories, sodium, and other nutrients that are supposed to be in school meals. Nutrition experts check school cafeterias every five years to make sure they are meeting these standards. District officials in Broward County said that the audit only measured foods the students selected during one week, not the foods actually offered.

10. Pennsylvania Receives Low Marks for Breakfast Participation
(Intelligencer Journal, December 27, 2007)

In its School Breakfast Report Card, the Pennsylvania Hunger Action Center gave the state low marks for participation in the school breakfast program. Of the 239 school districts with at least 20 percent of needy students and without a breakfast program, only 36 percent added breakfasts over the past year. In February, Gov. Ed Rendell urged the state legislature to mandate breakfast programs at all schools with at least 20 percent low-income students, but the plan was never approved.

11. Breakfast Program Brings Out Students’ Creative Side
(WSAZ-TV, December 18, 2007)

Usually the cafeteria at Louisa East Elementary School is half-full with students eating breakfast in the morning. On “Breakfast with the Arts Day,” the cafeteria is packed with students to watch their classmates perform. “They don’t always get to do that in class. This is an outlet – [it] is fun and doesn’t cost anything,” said music teacher Rowena Borders. Cafeteria workers say that more students eat breakfast when the performances are scheduled. “Some don’t eat at home. It’s good to get them home with a full belly,” said cafeteria worker Brenda Perkins.

12. Letter to the Editor: School Breakfast Investment in Academic Success
(Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, December 18, 2007)

In this letter to the editor, Sally Callan, a member of the Hunger Task Force’s board of directors, gives “kudos “ to Milwaukee Public Schools for their leadership in providing breakfast in the classroom. “Some of our public officials – Sen. Herb Kohl (D-Wisc.), Gov. Jim Doyle, and state schools Superintendent Elizabeth Burmaster – have really championed this program, and other should join them. School breakfast is an investment in academic success,” she wrote. Callan expressed her hope that one day “I may yet see the day when Wisconsin is near the top… in school breakfast participation.”

13. Salt Lake City Mayor-elect Urged to Focus on Poverty
(Salt Lake Tribune, December 27, 2007)

Ralph Becker, the mayor-elect for Salt Lake City, pledged that he would focus on slashing poverty in the city. "It's a very significant problem. . . . It's often one that is swept under the rug," he said. "I hope we can take a proactive approach in Salt Lake City. [Reducing poverty] is the responsibility of everyone in society and every level of government." Becker was responding to a letter from a coalition of community and faith groups that challenged him to make fighting poverty a top priority. In Salt Lake City, one in five residents has an income below the federal poverty line, pointed out Glenn Bailey, executive director of the Crossroads Urban Center. "What a mayor can do is see that every eligible child in town is getting CHIP [Children's Health Insurance Program] and food stamps, or as many as possible. It doesn't do good if people don't know it's there," said Bill Tibbitts, director of the Anti-Hunger Action Committee.

14. Missouri Food Pantry Facing Shortages
(St. Louis Jewish Light, December 27, 2007)

Empty boxes are piled high in the basement of the Jewish Family & Children’s Services building, which stores food for the Harvey Kornblum Jewish Food Pantry. “We used to have a mound of food, from the floor, almost to the ceiling,” said Ellen Sabin, food pantry assistant. “Usually just sorting all the food takes several months. But we’re done sorting and giving out almost all the food that came in,” said Sue Rundbald, food pantry coordinator. Demand at the food bank has been rising since the end of the summer. In October, they had the highest numbers ever seen at the food bank, with more than 2,000 clients seeking assistance.

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