1. Economy’s Growth Only Benefited Some
(The New York Times, April 9, 2008)

A Pew research study released last week reported that many of those surveyed feel that they are “stuck in place” or have fallen behind economically. This is the most “downbeat short-term assessment of personal progress in almost a half century of polling,” comments David Leonhardt in this editorial. Leonhardt further states that while the economy was booming over the past few years, it benefited only a narrow part of the American population. The previous economic expansion (ending in 2000) saw the median American family income rise to $61,000. The most recent expansion saw a drop in median family income to $60,500. “This has never happened before,” writes Leonhardt, and will most likely be the number one problem the new president will face. As the economy slides into recession, the problem will only get bigger as more pay cuts are instituted.

2. FRAC President Details Hunger Problems and Solutions at House Hunger Caucus Briefing
(FRAC, April 16, 2008)

FRAC’s President Jim Weill spoke on “The Impact of Rising Food Prices on Hunger in America” last week before the House Hunger Caucus meeting. Beginning with Census Bureau statistics showing that even before the current economic crisis, 11 percent of households (or 35 million people) were “food insecure;” Weill noted that the number rose to nearly 16 percent in 2006. Families with children are more likely to experience food insecurity, and today’s combination of high food prices and stagnant wages, not to mention widespread layoffs, are also impacting already-struggling households. Food stamps help, but the benefit have not kept up with the rise in food prices – many low-income households spend as much as thirty percent of their income on food. Weill called for passage of the Farm Bill with an improved nutrition title, and for a temporary increase in food stamp benefits in the next economic stimulus bill. Long-term strategic solutions include bolstering family incomes nationwide, further strengthening the Food Stamp Program, and improving other federal nutrition program spending – WIC, school meals, TEFAP, Meals on Wheels, etc. – to keep pace with rising food prices.

3. Food Stamp Program Key to Battling Hunger in States
(Stateline.org, April 14, 2008)

The Food Stamp Program remains the primary program the federal government has to battle hunger across the country, and food stamp recipient numbers have grown to a total higher than any time in the program’s history. The triple combination of soaring food prices, high energy costs, and lost jobs force more Americans to apply for food stamps, and states are reaching out to millions who are eligible but haven’t applied. Even though state budgets are hurting, it makes economic sense for states to enroll more recipients – states only shoulder administrative costs to run their program. Food stamps bring added economic benefit to states, as well as help keep numbers down for other types of public assistance. Outreach often battles the prevailing myth that if you have a job, you aren’t eligible for food stamps; today more and more working families find they can’t afford groceries and turn to food stamps for assistance. States currently involved in outreach campaigns include:

Massachusetts: Gov. Deval Patrick convened the state’s first-ever hunger summit last month to help state agencies begin a combined effort to reach more potential food stamp recipients;
Tennessee: Caseworkers are visiting community centers, rural churches, and housing projects to find eligible residents who aren’t signed up for the Food Stamp Program.
Michigan: Workers are targeting elderly individuals by signing them up at senior centers.
Utah: Food stamp employees will begin calling recipients in July who haven’t returned their signed recertification papers to encourage them to send them in.
New Hampshire: In spite of “crazy” caseloads, staff continue their outreach, particularly to the elderly.

All this effort is paying off, according to FRAC’s Ellen Vollinger, quoted in the Stateline article: “[States have] made real strides in outreach and program simplification.”

4. Organizations Meet to Address Economy’s Effect on Needy
(Daytona Beach News-Journal, April 11, 2008)

Experts and officials recently convened the first Hunger & Poverty 2008 Summit for Florida’s Volusia and Flagler counties to discuss the economy-driven increase in numbers of people needing food, fuel, housing and other assistance. The number of food stamp recipients in the region rose from 1.2 million to 1.4 million in one year; this fiscal year, 41,277 assistance requests have been processed so far, in contrast to last fiscal year when 33,380 requests were processed, according to the state’s Department of Children and Families (DCF). Legislators are planning to cut 250 food stamp, Medicaid and cash assistance workers across the state, which worries DCF officials. “Clearly we are struggling to meet the need now,” said DCF’s northeast region director Nancy Dreicer. “It’s going to get worse.” It’s already worse for many – former appliance store owner Morty Kashtan, a single father with two daughters, is on food stamps and other assistance. Competition from larger stores put him out of business four years ago, and he was recently laid off from his courier job due to staffing cutbacks driven by the sluggish economy. Many others are eligible for food stamps, but haven’t applied because of the intricate application process . Former Lt. Gov. Buddy MacKay, who attended the summit, said the state legislature should use the “rainy day trust fund money” to improve the state’s budget problems instead of targeting programs helping the needy.

5. New Jersey Governor to Sign Bill Requiring Companies to Provide Paid Leave
(Newsday, April 7, 2008)

A bill approved by the New Jersey legislature will require companies to grant paid leave to workers caring for a new child or sick relative. Gov. Jon S. Corzine said he’ll sign the measure, which will make New Jersey the third state in the nation to adopt this policy. The state’s bill is similar to bills in California and Washington, and allows for up to six weeks of paid leave. Federal law allows for up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave. Workers will help pay for the program through payroll deductions amounting to $33 per year. Opponents compare the deduction to a tax, and say it could increase if the program doesn’t earn enough mone Jim Leonard, of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce, commented that “[l]egislators and the governor seem to think our residents and employers have deep pockets and unlimited resources to fund their bloated bureaucracy…”

6. More Recipients Struggling to Stretch Food Stamps Each Month
(Chicago Tribune, April 8, 2008)

Chicago area food stamp recipients spend through their benefits earlier each month prices for food, especially staple items, continue to rise. High-priced corn – which goes into animal feed - are skyrocketing food costs for everyone, with those on food stamps particularly affected. While the federal government annually adjusts the purchasing power of food stamps, those increases have not kept up with inflation rates. Illinois Hunger Coalition executive director Diane Doherty said “It’s a huge problem. People are having trouble putting together … meals.” Chicago resident Kim Allen receives $408 each month in food stamps for her and two daughters, but that assistance only gets them through the first half of the month, and her recent job loss won’t help matters. Maria Sanchez is only able to make the $591 for herself and five daughters last three weeks. When Steve and Karen Proctor – who are dealing with the aftermath of accidents, cancer, the inability to work and living disability - run out of food stamp assistance 2 ½ weeks into the month, they rely on the Schaumburg Township Food Pantry to get by. “I go to bed each night and cry,” said Karen Proctor. “You say tomorrow has got to be a better day.”

7. Thousands Seek Information on Food Stamps
(Philadelphia Inquirer, April 7, 2008)

Since, 2003, Philadelphia’s Food Stamp Hotline fielded 25,000 food stamp inquiries from low-income residents, according to this letter to the editor from Sydelle Zove of the Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger. Seventy percent of those callers qualified for the benefit. These days, even more families are not only feeling economically pinched, as a recent Inquirer story suggested, they’ve been punched “in the gut.” Zove advises Congress to “take bold action” and pass the Farm Bill with an improved nutrition title as more and more families struggle with soaring food costs while food stamp benefits remain stagnant. Improving the benefit level will help families make it to the end of each month with enough food.

8. New York Improves Food Stamp Application Process
(The New York Times, April 7, 2008)

David A. Hansell, commissioner of the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, comments a recent Times article linking record food stamp numbers to the current economic downturn. Hansell writes that these numbers are also the result of a number of New York State initiatives - eliminating some resource limits, replacing in-person interviews with phone calls, and online application capabilities - to encourage and assist low-income residents in applying for the benefits.

9. Social Services Center Sees Long Lines for Food Stamps
(Pensacola News Journal, April 13, 2008)

Most of the people standing in line to apply for food stamps at the Department of Children and Families’ service center in Pensacola, Florida are out-of-work household heads who can’t find a new job. Jim Maddox, program administrator at the department, said February’s application numbers rose 24 percent in Escambia County and 14 percent in Santa Rosa. “When I look at the applications I see the same thing over and over…” he said. “[L]aid off, laid off, laid off. A lot were in real estate and construction. It’s really scary.” A service center receptionist told the News Journal’s reporter “You should have been here this morning. They were lined up at the door.”

10. Combined Economic Problems Driving Record Food Stamp Enrollment
(The Register-Guard, April 4, 2008)

This editorial notes that while Oregon’s improved food stamp outreach, enrollment process, and eligibility requirements can raise recipient numbers, high consumer prices, job layoffs and home foreclosures have driven residents to enroll in record numbers, indicating an economic recession. In February 2008, 455,000 Oregon residents in 240,000 households received food stamps, an increase of 6.4 percent over February 2007’s numbers. Although food stamps are “a lifesaver” for low-income people, low-income people are still disproportionately hurt by the weakening U.S. economy and steep rise in consumer prices. The editorial concludes with a call to both the public and presidential candidates to embrace the philosophy behind John Edward’s quote when he ended his democratic nomination run: “We don’t turn away from a neighbor in their time of need, because every one of us knows that but for the grace of God, there goes us.”

11. TV News Food Stamp Feature Wins Award
(WTHI, April 7, 2008)

The Indiana Associated Press Broadcasters Association recently recognized WTHI News 10 reporter Joe Stoll and photographer John Timm with a “Best Enterprise Story” award for their piece on the Food Stamp Challenge.

12. Schools Raising Meal Prices for Some Students
(Long Beach Press-Telegram, April 11, 2008; News Journal, April 16, 2008; Gadsden Times, April 11, 2008)

School systems in California, Alabama and Texas are battling steep increases in food costs by raising the price of school meals for some students. The Long Beach Board of Education is proposing raising meal prices by 25 cents for all students except the 68 percent of students receiving free or low-cost meals. White Oak school students in Texas haven’t seen a meal price increase in seven years but will pay more this fall, since school district trustees voted to raise breakfast and lunch prices in a move to keep up with high food and fuel costs. Students not receiving free or reduced meals will be required to pay $1 for breakfast and 40 cents for milk; currently they pay 35 cents for milk and 75 cents for breakfast. And in Alabama, the Albertville School Board is looking to offset a 26 percent increase in food costs by charging students 30 cents more for breakfast (going from 70 cents to $1) and 25 cents more for lunch (from $1.75 to $2).

13. Purchasing Co-Op Helps Schools Save Money Serving Healthier Foods
(Bloomington Pantagraph, April 6, 2008)

Indiana’s District 87 school system joined 11 other schools in a purchasing co-op in 2005, a successful move that has now grown to 58 schools. The co-op assists the schools in purchasing fresh produce and other healthy foods. In addition, food service workers have found that students eat healthier foods if they’re packaged in more user-friendly ways – such as small plastic milk bottles instead of paper cartons (which increased consumption by 40 percent) and offering fruits in clear containers, so students can see what they’re getting. One school keeps their gym open after lunch so students can exercise. School food services are also cutting back on the size of certain items, like desserts, in their move to improve the nutritional content of lunches. Some students balk at the new sizes, but overall they’re a success.

14. Technology Helps State Sign Up More Food Stamp Recipients
(Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus, April 16, 2008)

Vermont is modernizing its Food Stamp Program through an initiative over the next three years that will remove participation obstacles. New technology will help state employees handle increased caseloads – the initiative’s planned result - more efficiently, and make it possible for potential recipients to apply online or by phone by eliminating the in-person interview. The initiative’s $1 million price tag will be funded through an award to the state for accuracy in food stamp payments, along with a food stamp grant. The food stamp program currently brings Vermont $5 million in federal payments. However, many who are eligible have not applied – in 2005, only 68 percent (46,000) of eligible residents were on the program. Since then, the number of recipients in Vermont has climbed 55,000.

15. USDA and HHS to Review Dietary Guidelines
(Foodnavigator-usa.com, April 14, 2008)

Government dietary guidelines which help the public follow healthy, balanced diets and assist manufacturers in boosting the health of their products will be the focus of a new committee convened by USDA and HHS. The committee of experts, chosen from nominations being invited currently by the two agencies, will decide whether or not updates to the 2005 guidelines are necessary in light of scientific and medical advances. Expertise is particularly needed in the area of obesity, since the nation’s overweight and obese population keeps climbing, as well as in the areas of food safety, chronic disease prevention, epidemiology, physiology and nutrition biochemistry.

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