The Weekly Food Research and Action Center News Digest highlights what's new on hunger, nutrition and poverty issues at FRAC, at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, around the network of national, state and local anti-poverty and anti-hunger organizations, and in the media. The Digest will alert you to trends, reports, news items and resources and, when available, link you directly to them.

1. USDA Releases SNAP/Food Stamp Promotion Materials Aimed at Reducing Stigma and Launches SNAP/Food Stamp Store Locator
(USDA, May 19, 2010; MSNBC, May 19, 2010)

USDA released promotion materials, including signs for grocers to post that read “We Welcome SNAP Benefits,” and launched the online SNAP Retail Locator, which will allow recipients to locate SNAP/Food Stamp-authorized stores near their homes and workplaces. “Underscoring that SNAP benefits are welcome, rather than merely accepted, signals an important change in the way both retailers and program participants view these benefits,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “These new tools will allow us to improve access and increase participation in SNAP…Breaking down barriers to participation will help the Obama Administration deliver on its goal of reducing hunger and improving nutrition in this country.” The Locator will help SNAP/Food Stamp recipients – “especially those who may be new and unfamiliar with the program, to gain access to food,” said Kevin Concannon, USDA Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services. The signs will also encourage economic stimulus – according to USDA, every $5 in new SNAP/Food Stamp benefits generates $9.20 in economic activity. The SNAP/Food Stamp Program serves record numbers of people as families struggle through the economic downturn. Between October 2006 and February 2010, the program served an additional 6.6 million households. Concannon announced the new information resources in an address to officials from the National Grocers Association, Food Marketing Institute, and Electronic Funds Transfer Association.

2. Walmart Announces Major Initiative for Anti-Hunger Efforts
(Chronicle of Philanthropy, May 12, 2010; The Washington Post, May 12, 2010; Walmart.com)

Walmart announced that it will give $2 billion over the next five years to fight hunger in the U.S., part of its "Fighting Hunger Together" commitment. This includes $250 million in cash grants to support hunger-relief organizations; Walmart also announced the first grants as part of this commitment -- $10 million to provide healthy meals to children during the school year and summer months (including a $2 million grant to the National Recreation and Park Association to help feed children during the summer), and $8 million to food banks to help improve their ability to serve hungry people. Walmart also plans to donate $1.75 billion in food, which "is among the largest corporate commitments of food and other noncash gifts." In addition, the company will work to reduce hunger nationwide through efforts with governments, food manufacturers, and other corporations. "Increasingly, we see opportunities to use our scale and reach to solve challenges in our communities," said Eduardo Castro-Wright, Walmart's vice chairman. "You find this increased paradox in America where those who have the most need have the least access," he said. "No one sector can solve this alone," said USDA Under Secretary Kevin Concannon. Walmart is already a large donor to anti-hunger groups, donating more than 100 million pounds of food in 2009. Last fall, USDA's Economic Research Service issued a report estimating that 49 million Americans struggled to put food on the table.

3. Increased Funding for Child Nutrition Programs Needed
(Mail Tribune, May 14, 2010)

Although the legislation currently moving through Congress that reauthorizes federal child nutrition programs “might seem like a routine task, it takes on an extra significance when the economy is in recession,” notes this editorial. The Oregon Food Bank and Access Inc. are part of a coalition of organizations in Oregon calling on Congress to increase funding for the programs by $1 billion a year (or $10 billion over 10 years) – an increase of only 5 percent of the current $22 billion funding level – in order to reach the President’s goal of ending childhood hunger by 2015. Food banks serve 20,000 people in the Oregon’s Jackson County; 13,000 of that number are children. In other words, 24 percent of Oregonians are children, and children make up 36 percent of those in the state eating through the support of donated food boxes. “The federal school lunch, breakfast and summer food programs help those children maintain good nutrition and the energy level they need to succeed in school,” states the editorial. But in the summer, only 25 percent of eligible Oregon children receive meals through the federal Summer Nutrition Programs. The coalition wants Congress to make it possible for more children to access meals while school is out by reducing the eligibility percentage. “A reauthorization bill, S. 3307, has passed the Senate Agriculture Committee. It includes an additional $4.5 billion over 10 years – a step in the right direction, but less than it could be.” The editorial concludes by noting that success in school is impossible without adequate nutrition. “And children who don’t succeed in school are destined to wind up in poverty as adults, dependent on the same programs too many of their parents rely on today. Congress should make the investment now to give more children a chance to break that cycle.”

4. Texas Congressman Signs CNR Letter
(Laredo Sun, May 9, 2010)

Congressman Henry Cuellar, representing Texas’s District 28, signed a “Dear Colleague” letter recently asking his colleagues to support more funding for child nutrition programs in the upcoming Child Nutrition Reauthorization. The increase will benefit school meal, summer meal and afterschool snack programs, providing more nutrition to children struggling with hunger at home. “Texas is rated number one for children suffering hunger,” said Barbara Anderson, State Director [of the Food Bank Network]. The Texas Food Bank Network joined 10 Texan Federal legislators asking for a national nutrition budget of $10 billion over the next 10 years. Congressman Cuellar joined 219 legislators who have signed on to request the additional funding.

5. One-Quarter of Yakima County, Washington Residents Receive SNAP/Food Stamps
(KIMA, May 17, 2010)

Washington State’s Yakima County has more people on SNAP/Food Stamps – one in four residents – than any other county in the state. The number is more than twice the state average. “What we’re seeing are more families coming in that are the working poor or [don’t] make enough to make ends meet,” said Teresa Herrera of the state Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS). Outreach is playing a role in increasing the numbers, noted Herrera, and the SNAP/Food Stamp income cap was raised in 2008. Some families need a little help making ends meet. Washington State families [on SNAP/Food Stamps] receive a monthly average of $249, although some receive as little as $14 a month in benefits.

6. Food Network Star Lobbies Congress in Support of Child Nutrition Reauthorization
(The New York Times, May 11, 2010)

Celebrity chef, cookbook author and talk show host Rachael Ray joined New York Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand recently on Capitol Hill to lobby in support of additional reimbursement funding in the upcoming Child Nutrition Reauthorization. “How could you go to any state in the union and say you are not for an extra couple of cents to eradicate hunger, to make our kids healthier, stronger, better focused?” said Ray during her four-hour visit with lawmakers. “It doesn’t make any sense that you would even have to have a long conversation about that, to me.” Senator Gillibrand has been a supporter of increased financing for child nutrition programs, which has won her approval from child hunger and anti-obesity advocates. “For a new member, it shows a lot of guts,” said Joel Berg, executive director of the New York City Coalition Against Hunger.

7. SNAP/Food Stamps Go to School in San Diego to Increase Participation
(KPBS, May 14, 2010; Sign On San Diego, May 13, 2010)

Of the 483,000 people in San Diego, Calif. who are eligible for SNAP/Food Stamps, only 175,000 receive the benefits. To increase participation, the San Diego Food Bank is partnering with five local elementary schools in an effort to sign up more eligible families through the Food Stamp Outreach Program. The five schools are located in the lowest income areas of the city, and serve a high number of immigrant families, with many Spanish-speaking parents. Language has been a big barrier to SNAP/Food Stamp participation in San Diego, as well as the fact that families must take time off from work to apply. The application is complex, making another barrier to participation. The Food Research and Action Center estimates that San Diego loses more than $100 million a year due to low SNAP/Food Stamp participation. For the outreach program, the schools sent announcements home with students and used automated phone calls to get the word out that the food bank will help with eligibility and applications at the schools. The food bank set up two tents at each school, one in which volunteers determine a family’s eligibility, and the other for beginning the family’s application. Families don’t have to find transportation to apply at the county office, and have “smiles on their faces” when they leave the tents. “[W]e said look, at the schools a lot of families are already comfortable, they’re here already – either dropping off in the morning, or picking up in the afternoon, or volunteering during the day – so let’s take an environment where our families are already comfortable, with people they are already comfortable with, and let’s take the enrollment process right there, to our schools,” said San Diego school board president Richard Barrera. “We stepped up because the county hasn’t really been aggressive in getting people registered for the food stamp program,” said San Diego City Councilwoman Marti Emerald. The initiative will be an ongoing process at the schools, enabling families to apply on other dates as well. At Rodriguez Elementary School, about 50 parents showed up to apply for the benefit when the volunteers were there recently.

8. Nevada Posts Largest Increase in SNAP/Food Stamp Participation
(Reno Gazette Journal, May 11, 2010)

According to USDA data reported by the Food Research and Action Center, Nevada’s SNAP/Food Stamp caseload increased 45.5 percent between February 2009 and February 2010, the highest in the nation. Idaho was second, with a 44.4 percent increase, followed by Utah (42.2 percent), Rhode Island (42 percent) and Wyoming (40.3 percent). Since 2005, Nevada’s SNAP/Food Stamp participation increased by 117.8 percent, ranking it number one for that five-year statistic. In January, The New York Times reported the state had the largest percentage increase for people on welfare – up 160 percent from June 2007 to June 2008.

9. Iowa Legislation Makes More Eligible for SNAP/Food Stamps
(Globe Gazette, May 16, 2010)

On July 1, about 1,250 additional North Iowa families – or about 26,000 Iowa residents - will be eligible for SNAP/Food Stamps, as legislation takes effect which raises the eligibility requirement from 130 percent of the federal poverty level to 160 percent and eliminates the asset test. The change will mean a family of four earning up to $35,280 will be eligible for the assistance (currently, the threshold is $28,665 per year). Families will be able to own vehicles and property and still qualify for SNAP/Food Stamps when the asset test disappears. Governor Chet Culver signed the Health and Human Service appropriations bill last month, which includes these two provisions for increasing SNAP/Food Stamp participation in the state. “This is critical for many North Iowa families still impacted by difficult economic conditions,” said Alex Kuhn of the United Way of Iowa’s Public Policy Committee, which helped lobby for the changes.

10. Tennessee Offers Disaster SNAP/Food Stamps to Flood Victims
(Tennessean.com, May 13, 2010)

USDA recently approved the federal SNAP/Food Stamp disaster program for families in flood-damaged counties. Families already receiving SNAP/Food Stamps who lost power for 12 hours during recent severe storms can apply for replacement benefits; on May 13, families affected by disasters but not regularly receiving SNAP/Food Stamps were able to begin applying for the benefit. Tennessee also set up an emergency cash program for people receiving assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Tennessee Department of Human Services offices stayed open from 7:30 am to 5 pm and were open on Saturday so people could apply for the benefits.

11. Blogger Starts SNAP/Food Stamp Challenge to Draw Attention to Program’s High Participation in Oregon
(The Non Consumer Advocate, May 16, 2010)

The number of Oregonians on SNAP/Food Stamps has grown from 434,000 in 2007 to its current level of 701,882 participants – nearly one in five residents. In 2007, Governor Kulongoski and his wife lived for a week on the average SNAP/Food Stamp allotment at the time - $21 per person. A recent news story about Oregon’s high SNAP/Food Stamp rate prompted this blog post which proposes that readers take the SNAP/Food Stamp Challenge during the month of June, living on the current average benefit level (for a family of four) of $8.33 a person each day. “Because my children would qualify for reduced and free school lunches if this scenario were real, I am going to add $3 per school day for the homemade lunches that we always pack for my 12 and 14-year-old sons.” The blogger will post about the Challenge throughout June.

12. Gulf Oil Spill Payments Won’t Count Against SNAP/Food Stamps
(WDAM, May 13, 2010)

Oil spill payments from British Petroleum will not count as income for those people in Louisiana seeking SNAP/Food Stamps and other cash aid programs. This will make it possible for coastal residents with assets over the SNAP/Food Stamp limit, but losing income because of the oil spill, to receive the benefit. The change is effective statewide. Without this new rule, people affected by the spill would have to use all their savings in order to receive federal assistance, Louisiana Department of Social Services Secretary Kristy Nichols said. The rule change affects SNAP/Food Stamps and three other aid programs.

13. Representative DeLauro Eats Lunch with Students to Promote Child Nutrition Reauthorization
(The New Haven Register, May 18, 2010)

U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Audrey Rowe, USDA deputy administrator for Special Nutrition Programs, joined children at New Haven’s Barnard Environmental Studies Magnet School for lunch to highlight the Child Nutrition Act and first lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” anti-obesity initiative. New Haven schools are being recognized for their move toward healthy foods, as Tim Cipriano, executive director of food services, has removed processed chicken nuggets from the menus and added fresh fruits and vegetables. ”The president is leading the way,” noted Cipriano, with his goal to provide an additional $1 billion in funding for the child nutrition programs. The act aims to improve the quality of food and increase access to the programs. Afterward, DeLauro and Rowe joined other officials for a panel discussion. “New Haven is leading the movement,” said DeLauro. “We’re changing the nature of what is served.” Elementary and middle schools are the place to begin changing student eating habits, noted Rowe, because children at those ages are still open to trying new things.