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. SNAP/Food Stamps Providing Assistance to One in Nine Americans
(Reuters, )

SNAP/Food Stamp enrollment increased two percent - 591,000 people - in March 2009 as 33.2 million people received the benefit, the fourth consecutive month of record rates, according to USDA. "It's tough out there for struggling families and will be for many months to come," said Jim Weill, president of the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC). "It's very likely that the numbers will continue to grow in the coming months as a turnaround in unemployment and wage declines typically lags behind the recovery of the broader economy," he said. FRAC notes that one in eight people receive the benefit in 20 states. Congress allocated $54 billion - up from $39 billion - for SNAP/Food Stamps this fiscal year; the average monthly benefit amount per person is $113.87.

2. Recession Driving Benefit Spending to Record High
(USA Today, June 3, 2009)

One out of every six dollars of Americans' income is in the form of federal or state funds - SNAP/Food Stamps, Social Security, unemployment compensation, or health care - due to the recession, notes a report by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. According to federal data, , government spending on benefits will be more than $2 trillion in 2009, an average of $17,000 per household. In the first quarter of 2009, benefit spending increased at an annual rate of 19 percent, compared to the last quarter of 2008. While half the increase is due to the recession - unemployment has nearly tripled - policies set in place during George Bush's first term of office make up the other half; increased spending for the Medicare drug benefit, children's health insurance expansion, and SNAP/Food Stamps followed the 2001 recession. These days, "[w]e're not seeing the hunger we saw in the 1930s because the food stamp program is doing what it's supposed to do," said Jennifer Lange, Florida's food stamp director. While advocates are saying the safety net is working, "[t]he increase in social spending is still relatively modest given the severity of the downturn," said Dean Baker, an economist with the Center for Economic and Policy Research.

3. SNAP/Food Stamps, Other Aid Make Up Majority of Stimulus Funding to States
(Associated Press, June 5, 2009)

While the public focus of stimulus spending has been on shovel-ready projects designed to bolster the nation's infrastructure of roads and institutions, the reality is that states have received the most money for programs focused on the needy. Government programs such as SNAP/Food Stamps, unemployment benefits, health care, and other social services make up the bulk of approximately $300 billion directly channeled to states. Chris Whatley, Washington director for the Council of State Governments, estimates that three times more stimulus funding will go to education than to transportation. "We all talked about 'shovel-ready' since September and assumed it was a whole lot of paving and building when, in fact, that's not the case," he said. Two-thirds of economic recovery act money will go to helping those hurt by the recession, tax cuts, and relief to states. Without this relief, states would be facing a combined budget shortfall of $102.7 billion; forty-four states currently face a combined deficit of $40.3 billion in their 2009 budgets.

4. North Carolina County Extends SNAP/Food Stamp Office Hours
(News14.com, June 6, 2009)

Mecklenburg County Department of Social Services (DSS) began Saturday hours recently at two locations in Charlotte (Wallace Kuralt Centre and Chapin Hall at the Valerie Woodard Center) to handle a nearly 40 percent increase in SNAP/Food Stamp applications. In the first 30 minutes of the first Saturday opening, DSS officials said they served 85 people at one center and 75 in the other. “Massive amounts of people were here,” said applicant Yolanda Sumter. The number of applications in the County increased 38 percent since July 2008; at the same time, unemployment claims increased 32 percent, and applications for Medicaid 10 percent. Meg Downs, social services manager, said “it’s up” to DSS to be flexible and convenient. “That’s our purpose – we’re here to help the community,” she noted.

5. Florida County’s Hunger Plan Focuses on SNAP/Food Stamps, School Meals
(Gainesville Sun, June 4, 2009)

Gainesville-Alachua County recently released details of its Hunger Abatement Plan, designed to make sure all residents – from babies to senior citizens – have access to nutritious food. “There are people who are not able to adequately access…food,” said County Commissioner Rodney Long. “We hope this plan represents an option for an alternative future.” The plan focuses on SNAP/Food Stamp outreach and more meals for students at schools. More Alachua County residents are eligible for SNAP/Food Stamps than are actually enrolled, and seniors are hesitant to apply. A SNAP/Food Stamp advertising campaign is planned, as well as introducing “grab and go” breakfast in schools and providing more meals for children in the summer.

6. States Proactive on Disaster SNAP/Food Stamps
(WXVT, June 2, 2009; News-Journal, June 6, 2009)

In advance of the 2009 hurricane season, Louisiana residents can pre-apply online or by phone for Disaster SNAP/Food Stamp benefits. The state Department of Social Services (DSS) is making this option available because it’s easier to collect the information before a disaster hits, although pre-applying doesn’t guarantee benefits. Those residents who already receive SNAP/Food Stamps do not have to also apply for disaster benefits; they will automatically receive them in the event that DSS makes them available.

Residents of Florida’s Volusia County who are on SNAP/Food Stamps and are struggling in the aftermath of a recent storm will receive their benefit earlier this month. Governor Charlie Crist authorized the Department of Children & Families to issue June SNAP/Food Stamp benefits immediately to all recipients. Generally, SNAP/Food Stamp recipients receive their benefit on a specific issuing date, which is staggered throughout the month.

7. Mobile Pantry Brings Food to Needy Residents
(WBNS, June 4, 2009)

After Lutheran Social Services in Columbus, Ohio learned that a number of food pantries closed, the organization took their pantry on the road, bringing food to the needy every week in the state’s southeast corner. While unemployment is at 15 percent in some of that region’s counties, 50-60 food pantries have closed. The number of people visiting food pantries in Ohio’s Appalachia region skyrocketed 133 percent over the past year, and further south in Gallia County the number rose 203 percent.

8. Philadelphia School Meal Program Extended
(PR Newswire, June 5, 2009; Obama Foodorama, June 6, 2009)

Congressman Chaka Fattah (D-Pa.) announced on June 5 that the Philadelphia school lunch program that provides free lunch to tens of thousands of the city’s students will continue through the Child Nutrition Act reauthorization. USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack informed Fattah of the extension in response to a letter from Fattah and requests from Pennsylvania’s elected representatives. Fattah noted that, in his conversation with Vilsack, “We both agreed that the reauthorization process was the best context in which to consider the future of the pilot. I applaud Secretary Vilsack’s commitment to feeding our children and for his leadership on this issue.” The Philadelphia program, which dispensed with paper application forms and used school-wide demographic surveys to enroll students, was slated by the Bush Administration for termination at the end of the 2009-2010 school year. The paperless system saved the Philadelphia school district money in administrative costs and provided universal feeding at schools with high rates of poverty. Also congratulating Vilsack on the extension is the Obama Foodorama blog, which notes Vilsack is helping make President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama’s pledge to end hunger and promotion of children’s nutrition awareness a reality.

9. Witnesses to Hunger Testify on Capitol Hill
(Connect for Kids, June 2009)

Participants in the Witnesses to Hunger project testified at the recent Witnesses to Hunger/Children’s Health Watch policy briefing on Capitol Hill, bringing stories of their struggles to provide nutritious food to their children in Philadelphia’s low-income neighborhoods. The project, created by Mariana Chilton, Assistant Professor at Drexel University Department of Public Health, gave cameras to 40 women so they could document their lives and their response to hunger. “These women are the experts on what it’s like to deal with the consequences of what our lawmakers decide,” said Chilton. “People cannot connect with statistics, they connect with the human element of hunger and poverty, and by coming here and speaking today, these women now put a face on what it means to be hungry.” Their testimony gave a human face to the upcoming Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act, which includes child nutrition programs (school meals, summer food programs, CACFP, etc.). At the briefing, Rep. James McGovern (D-MA) noted “These are your neighbors who are starving. These are our citizens who are dealing with no food on their table. This is unacceptable in this country…We cannot ignore the fact that our children are hungry and need food. We cannot ignore this as legislators and policy makers for this country.” Witnesses participant Ashley Ortiz spoke on school meals, saying “I don’t understand how a school can look a child in the face and say ‘You didn’t bring your money for lunch today, so you don’t get anything to eat or maybe we can make you a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. If a child doesn’t have the money to start with, that doesn’t mean he should be denied the basic right to food, the basic right to a good meal.”

10. Study Shows Influence on Child Obesity
(BartlesvilleLive.com, June 2009)

Researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital studied 300 mothers and their babies (younger than 12 months) in several nutrition programs, and found that the maternal-focused group focused on improving the mother’s eating habits had the largest effect on their children. The children of these mothers drank less juice, watched less television, and ate more fruits. Researchers wanted to find the best way to lower the incidence of obesity in the U.S., where nearly 40 percent of children are overweight or obese.

11. Summer Nutrition Program Adds Transportation Services
(Stillwater News-Press, June 4, 2009)

At Oklahoma’s Skyline Elementary School, summer school students and other children can not only get free meals twice a day, but this year can take advantage of free busing to the meals, a move the school district is providing to get more children into the summer meals program. “We think it’s a valuable service and we want to make sure the kids get there,” said Assistant Superintendent Jim Ryan. On the first day of this year’s program, 200 students participated at Stillwater Middle School, where many children come to school hungry after the weekends during the school year. The school is prepared to serve 500 or more.

12. Summer Meals Serve Southern California’s Low-Income Children
(Mydesert.com, June 7, 2009)

With the majority of California’s Coachella Valley students living in low-income households and qualifying for free and reduced price school meals, summer nutrition programs are vital to keeping them fed while school is out. During the summer, free meals, funded by USDA, are offered to anyone under 18 at summer school campuses in the valley’s three school districts. Previously, only students enrolled in summer school were fed. “Sometimes that’s why some of the parents sign up their children to go to summer school because they get free breakfast and lunch,” said Anastacio De La Cruz, state and federal project coordinator for Coachella Valley Unified School District. In the valley, seven out of ten children live in low-income households, and unemployment is at a 25-year high. In the east valley area, nine out of 10 students qualify for free or reduced-price school meals. This past year, the number of students receiving free and reduced-price meals increased 10 percent; a typical year’s growth had been one percent. However, not all students participate in the summer program. In 2008, only 17 percent of eligible low-income students in Riverside County ate a summer meal in the program.

13. North Carolina County Gets High Marks for School Nutrition
(blueridgenow.com, June 5, 2009)

The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction conducted an audit of Transylvania County’s Child Nutrition Department in May, and gave high marks to the record keeping, universal breakfast and summer food programs. This year’s audit included three investigators instead of one and lasted more than three days. Six schools were visited, and had the nutritional value of their menus examined to see that they are in keeping with USDA’s nutrition guidelines. Financial records were also audited, as well as the processing and approval of free and reduced-price lunch applications; the school district’s counting of meal claims was also examined to make sure each school’s number was counted correctly. Carolyn Gordon, director of school nutrition, was pleased with the audit’s outcome, especially with the positive review of the universal breakfast program. “It helps meet the needs of lots of children who are on the Free and Reduced Lunch program,” said Gordon. In place for six years, the breakfast program serves the meal in classroom to every student – kindergarten through eighth grade. High school students eat free breakfast in the cafeteria. Superintendent Sonna Lyda communicated the outcome to staff, writing “I heard three tough auditors use words like ‘exemplary,’ ‘excellent,’ ‘the best I have ever seen,’ ‘model program,’ ‘outstanding,’ etc. They went on to say that they wanted to use this program as a model for others. It was good to hear ‘outsiders’ confirm what I have known for a long time.”

14. Blog Promotes Action on AFTERSchool Meals Act (S. 990)
(povertyandpolicy.com, June 4, 2009)

The Poverty & Policy blog reiterated the recent Washington Post article on how schools are increasingly becoming emergency food providers for children, especially in D.C., and ties it to legislation supporting national reimbursement for afterschool meals. Programs that once served snacks find that’s not enough for hungry children. Nonprofits and programs serving these meals are feeling the economic strain; although the CACFP program reimburses them for snacks, that amount (71 cents per child) doesn’t cover a meal. Currently, 10 states are reimbursed for suppers through the National School Lunch Program at $2.57 per meal. A bill recently introduced in the Senate - titled the AFTERschool Meals Act of 2009 – would extend this program to all 50 states. FRAC posted a letter encouraging senators to support the bill – S. 990 – and this blog encourages readers to automatically e-mail Congress asking for their support.
FRAC individual letter
FRAC organization letter

15. Many Are Unable to Afford Prescription Drugs
(The New York Times, June 4, 2009)

According to national surveys, a third of respondents say that because prescription drugs cost too much, they are unable to afford to purchase them and consequently are not following the courses of treatment prescribed. The number is up from a fourth of respondents three years ago. Rocky Mount, N.C. is a region where unemployment doubled to 14 percent in one year, and pharmacists have stopped automatically refilling prescriptions since more than half aren’t picked up. Patients say “Well, Doc, I just couldn’t afford I; I’ve been out of it for a month now” to Dr. John T. Avent, a physician at a low-income clinic in the region. “By that time, of course, their blood pressure is highly elevated and their hemoglobin A1C is two to three times what it should be.” At one drug store in Oakwood, Medicare and Medicaid cover more than 70 percent of customers; the store offers the uninsured $4 generics, which some are still unable to afford, especially those who have been prescribed a dozen medications. And some patients ask about price beforehand, then only purchase the cheapest couple of prescriptions – this in spite of the Medicare drug benefit, low-cost generics, and big chain store discounts.

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