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. FRAC President Cites Federal Nutrition Programs as Key to Achieving 2015 Goal
(FRAC, July 31, 2009; wickedlocal.com, August 5, 2009)

In a recent speech at the Northeast Regional Meeting on ending child hunger, Jim Weill, President of the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC), noted the importance of the upcoming Child Nutrition Reauthorization to achieving the President’s 2015 goal. While the child nutrition programs are “gems of public investment and public policy, reducing hunger and obesity, boosting health and development and learning,” Weill noted they also need crucial improvements, including improved nutrition guidelines. The remarks focused as well on expanding participation in the school breakfast program; reinstating the reimbursement for the third meal for child care providers, which Congress reduced to two “no matter how many hours children are in care”; and expanding the afterschool meals program from the ten states currently running a pilot project to all states.

In addition, he noted that reauthorization should improve the “area eligibility” test for summer, afterschool and child care food programs, and expand funding so more community agencies and organizations can help make sure children don’t go hungry in the summer when school lets out.

At the meeting, Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino and USDA Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan joined attendees in calling for action to end child hunger. Menino urged meeting participants (which included mayors from across the northeast, child hunger advocates, public health officials, food security and policy leaders) to build partnerships across sectors to achieve the 2015 goal.

2. As Summer Meal Participation Rises, Children Still Miss Out
(Associated Press, August 7, 2009)

In 2008, one child out of six eligible for summer meals actually participated in the program, according to the Food Research and Action Center. FRAC reported that of the 16.8 million children receiving free and reduced-price school lunch during the regular school year, only 2.9 million received summer meals. While sponsors are struggling with budget issues due to the poor economy, states report growing need and participation. In June, South Carolina claimed 20,000 more meals than the previous year, and increased the number of sites from 665 to 756. Other states showing significant increases from 2007 to 2008 include Texas, Oregon, Georgia, California, and Connecticut. But in Kentucky, participation is way down. Paul McElwain, director of Nutrition and Health Services for the Kentucky Department of Education, said many parts of the state lack public transit and don't have parks or community centers for feeding sites to set up.“The budget situation is such that we no longer have school districts that have some sort of extended summer school programs,” said McElwain. The upcoming Child Nutrition Reauthorization provides an opportunity to expand the program. Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, said the committee will take a close look at the summer program in the upcoming legislation. “Ensuring that our kids have enough to eat during summer months is critically important,” said Sen. Harkin. “Unfortunately, despite repeated efforts, the number of children participating in federally reimbursed summer nutrition programs in 2008 was the same as it was 15 years ago.”

3. Boston-Area Children Missing Out on Summer Meals
(Boston Globe, August 3, 2009)

According to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, one in five of the state’s children receiving free and reduced-price lunch also receives federally-funded summer meals. While 4,600 more children received free and reduced-price lunch in 2007-2008 than the year before, 300 fewer children participated in the summer meal program in 2008 than in 2007, according to the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC). Many children in Boston’s suburban communities of Framingham, Northbridge, Norwood and Waltham who receive free and reduced-price meals during the school year don’t have access to meals in the summer. The government reimburses sites for summer meals only in neighborhoods where more than 50 percent of children receive free and reduced-price meals. In the Boston area, 35 percent of children receiving free and reduced-price lunch don’t live in an area that qualifies for reimbursement – and with the recession, more families need the assistance. In Waltham, 40 percent of students are on free and reduced-price lunches during the school year, but only one of the city’s nine schools meets the 50 percent eligibility criteria. As a result, all four of Waltham’s summer sites are clustered within 1.5 miles of each other, with none in the rest of the city. Northbridge doesn’t have a summer food program since none of its schools meet the 50 percent eligibility requirement, even though nearly a quarter of Northbridge children receive free or reduced-price lunches during the school year. “It is extremely difficult for suburban and rural areas that don’t meet the 50 percent threshold to provide food for children in hunger,” said Crystal FitzSimons of FRAC; the group is lobbying Congress to improve the summer food eligibility rate to 40 percent in the upcoming Child Nutrition Reauthorization.

4. Military Use of SNAP/Food Stamps Increasing Twice as Fast as Civilians
(Military.com, July 22, 2009)

According to the Defense Commissary Agency, SNAP/Food Stamp use in military commissaries across the country increased 25 percent – from $24.8 million redeemed in 2007 to more than $31 million in 2008. USDA figures show that use of the benefit for the rest of the U.S. increased 13 percent during the same period. Military installations on the East Coast use SNAP/Food Stamps more than those on the West Coast; SNAP/Food Stamps are not used overseas. The military figures include retirees, reservists and National Guardsmen.

5. States Continue to See Increase in SNAP/Food Stamp Participation

Montana
(Billings Gazette, August 8, 2009)
Montana’s SNAP/Food Stamp participation hit a record number in July, as more than 100,000 – 10 percent of the state’s population - received the benefit, a 24 percent increase from May 2008. According to Linda Snedigar of the state’s Department of Public Health and Human Services, rural counties are seeing “unexpected growth.” Fergus County processed 83 applications in July; other counties – Yellowstone and Missoula – processed 26 applications a day, for a July total of 800 new applications. Growth has been so intense that many applicants have had to wait in order to receive their EBT card, as workers are swamped with requests; workers are concerned that they’re unable to provide the benefit quickly to those who desperately need it.

New York
(WSYR, August 5, 2009)
Demand for SNAP/Food Stamps increased sharply across Central New York. Onondaga County now has 23,000 families receiving the benefit, up from 18,500 last year; Cayuga County family participation increased from 3,200 to 3,800; and in Oswego County, 7,000 families now receive SNAP/Food Stamps, up from 5,000. The Department of Social Services is having a hard time keeping up with demand. “What we are seeing is a number of phone calls because people are wondering [where their application is at] and we’re doing the best we can to keep up with the demand,” said Commissioner Fran Lanigan. Demand is up at food pantries too. Catholic Charities’ food pantry had to lay off workers in their thrift shop, after funding for the positions was diverted to purchase food to meet the needs of hungry residents.

Oklahoma
(KSBI, August 6, 2009)
According to the state’s Department of Human Services (DHS), more than 500,000 Oklahoma residents receive SNAP/Food Stamps. The record number includes 14 percent of the state’s adults, and 25 percent of children. The poor economy and extensive job losses are the reasons DHS cites for the increase in participation.

Utah
(KSL.com, August 10, 2009)
In July, more than 86,000 Utah households received SNAP/Food Stamps – totaling $27 million in benefits over the month – a 50 percent increase from the previous July, and up four percent from June 2009, according to Utahns Against Hunger. The Utah Food Bank also reported a 40 percent increase in visits.

6. Connecticut Expands SNAP/Food Stamp Eligibility
(Norwich Bulletin, August 7, 2009)

Connecticut is using federal stimulus funds to raise the SNAP/Food Stamp income limit to 185 percent of the federal poverty level, which enables a family of four earning up to $3,400 a month to qualify for the benefit. Previously, the income limit was 130 percent - $2,297 a month for a family of four. Governor M. Jodi Rell directed the state Department of Social Services to raise the limit, as well as remove the asset review. “Expanding this program makes sense and it will help those who find themselves in greater need this year because of the loss of a job or other hardships,” said the Governor in a release. The state is using $4.8 million in stimulus funds to expand SNAP/Food Stamp eligibility.

7. SNAP/Food Stamp Calls Up in Tennessee County
(The Tennessean, August 6, 2009)

The number of Williamson County, Tenn. residents calling 2-1-1 for information on SNAP/Food Stamps doubled in June, with calls regarding utilities and insurance coming in second and third. Residents can call 2-1-1 “when times are tough,” meaning “[h]elp is a phone call away.”

8. Nevada Working Quickly to Fix Error that Bumped Thousands off SNAP/Food Stamps
(Reno Gazette-Journal, August 5, 2009)

A computer glitch kept reapplication reminders from going out to 7,200 Nevada residents on SNAP/Food Stamps, and their benefits were abruptly terminated. “We are now in the process of calling every one of the individuals who did not receive their notification to get them in for a re-determination,” said Romaine Gilliland, Welfare Division administrator. They will then be processed as emergency applicants, and should receive SNAP/Food Stamps in a week. The glitch happened when Nevada’s computer system unexpectedly rebooted while it was generating reapplication letters to recipients nearing their July 31 expiration date. Most Nevadans are required to reapply every twelve months, so the state can determine if they are still eligible for the benefit. Nearly 210,000 Nevadans receive SNAP/Food Stamps – double the number from a year ago. The average benefit is $271.61 a month.

9. New York’s Online SNAP/Food Stamp Application Expands to More Counties
(North Country Gazette, August 5, 2009)

Individuals in New York’s Jefferson, Lewis and Madison Counties can now apply for SNAP/Food Stamps from any Internet-connected computer through the state’s Web site, mybenefits.ny.gov. More counties will offer the process in the coming months. Residents can complete a simple prescreening form to find out of they are eligible for SNAP/Food Stamps along with other benefits (school lunch, home energy assistance, EITC, child and dependent care, Medicaid, etc.). The Web site currently pre-screens about 15,000 people a month, and residents of 25 counties in the state can now apply for SNAP/Food Stamps online. “By launching this online application pilot project, we’re taking steps to ensure all eligible New Yorkers have access to the food stamp program,” said Gov. David Paterson of this “e-government hub for human services.”

10. Demand for Food Assistance High in Detroit
(CNNMoney.com, August 6, 2009)

With job losses hitting middle class workers, and a 16 percent unemployment rate in the area, many Detroit residents are turning to SNAP/Food Stamps and other forms of food assistance for the first time. Since October, applications for SNAP/Food Stamps and WIC have increased 14 percent, according to the Michigan Department of Human Services. The Department is launching online application capabilities, which may help those who are unused to asking directly for help. Visitors to the New Life food pantry say “’I’ve never had to do this before’ and they feel a little uncomfortable,” said volunteer Jean Hagopian. “I just tell them society is not what it used to be.” But, the city of Detroit lacks a single major chain supermarket, forcing residents to rely on corner stores. There’s been a surge in urban gardening, with plots appearing in the city’s huge amounts of vacant land. And, there’s a movement focused on bringing healthy food to convenience stores, dispatching mobile produce stands to neighborhoods, and doubling SNAP/Food Stamp benefits when recipients purchase from local farmers. Ironically, there’s plenty of food in the area surrounding Detroit: Michigan has some of the most varied crops in the nation.

11. EBT Cards Accepted at More Stores in Texas, Maine
(CBS 7 News, August 5, 2009; Myfoxmaine.com, August 6, 2009)

Lone Star cards – Texas’s name for their SNAP/Food Stamp EBT cards – are being accepted at more stores across the state, as applications for the benefit continue to increase. Some 7-11 and CVS stores are beginning to accept EBT cards, while all 1700 U.S. Target stores now allow SNAP/Food Stamp recipients to pay for groceries with their benefits. Previously, only some “Super Targets” accepted SNAP/Food Stamps. In Windham, Me., Colucci’s began accepting EBT cards; owner Enola Jacobsky said SNAP/Food Stamps not only increases her business, but helps her customers. More than $27 million SNAP/Food Stamp dollars were spent in the state in June, an increase over more than $10 million from last year.

12. Oregon Summer Food Participation is Up, as Child Nutrition Programs Advance Toward Reauthorization
(The Oregonian, August 9, 2009)

According to the Oregon Department of Education, June’s summer food program participation is up 20 percent over the June 2008 numbers, with Food for Lane County, one of the largest providers, up 57.7 percent. Portland Parks and Recreation programs gave out hundreds more meals this year by the second and third weeks of the summer. Children’s Health Watch, which reported figures for a five-city sample of low-income families with children, noted that food insecurity in Oregon rose to 22.6 percent in 2008 from 18.5 percent in 2007 – the largest increase they’ve reported. This is happening as children’s federal food programs are coming up for reauthorization in Congress, the President set a goal for eradicating child hunger in the U.S, and other government activity has focused on child hunger. “The president’s commitment to ending childhood hunger,” said Melody Barnes, director of the Domestic Policy Council, “is reflected in both the Recovery Act and his budget, which increased food stamps, provided resources to over-stretched food banks and invested in expanding access to child nutrition programs. The president also recognizes that we need to tackle hunger from many different angles, including strategies as refundable tax credits that boost the incomes of struggling working families.” Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) noted how the need and the programs are coming together. “When the President calls it a priority…it heats things up in national policy,” she said. “You’ve got the environment and the [child nutrition act] reauthorization. My view is we’ve got to think big.” Support is there in USDA also, according to David Lazarus, senior advisor to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, who said the department is preparing its proposal for reauthorization; he noted that there is particular interest in expanding the summer program, especially since children receive 50 percent of their daily calorie needs from school meals during the school year and these calories must be replaced during the summer.

13. Nebraska YWCA Helps Feed Children During Summer
(Nebraska TV, August 3, 2009)

The summer meal program providing food to children at Longfellow Elementary School ends three weeks before school begins, prompting the local YWCA to fill the gap. The organization already served snacks through the Zone program, so it had the staff and volunteers already. The meals, served at the police department, went to 100 children the first day, and the program expects more than 300 a day up until school starts.

14. Maine School District Providing Free School Breakfast in Fall
(Sun Journal, August 11, 2009)

All children in Maine’s Western Foothills School District will receive free breakfast starting this fall; the Regional School Board Unit 10 unanimously voted to provide the meal at no charge. Each school will decide the method of serving the hot or cold meals, with some children receiving breakfast in the cafeteria and others in their classrooms. “Children perform better when they have breakfast,” said Jeanne LaPointe, the district’s nutrition director. In the past, paid breakfasts brought in $12,000, an amount that LaPointe said will be made up by the sale of 18 additional lunches per school per day and the “associated eligible federal assistance for free and reduced lunches.”

15. Survey Shows Importance of Afterschool Snacks for Children
(Progressive Grocer, August 4, 2009)

A survey of parents by Farm Rich, a frozen snack manufacturer and Rich Products Corp. brand, found that afterschool snacks are as important to children as meals are. According to the study:

• 95 percent of parents said afterschool snacks provide children with a necessary energy boost;
• 90 percent of children choose to eat an afterschool snack before starting another activity;
• 50 percent of children are not supervised by a parent or other adult between school and dinner, consequently their snack choices may not be healthy;
• 75 percent of parents say the most important thing a snack should do is satisfy a child’s hunger;
• 36 percent see snacks low in fat and calories as a top priority;
• 49 percent report that six or more hours pass between a child’s lunch and dinner.

16. USDA Launches Healthy Eating PSA for Children and Families
(USDA, July 31, 2009)

USDA recently unveiled a PSA, produced in conjunction with Sesame Workshop. The PSA, which features Cookie Monster and USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, promotes the importance of eating fruits, vegetables and a variety of other healthy foods every day. Part of USDA’s effort to combat the childhood obesity epidemic, the PSA joins the “MyPyramid for Preschoolers” in the battle. MyPyramid for Preschoolers (online at www.mypyramid.gov/preschoolers/index.html) aims at helping two to five year olds develop healthy eating habits, try new foods, and play actively every day.

17. Op-ed Notes Need for Updated Nutrition Standards for A La Carte Foods
(Tennessean, August 5, 2009)

It’s time to update the national school nutrition standards for food sold outside the federal meal programs, notes this op-ed. While some states and school districts have updated their standards, two-thirds of states continue to have weak standards or none at all. The national standards for regulating vending and a la carte food have not been updated in 30 years. Although the standards ban gum, breath mints and seltzer water, they allow for cookies, candy bars and snack cakes, and don’t address calories, saturated fat, sodium and other nutritional components. Schools don’t have to sell junk food to make money. A study by USDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that schools are able to make just as much money selling healthy foods. The op-ed concludes by urging Tennessee Representatives Jim Cooper, Lincoln Davis and John Tanner, and Senators Bob Corker and Lamar Alexander to co-sponsor The Child Nutrition Promotion and School Lunch Protection Act (H.R. 1324/S. 934), which includes updating USDA’s guidelines for non-meal foods sold in schools.

18. Kansas City WIC Participants Now Have Additional Food Options
(Lawrence Journal-World, August 9, 2009)

While the new WIC food package must be implemented by states nationwide as of October 1, Kansas chose to begin offering participants the new package in early August. The new package features foods that are lower in fat, higher in fiber, and help participants meet the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Dietary Guidelines. In Kansas, WIC now includes fruits and vegetables, whole wheat breads, and for women and children over 2, low or nonfat milk. The package also promotes breastfeeding, and allows for baby food meats for breast-fed infants over 6 months. It’s the first major change to food choices in the WIC package since the program began 35 years ago. WIC serves 77,000 participants in Kansas, and 8.7 million nationwide. Nearly half of the babies born in Kansas are served by WIC. In Douglas County, participation rose 14 percent in the last couple of years. April’s statewide total of 77,708 is a record. WIC is “just there to back you up and really help you out,” said Christina Gordzica, mother of a 3-year old daughter in Lawrence, Kans. who signed up in April. “This has been a huge lifesaver.”

19. Sales Surge During Recession for Salvage Grocers
(Associated Press, August 4, 2009)

Sales are up nationwide at “salvage” grocery stores, which offer dented cans of tomatoes, crushed cereal boxes, past-sell-by date salad dressings, and other products at steep – as much as 50 percent – discounts. With groceries taking up 12.5 percent of many family budgets, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the recession continuing, families are searching for cheaper ways to eat and are turning to these stores. Salvage grocery stores are regulated just as regular grocery stores are, and inspectors check facilities and products to make sure their clean and safe – and that cans aren’t too severely dented or punctured. Although food prices have fallen in the past year, Palumbo’s Friday Store in suburban Denver has seen sales surge. The store sells what its broker ships, although some food has to be thrown out because it’s stale or its packaging is open. Sales have been so good at many of these stores – although most of their advertising is word-of-mouth - that prices for even these goods are starting to rise. More than three dozen states have salvage grocery stores.

20. Children Born in 2008 Will Cost Nearly One Quarter Million to Raise – Food Costs are Primary Expense
(USDA, August 4, 2009)

A new USDA report titled “Expenditures on Children by Families” estimates that it will cost $221,190 (inflation adjusted total - $291,570) in food, shelter and other necessities for a middle-income family to raise a child born in 2008 to the age of seventeen. Food and child care payments are the largest expenses after housing costs (the largest expense), with food averaging 16 percent of the total expenditure. Family income affects the costs of raising a child. A family earning:

less than $56,870 can expect to pay $159,870 (2008 dollars) in raising a child;
between $56,870 and $98,470 can expect to spend $221,190;
more than $98,470 can expect to spend $366,660.

In 1960, a middle-income family could have expected to spend $25,230 ($183,509 in 2008 dollars). Courts and state governments use this report, issued every year since 1960 and published by USDA’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, to determine child support guidelines and foster care payments.

21. Study Shows Bleak Earnings for Those Suffering Job Layoffs
(The New York Times, August 4, 2009)

A working paper by Till von Wachter, an economics professor at Columbia University, reports that even after 15 to 20 years, workers who lost their jobs after three years with a company still had not returned to their previous pay level. “On average, most workers do not recover their old annual earnings,” said Wachter, who concluded in the paper that workers made about 15 to 20 percent less than if they had not been laid off. Workers who have been laid off are more likely to be laid off again, according to economists. “What tends to happen is the worker has to start over with a new employer, sometimes in a new industry,” said Ann Huff Stevens, economics professor at the University of California, Davis. “You’re at the bottom of the totem pole again.” Workers who had been at their company a long time tend to have the largest wage loss; they’ve built up stability in their jobs, with specific skills and corresponding increases in pay, and these skills are worth less to other employers.

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