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 2007 State SNAP Participation Rates
(USDA, November 25, 2009; FRAC, November 25, 2009)

According to the latest U.S. Department of Agriculture data, 66 percent of eligible people participated in SNAP/Food Stamps in FY 2007, a decrease from the previous year. This underscores the need to reach more needy eligible people with benefits, according to the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC).

2. Senate Opens Ag Hearing on Child Nutrition as USDA Reports Skyrocketing Hunger Numbers
(California Farmer, November 18, 2009)

Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, opened the first committee hearing on federal child nutrition program reauthorization as USDA released its report on hunger and food insecurity, which showed numbers skyrocketing in 2008. “We must take steps to ensure that all children eligible for federal child nutrition programs are actually receiving them,” said Sen. Lincoln. “Despite the fact that programs such as the School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs have been around for decades, there remain many children who could be participating but do not.” She added that the nutritional quality of federally-sponsored meals needs to be improved. "Federal nutrition programs are not only important tools to combat hunger, but also effective in the promotion of healthy lifestyles and curbing obesity," said Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), ranking member of the Senate Ag Committee. He added “We need to recognize that a one-size-fits-all approach may not be in the best interest of our schools or children.”

3. SNAP/Food Stamp Participation Increases Match Troubled Economic Times in:

Florida
(WCTV, November 18, 2009; WOKV, November 11, 2009)
SNAP/Food Stamp participation shot up more than 25 percent in six Florida counties over the past year: Franklin, 33.5 percent; Gadsden, 26.3 percent; Jefferson, 28.3 percent; Leon, 25.6 percent; Liberty, 32.1 percent, and Wakulla, 31.3 percent. Duval County saw a 40 percent increase – to nearly 15 percent of all residents and 25 percent of children -- and statewide, the increase was “a startling” 42 percent. “We expected the numbers to increase and we know that even with that dramatic of an increase there are many many people out there that need assistance that have not come forward and applied,” said Traci Leavine of the Department of Children and Families (DCF). Applying for benefits is not difficult, and the state ranks at the top for proper SNAP/Food Stamp application processing. “When they explained to me what food stamps were, I thought I was going to get the stamps almost like the mail stamps,” said Tallahassee resident Ashley Markey. “And it’s actually like a credit card, it’s very simple.” The “swipe and go” technology helps families from feeling the stigma sometimes attached to the benefit. Interested residents can check their eligibility or apply for SNAP/Food Stamps by logging onto www.myflorida.com/accessflorida, which features My Access Account, where people can check their application status, see how much in SNAP/Food Stamps and other assistance they’re eligible for, and view their calendar for benefit reviews. Individuals can also download a list of DCF’s ACCESS Florida community partners, where they can go for help. The list is at http://www.dcf.state.fl.us/ess/docs/partner_listing.pdf.

New Hampshire
(The Keene Sentinel, November 18, 2009)
During the last 16 months, the number of SNAP/Food Stamp households jumped 40 percent to 45,190, according to the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services. When the economy’s good, the number of SNAP/Food Stamp cases can increase by 300, said Terry Smith who heads up the family assistance operation. Those numbers have jumped to 1,000 in recent months. “This has not happened before,” said Smith, an 18-year veteran employee in the SNAP/Food Stamp program. Participants have been helped by the SNAP/Food Stamp boost in the stimulus program, although the maximum a family of four can receive each month – at $688 – still comes out to $1.85 per person per meal.

New York
(Queens Chronicle, November 12, 2009)
Over the past five years, the number of individuals on SNAP/Food Stamps in New York State increased 36 percent, with an average of 2 million participating each month and receiving an average monthly benefit of $109.78, according to the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC). The increased need from rising unemployment and underemployment are overwhelming food pantries in Long Island City. Hour Children’s Food Pantry had considered upping its food distribution from two days to three, but instead has had to reduce the number of visits a family can make from four a month to three, even though the organization receives support from agencies including the city’s Human Resources Administration, the New York State Department of Health via United Way, and the federal Emergency Food and Shelter Program. “[F]ood pantries play important roles not only in providing families with bags of food,” said FRAC’s legal and SNAP/Food Stamp director Ellen Vollinger, but the organizations also connect clients to SNAP/Food Stamps, which can provide many meals over a long, sustained period of time.

Oregon
(News-Review, November 18, 2009)
Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS) eligibility worker Judy Pusch has seen her caseload skyrocket, as the number of families applying for SNAP/Food Stamps shot up 44 percent between October 2006 (8,388 families) and October 2009 (12,097 families). TANF applications are up 28 percent, from 669 to 857 families. “Usually they’ve been laid off due to a plant closure or a lack of work,” said Pusch. “There’s more people that have never been on assistance or that it’s been a long time since they’ve been on assistance,” she noted, adding that she’s seeing more two-parent households, with both parents having college degrees but unable to find work. “A lot of them are struggling to keep their mortgages,” said Jenny Boyle, DHS self-sufficiency program manager. “They’re worried they’re going to lose their homes.” DHS offices have responded by shortening application waiting times. “Most often they’ll be seen within 30 minutes, although not always,” said Boyle. Some have had to wait up to two weeks for an application appointment. To move things along, all workers are now available to see walk-in clients, and one local office is hiring 15 additional staff, which will give current workers some relief, although new workers won’t be trained until June. There’s some cautious optimism though, as only 28 families applied for SNAP/Food Stamps over the past month, the lowest increase in a while, and the number of TANF applications fell by 21 over the past month. But it’s unclear whether or not these families have found work or just moved out of the area.

Rhode Island
(Providence Journal, November 18, 2009)
October 2009 participation in the SNAP/Food Stamp Program increased 24 percent over participation in October 2008, according to the Rhode Island Department of Human Services (DHS). The department is “looking for all streamlining and efficiencies” to help sign up people for the benefit, said Donalda Carlson, DHS’s associate director of economic support services, in spite of the state budget crisis and unfilled job vacancies. And DHS will reach out to potential applicants, noted Carlson, “without compromising the integrity of the program.” The state simplified the application process and upped outreach particularly to senior citizens and the unemployed. The application is available online at www.dlt.ri.gov. Workers are being paid for the overtime they’re putting in processing applications. The Rhode Island Food Bank Community Network’s agencies also report a 26 percent increase in food assistance requests this year.

Wisconsin
(WUWM, November 16, 2009; WUWM, November 17, 2009)
A recent report by the Greater Milwaukee Foundation found that one in seven metro Milwaukee residents – 217,000 – receives SNAP/Food Stamps, a number that’s growing. Ozaukee County, known for its affluence, now has more people seeking food assistance. In the county’s upscale Cedarburg community, Pat Bushrow, a customer service employee for Piggly Wiggly for the past 17 years, has noticed a surge in SNAP/Food Stamp use. “What used to be $100 a week is now up to $100 per day,” she said. “So, there’s definitely more people out of work and getting assistance.” As former employees laid off from the recently-closed Cedarburg International Paper Company plant run out of severance, they’ll turn to SNAP/Food Stamps in 2010 and numbers will increase, Bushrow predicts. In Milwaukee County, SNAP/Food Stamp delays have caused the state to take over processing applications, although some say the delays have worsened. “For emergency food [SNAP/Food Stamp] benefits, the state is responding in 100 days,” said Sherrie Tussler of Hunger Task Force. “Under the law, people should get benefits within seven days if they have little or no money for food, and within 30 days for all other applicants.” The state underestimated the difficulty in distributing SNAP/Food Stamps, said Tussler, because of the county’s varied population, a “challenge.” “We’ve got homeless people, transient people, people who have disabilities, people who don’t speak English,” Mark Thomas, deputy secretary of the Department of Health Services, commented: “It’s surely not our plan to have desperate folks that are in need wait an inordinate amount of time for services. It’s not the way in which business is to be conducted, it’s unacceptable. We not only want to clear up the current backlog, but continue to take a look at all of our entire process.” The flood of applications from people struggling during the bad economy, as well as the increase from the state expanding to include adults without children, have made processing applications difficult, said Thomas. USDA recently learned of the SNAP/Food Stamp delays in the county, and is monitoring the process closely.

4. SNAP/Food Stamp Criticism in Michigan Paper Brings Supporting Comments
(Holland Sentinel, November 16, 2009)

A letter to the editor of the Holland Sentinel in Michigan, responding to a story about state legislators pursuing reforms to reduce aid fraud, was critical of aid given through the state’s Bridge Card. Bridge Cards are used to deliver SNAP/Food Stamps and other aid; in the letter, Rebekah Walton said it made her “blood boil” that people were making certain purchases with the card, and she said they should “economize.” In the 200 responses to the letter, Bridge Card recipients wrote about their experiences. Julie Bauman, a mother of two, said her Bridge Card helps make ends meet since her husband lost his job in June as a computer-aided designer. She used to get angry too, but “[s]ince we had to go on the Bridge Card, it has made me think twice about judging other people.” Bridge Cards are used mostly for the SNAP/Food Stamp program, which limits purchases to food and doesn’t allow non-food and cigarette purchases. About 30 percent of unemployed people, receiving unemployment benefits, are also receiving SNAP/Food Stamps. Some people could be getting confused, since the card is used for a number of benefits. “This may be the first time in their lives they’ve ever had to rely on public assistance,” said Colleen Steinman of the Michigan Department of Human Services. “Yet the general public feels they can treat them as lesser human beings, and that’s really a shame.”

5. Income Limits Keep Needy from SNAP/Food Stamps in New Mexico
(Santa Fe Reporter, November 11, 2009)

While states can approve SNAP/Food Stamps for anyone making up to twice the federal poverty level, New Mexico’s cutoff is 70 percent below that, or $1,984 a month for a family of three. This means that thousands of New Mexico residents who are struggling in this economy are not eligible for the benefit. “Not only are we letting more families go hungry, we’re missing out on federal dollars and letting our state fall deeper into recession,” said Patricia Anders, staff attorney for the New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty. “Some would say it’s a lack of leadership.” House Speaker Ben Lujan introduced a measure earlier this year that would allow the state Human Services Department (HSD) to expand eligibility, but the bill died in committee. HSD could also have expanded eligibility on its own, noted Lujan. “We were just trying to push them a little bit harder,” he said. Kaziah Mraz knows firsthand the struggles this economy brings to those working full time but are unable to get government assistance. She applied for SNAP/Food Stamps a second time after her application was denied the first time. A “really compassionate” caseworker thought she may be eligible after the government expanded eligibility in October. However, she was told the second time by a young clerk that, because she made “$28 or $30 over” the limit, she was still ineligible. “I was like, ’Look at my checks!’ He said ‘Ma’am, we don’t go by that,’” said Mraz. [Editor’s note: If New Mexico used its option to raise the gross income limit, as other states have, Ms. Mraz would been eligible.] “At that point I was bawling. They sent security over because I was raising my voice. I just wanted to know why can’t [they] take anything into consideration?” Mraz said she is normally even-tempered: “I work in ER, and I know how to talk to people calmly.” But the system isn’t there “to help people who are really trying to help themselves.” After paying her $1,480 monthly mortgage with out of her $1,800 a month take-home pay, she has $340 a month to feed herself, two children and a pet, put gas in her car, and pay the electric bill. SNAP/Food Stamp participation rose 30 percent from June 2008 to June 2009, when 308,416 New Mexicans received the benefit. According to HSD, however, only 71 percent of those eligible apply.

6. It’s Time to Remove the Stigma from SNAP/Food Stamps
(Delmarvanow.com, November 19, 2009)

Gwenn Garland writes, in this op-ed, that she was one of the 49.2 percent of children in the past 30 years who lived in a home that, at some point, received SNAP/Food Stamps. The percentage comes from a study in the November issue of the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. The study authors, Mark R. Rank and Thomas A. Hirschl, note that most households only have to use the assistance for a short time, to avert a crisis. The benefits are a safety net, not used by people “leeching off the system.” Garland’s family received SNAP/Food Stamps at the beginning of the 1980 recession, when her father was out of work. When she started school, her family was making enough money that she didn’t have to go through the lunch line with a yellow ticket – signifying a child getting free lunch. “Nowadays, thank goodness, schools in most places have done away with that system,” she writes. “When my son entered kindergarten in Wicomico County, he had to memorize a pin number in order to get lunch at the cafeteria; that way, there is no yellow ticket of shame for any child to carry.” And all children get free breakfast in their classrooms. During this time of high unemployment, Garland concludes, “let’s remember that people from all walks of life need a helping hand now and then, and that the people who are using food stamps today will probably be helping to pay for them with their tax money tomorrow. And children worried about their next meal shouldn’t also have to fear the scorn of others.”

7. During the Season of Giving, Give Legislators Your Thoughts on How They Can Solve the Hunger Problem
(Oakland Tribune, November 20, 2009)

In the Bay Area of California, it would take 23,333 turkeys, 43,750 pumpkin pies and 350,000 place settings to provide Thanksgiving dinner for every adult struggling to put food on the table. This doesn’t include the members of each adult’s household, especially the children who would likely be without food also. Hunger “is a complicated issue with many potential solutions,” notes this op-ed, “but one stands out. “We need to continue supporting improvements in the food stamp program, urging our legislators to consider public policy geared toward increasing quality, access and enrollment.” President Obama has committed to ending childhood hunger by 2015, and the federal economic stimulus act increased SNAP/Food Stamp benefits for Californians by 14 percent, delivering an extra $80 a month in benefits to a family of four. This commentary calls for a specific action: “This year, spend a little time giving your local legislator your opinion of ending food insecurity in California. I just don’t think any of us can manage a Thanksgiving dinner for all the needy Bay Area folks.”

8. Some D.C. Schools are Serving Breakfast in the Classroom
(The Washington Post, November 16, 2009)

A “handful” of D.C. schools have started to serve breakfast in the classroom as a way of increasing student participation, avoiding the stigma some students feel is attached to getting breakfast at school, and getting children the benefits that researchers have attached to eating healthy breakfast. Although free breakfast is available to all D.C. public school (and public charter school) students – close to 75,000 students in all – not all are taking advantage of it. Many kids arrive at school too late to eat breakfast in the cafeteria. Consequently, some D.C. schools, like Friendship Public Charter School’s Southeast Elementary Academy, are incorporating breakfast into the first 15 minutes of the day. At some schools that began serving breakfast in the classroom two years ago, participation has increased dramatically, and teachers have noticed students complaining less of stomachaches and not requesting as many trips to the nurse’s office. Friendship Southeast school officials see a connection between serving breakfast in the classroom and their school’s near-the-top rankings in reading and math proficiency. Results like these tend to allay fears that in-classroom breakfast will create more work for custodial staff and create trash disposal problems. Other schools use alternate breakfast service strategies like “grab and go” meals and “second-chance breakfast,” which allows middle and high school children to get food after their first period class. Much of the cost of school breakfast is reimbursed by the federal government.

9. Fast Food Gets Students Suspended from School
(WTVD, November 19, 2009)

Two Rockingham County, N.C. middle school students, whose parents brought them fast food for lunch, were recently suspended by the Reidsville school district. The girls had violated a district policy stating that outside food cannot be brought to school as it competes with the school child nutrition standard, according to the district. Charles Finney, father of one of the students suspended, was outraged. “They can’t tell you what to bring your kid as long as it was in a brown paper bag,” he said. One of the student’s records will not reflect her suspension.

10. Government Not Communicating Food Warnings to Schools
(USA Today, November 16, 2009)

According to a USA Today investigation, the federal government is lax on getting information to schools on the safety of food provided for school meals. Parents and schools don’t know where school food comes from, are unaware of the safety records for companies providing food for schools, and are unable to get the information because of government roadblocks, which put manufacturers ahead of providing food safety information to protect children from getting sick. The study, based on CDC records, found that 470 school food poisoning outbreaks occurred between 1998 and 2007, affecting at least 23,000 children. School food staples – pasta, chicken tenders, turkey, chocolate milk, and others – were involved. In 2007, an outbreak of food poisoning in Racine, Wisconsin’s Starbuck Middle School that sickened 101 children was traced to flour tortillas from Chicago’s Del Rey Tortilleria. Del Rey was responsible for similar outbreaks at more than a dozen schools in two states in 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006. It wasn’t until 2006 that the company recalled tens of thousands of tortillas, but only after health officials linked them to outbreaks in Massachusetts and Illinois. The FDA had been warned, by a panel of top scientists in 2006, that “flour tortillas manufactured by Del Rey hold the potential to cause illness,” but the government agency never communicated this warning to schools. The CDC notes that millions of outbreaks go unreported each year, which may mean there are more children getting sick from unsafe school food. Authorities have one of two problems during outbreaks – either they determine the pathogen responsible for the outbreak but don’t know which food it was in, or they are unable to determine why a certain food made students sick. If companies are identified as originating the unsafe food, action is usually taken too late. And food companies are still able to send tainted food to schools and can go unnoticed and without punishment.