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. Participation in School Breakfast Program Should be Higher, FRAC Reports Find
(FRAC, December 7, 2009)

Across the country, more children could be participating in the federal School Breakfast Program, especially as families struggle with unemployment and other financial difficulties during the recession, according to the School Breakfast Scorecard and Breakfast in America’s Big Cities, two reports published by the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) this month. Only 47 children participate in the breakfast program for every 100 receiving free and reduced-price lunch. “The free breakfast program is never more important than it is today due to the effects of the recession,” said FRAC president Jim Weill. "Nationally we’ve seen a real increase in breakfast participation among low income children both because of the recession and because states generally have slowly been increasing breakfast use, but participation is just not growing fast enough. States can do a better job in reaching more children and Congress needs to take steps to make it easier for schools and children to reap the benefits of school breakfast.”
School Breakfast Scorecard
School Breakfast in America’s Big Cities

California
...ranks low participation in school breakfast participation, which “represents a lost opportunity,” said Sue Sigler, executive director of the California Association of Food Banks. “When children miss out on an important meal, they lose the opportunity to grow, learn and be successful.” Less than half of the students eligible for free and reduced-price lunch also get breakfast. While there’s been some increase in participation, “[u]nfortunately that increase…doesn’t equal the need,” said Sigler. About 4,000 students in Vallejo schools participate in the program, but that number should be higher, noted Kerri Braverman, the district’s director of student nutrition services. The recession has brought more students to the program. “We currently have 59 percent qualify,” said Braverman. “That’s the highest it’s ever been.” The district’s high schools, in order to boost participation, now offer breakfast after first period. Other schools in the state are trying to increase their numbers by letting students eat in the classroom, and providing universal breakfast – the meal for free – for all students, regardless of family income.
(Vallejo Times-Herald, December 8, 2009; Southern California Public Radio/KPCC, December 7, 2009)

Connecticut
...comes in last among states for participation, although the state saw a small participation increase of 3 percent over the last year. Foodshare president Gloria McAdam notes that this means thousands of children in the state are missing out on a healthy start to the day. “Parents out there that are concerned, either about their own children or other children in their neighborhood, can make a difference by advocating with their school system,” said McAdam. “We all know that kids need to eat breakfast before the school day. The research actually shows that kids who eat breakfast will do better on tests and do better in their school work.” Food service programs should have the flexibility to serve breakfast in classrooms, said McAdam, especially since many low-income students arrive by bus and don’t have time to eat in the cafeteria. The Connecticut Legislature has given schools permission to feed students in class.
(Public News Service, December 2009)

Texas
...ranks tenth in the nation, with 54.7 percent of low-income students who receive free and reduced-price lunch also receiving breakfast. In Fort Worth, Sunrise-McMillan Elementary began providing free breakfast this school year to its 450 students, most of whom are economically disadvantaged, joining three other area schools that are providing the meal. Sunrise’s principal, Marion Mouton, has noticed that “[d]iscipline problems are down,” since beginning the program, “and student focus is up.” Five schools in the Arlington district have offered free breakfast for eight years. “Hungry kids can’t learn,” said food services director Jackie Anderson. “But we can’t afford to offer [free breakfast] at no cost to all schools.” Some schools offer breakfast only on high-stakes testing days. “Breakfast is important to academic performance,” said Diane Pratt-Heavner of the School Nutrition Association. “We certainly think it’s important for [students] to get breakfast every day.” Sunrise teacher Joyce Redditt notes that with free breakfast “[e]veryone benefits – the parents, the students and the teachers. The kids behave the way we want them to because they’re focused. The students are ready to learn, and parents save time because they don’t have to rush to get breakfast.” At the school, untouched meals are offered later in the morning as a second chance breakfast for tardy students. Fort Worth hopes to expand the free breakfast program to more schools next year.
(Fort Worth Star-Telegram, December 9, 2009)

Vermont
...had the largest increase in percent of children receiving free breakfast – 15 percent over the previous year; on an average day, 15,000 low-income students receive free breakfast at school. The increase moved the state from ninth in ranking to third among all states. Almost 60 percent of eligible children receive the meal for free. “More families than ever before are relying on school meals,” said Marissa Parisi, executive director of the Vermont Campaign to End Childhood Hunger. “This tremendous increase in school breakfast participation among low income children reinforces that the school breakfast program is more important than ever, especially in this time of recession and economic uncertainty. This is a critical program. We are hearing from more and more schools across the state that kids are showing up on Monday hungry.” Vermont’s increase is due to the state’s General Assembly – in 2008, it appropriated $170,000, which covered the 30 cents that reduced-price students had to pay for the meal, thereby making it free for them.
(Brattleboro Reformer, December 2009)

Nebraska and Iowa
...ranked 44th and 45th, respectively, in FRAC’s report, with 38 out of every 100 students eligible for free and reduced-price lunch also receiving breakfast. In 2008, both states served 37 students per 100. Omaha Public Schools, which offers free breakfast to all students, regardless of income, ranked 13th out of 25 urban areas, according to FRAC’s report School Breakfast in America’s Big Cities. The district serves about 18,000 breakfasts a day, and Tammy Yarmon, director of food services, has noticed more people taking advantage of the program, due to the recession. “Lost jobs and wages in our state mean that even more children are eligible for free and reduced-priced meals,” said Rebecca Gould, Nebraska Appleseed’s executive director, “but [FRAC’s] report shows that too many are missing out.” In Nebraska, 71 percent of schools offering school lunch also offer breakfast; in Iowa, 92 percent offer breakfast.
(Omaha World-Herald, December 8, 2009)

Wisconsin
...is still ranked near the bottom in breakfast participation, although the state increased its numbers of schools serving breakfast and the percentage of students eating breakfast at school. With fewer than 39 percent of students eligible for free and reduced-price lunch also receiving breakfast, the state placed 43rd in the nation in FRAC’s report; Milwaukee Public Schools ranked higher (9th) among 25 large urban areas. In this school district, the state’s largest, one in three children is considered poor, and the city’s poverty rate ranked it 11th in the nation among cities with populations of 250,000 or more. Students in areas not considered high poverty also eat breakfast at school. “[It] isn’t just for those in need financially, many times both parents work in the family so it’s a convenience for people,” said Katie Wilson, school nutritionist for Onalaska Schools, where 25 percent of the students qualify for free and reduced-price school meals.
(Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, December 8, 2009; WKBT, December 7, 2009)

2. SNAP/Food Stamps Hit Participation Record for 10th Straight Month
(Bloomberg.com, December 8, 2009)

One out of every eight Americans – 37.2 million people – received SNAP/Food Stamps in September, a record number and the tenth straight month of record participation. September’s figure was 18 percent higher than the September 2008 participation number, and was driven by the recession and surging unemployment. “In this economic time, SNAP has been essential,” said Deputy Agriculture Secretary Kathleen Merrigan, although not all who are eligible are receiving the benefit. “We are working with states to improve participation,” said Merrigan. Nevada and Utah had the largest increases in participation – 54 percent and 46.5 percent, respectively. Texas had the most recipients (3.1 million); California and New York followed with 2.9 million and 2.6 million. Missouri had the highest participation rate of those eligible - 100 percent. Maine and Michigan followed with 91 percent and 89 percent. The lowest participation rates were in Wyoming (47 percent), California (48 percent) and Idaho (50 percent). Louisiana’s participation decreased 65 percent from the previous September because of the short, sharp rise in participation due to Hurricanes Gustav and Ike in 2008.

3. U.S. Hunger Problem Needs Serious Solutions Involving SNAP/Food Stamps
(Huffington Post, November 24, 2009)

USDA’s recent report showing that nearly 15 percent of Americans - one in seven, including 17 million children, struggle with food insecurity prompted Gordon Campbell, president and CEO of United Way of NYC, to write that “action is needed to halt the drastic increase in the number of Americans going hungry each and every day.” Campbell outlines the steps that the public and nonprofit sectors need to take to reverse these hunger trends. Improving outreach and education on the SNAP/Food Stamp program is vitally important, since it currently reaches more than 27 million low-income people each month. All the nonprofits nationwide could not help that many people, yet the SNAP/Food Stamp program can still help more. Barriers to participation include: inflexible program office hours, lack of information, eligibility misperceptions, and immigrant eligibility confusion. By collaborating on outreach and education, community-based organizations, faith-based organizations and government agencies can get the word out and help sign up more people. Another step that must be taken to reduce hunger: make sure low-income people have access to higher-quality nutritious foods, instead of the lower-cost, lower-quality options they usually have. “It’s time to get serious about ending the problem of hunger in America,” Campbell concludes. “In this week of thanks giving, we must not rest on our laurels. Rather, we should take concerted steps to address and eradicate the hunger crisis in this country.”

4. Number of Food Insecure Connecticut Residents Skyrockets; State and Congress Must Act to Reduce Numbers
(Journal Inquirer, December 10, 2009)

Connecticut had one of the highest food insecurity rate increases in 2008 – 2.8 percent over 2007, with about one in nine people experiencing food insecurity. The numbers for 2009 will probably be worse, writes Lucy Nolan, executive director of End Hunger Connecticut! in this op-ed. “Even in our most affluent neighborhoods,” notes Nolan, “some people are turning to Food Stamps to get by.” One way to help bring the rate down is to make sure that children in low-income families have access to nutritious food, through WIC, school-based meals, and summer food programs. Nolan encourages the state to do more outreach and let people know about federal nutrition programs. The state should also remove the stigma from school meal programs, get all schools to offer breakfast, and let kids eat breakfast in their classrooms. “There’s more research than we could print on the positive aspects breakfast at school has for our children,” Nolan writes. “[R]eading and math scores are higher, children behave, and they are not absent as often.” More children should be taking advantage of summer nutrition programs – currently, only a quarter of the children receiving free or reduced-price lunch participate in summer food, consequently they miss out on vital nutrition during the summer months. Connecticut’s elected officials are paying attention to hunger and nutrition issues. U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT), and state Reps. Diane Urban and Karen Jarmoc recently participated in a listening session on these issues, hearing about what works and what doesn’t from parents, school administrators, advocates and program providers. “Courtney has been a strong supporter of nutrition programs and we urge him to press Congress to pass a strong reauthorization of the Child Nutrition and WIC Act,” writes Nolan. This legislation funds the child nutrition programs, “and Congress should heed the Food Research and Action Center’s call to strengthen, enhance and modernize all nutrition programs to better meet the increasing need.” (Full text of op-ed is available online only through subscription.)

5. Georgia Leads States in Percentage of Food Insecure Residents
(11Alive.com, November 2009; Georgia Public Broadcasting, November 24, 2009; Atlanta Progressive News, November 26, 2009)

According to the latest USDA figures and a report from the Food Research and Action Center, food insecurity numbers are greatest in the South, less prevalent in the Northeast, and of intermediate prevalence in the West and Midwest. Georgia ranked 46th in the nation –in the top 4 states – experiencing food insecurity. The figures, from the years 2006-2008, show the state had 14.2 percent of households experiencing food insecurity, and 5.4 percent experiencing very low food security. A decade ago, Georgia was 22nd in the nation. The state needs to sign up more residents for the SNAP/Food Stamp program, said Sarah Beth Gehl of the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute. In Atlanta, a recent meeting of the Hungry Club Forum, a meeting attended by the city’s Black civic leaders since 1945, discussed the increased aid being requested by residents during the recession. Current economic conditions have many people feeling “like they’re living in a Depression,” said Elisabeth Omilami, executive director of Hosea Feed the Hungy. “With a recession, there is some expectation of a quick turnaround. The people that we serve don’t have that kind of hope.” Bill Bolling, executive director of the Atlanta Community Food Bank, said there are 40 percent more people with full-time jobs receiving the organization’s services. The city’s next mayor, noted Omilami, should address the root causes of hunger and homelessness – the city’s lack of affordable housing, education inequality, low wages, and mental illness.

6. Officials Questioning SNAP/Food Stamp Applicant Fingerprinting Policy
(NBC New York, November 24, 2009)

While New York City’s Mayor Bloomberg has insisted on fingerprinting SNAP/Food Stamp applicants (in spite of the fact that it does not reduce fraud), USDA Under Secretary Kevin Concannon recently criticized the policy while at an Upper East Side food pantry. “My bigger concern is does it have an unintended consequence of dissuading people from coming forward who need the benefits?” he asked. “I can tell you that if an application came to me in 2009 to begin finger imaging we wouldn’t approve it.” New York City is one of only four U.S. locations that still fingerprint SNAP/Food Stamp applicants. Concannon noted that 48 states don’t fingerprint yet still prevent fraud through the EBT system. Social security numbers are used instead of fingerprints. He also said that USDA is asking local governments that still fingerprint to make the case for why the policy should not be eliminated. Fingerprinting began in 1994 as part of the nation’s Republican welfare reform movement.

7. Colorado Government and Activists Join to Promote School Breakfast and Summer Meals
(KDVR, November 24, 2009)

Colorado Governor Bill Ritter recently joined activists in the state to promote school breakfast and summer meals for children. Many schools in the state don’t offer breakfast or meals in the summer; many kids don’t go for the free meals because they don’t wanted to be labeled as needy. Only 37 percent – 75,000 - of the state’s children who receive free or reduced-price lunch also participate in school breakfast or summer meals. Colorado officials announced their plans to promote the meals in order to increase participation.

8. If Successful, Connecticut School’s Pilot Breakfast Program Will Expand
(Connecticut Post, November 30, 2009)

When headmaster Ken Saranich came to Shelton Intermediate School in September, he instituted the School Breakfast Program. “I approached the school board and the food service and it turned out that a breakfast program was something they were already interested in doing,” he said, “so everything came together.” School officials say that if the program is successful it will expand district-wide. “We hear from nutritionists that breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” said Board of Education chairman Tom Walsh. “Assuming this is true, the Intermediate School is giving its students a head start.” The breakfast program will be particularly needed by the students who aren’t able to find time to eat at home in the morning before coming to school.

9. Chefs in Schools Improves Nutrition in Boston’s Public Schools
(Natural Health Examiner, November 19, 2009)

Chefs in Schools (CiS), a program launched by Project Bread in partnership with Boston Mayor Menino’s office, Boston Public Schools and the Boston Public Health Commission in 2007, has been called a success according to preliminary results released in November. The partnership hired master chef and Culinary Institute of America graduate Kirk Conrad to create healthy meals that students would actually eat for two middle schools, without raising costs dramatically. Three-quarters of Boston’s school children qualify for free and reduced-price school meals. Data gathered and analyzed by the Healthy Lunch Study found:

more than three times as many students in the CiS schools ate vegetables, and ate 30 percent more of them;
serving 1% white milk instead of chocolate milk did not decrease milk consumption in CiS schools;
food waste at CiS schools was reduced by one-fifth; at non CiS schools, a third of school lunch food was thrown away;
CiS schools showed a 17 percent increase in school lunch participation, leading to higher federal reimbursement.

10. Michigan Elementary School Starts Serving Universal Breakfast
(Muskegon Chronicle, November 16, 2009)

Marquette Elementary school is the latest Michigan school to plan on serving Universal Breakfast. “Our goal is to increase participation and improve behavior in the classroom, improve concentration, improve test scores and on down the line,” said Colleen Johnson, Muskegon Public Schools’ director of dining services, in a presentation to the school board’s ways and means committee. Currently, 92 percent of Marquette Elementary students qualify for free and reduced-price lunch, but many don’t participate in breakfast although they are automatically qualified for that meal too. Students don’t want to eat breakfast at school if their friends don’t. Offering free breakfast to all students could not only increase participation, but will increase federal reimbursement dollars which will help pay for the program’s cost. The school will start the pilot project by offering both hot and cold foods in the school cafeteria. Orchard View and Holton schools currently serve breakfast in the classroom. These programs are “working really well,” said Muskegon school board treasurer Billie Bruce, who also works as a substitute teacher at Orchard View.

11. California WIC Program May Open New Office
(Mydesert.com, November 27, 2009)

Desert Hot Springs, Calif., may be the site of a new WIC office. There are 4,500 potential WIC clients in the area, but only 2,200 are participating. If Riverside County’s Community Health Agency opens the new office, it will be easier for the county’s clients to reach than those offices in Indio, Palm Springs and Cathedral City.