FRAC News Digest - May 6, 2005

The weekly Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) 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.

Issue 18, May 6, 2005

Pilot Programs Finds that Requiring School Lunch Income Verification Does Not Deter Ineligible Applicants, Reduces Access for Eligible Households
Food Stamp Participation Nearly 25.3 Million Persons in February
Op-Ed: Protect the Food Stamp Program
New York: While TANF Participation Declines, Food Stamp Use Jumps Among Working Poor
Editorial: Congress' 2006 Budget is Misguided
Op-ed: Budget Proposal Increases Inequality, Poverty and Injustice
Editorial: Proposed Federal Budget Cuts Domestic Programs, Plans More Tax Cuts
Commentary: Many More Children Could Benefit from the Summer Food Service Program
Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns Presented First HealthierUS School Challenge Awards
Former President Bill Clinton Encourages Schools to Serve Healthier Foods
California Ranks Last in Nation with Food Stamp Program Participation Rate
Grant Awarded to End Childhood Hunger in the Nation's Capital
Ohio: New WIC Dietary Guidelines Praised by Moms, Advocates
Food Pantries Fear Longer Lines if Proposed Cuts to Food Stamp Program Materialize
Missouri: Senior Farmer's Market Program Cut
Connecticut: Poll Supports Ending Soda Sales, Increasing Exercise in Schools
West Virginia: School Food Service Professionals Serve Students, Elderly, All Year
North Carolina: Social Service Workers Participate in Poverty Simulation

1. Pilot Programs Finds that Requiring School Lunch Income Verification Does Not Deter Ineligible Applicants, Reduces Access for Eligible Households

("The National School Lunch Program: Ensuring that Free and Reduced-Price Meal Benefits Go to the Poor," Mathematica, April 2005)

This issue brief, by Philip Gleason and John Burghardt, details two approaches to ensuring that free and reduced-price school meals go to eligible families. The brief finds that direct certification is useful in improving program access, although it could reach even more eligible households. This policy is embodied in the 2004 Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act. However, a pilot program that required free and reduced-price meal benefit applicants to provide income documentation with their applications did not deter ineligible households from applying and being approved for these benefits, and it did reduce access to these benefits among eligible households.

http://tinyurl.com/8ayq3

2. Food Stamp Participation Nearly 25.3 Million Persons in February

(Food Research and Action Center, May 2005)

Participation in the Food Stamp Program in February 2005 (the latest data available) was 25,272,657 persons, an increase of 1,756,069 persons from February 2004 but down for the second consecutive month. Participation has risen in 44 of the last 50 months. Participation in December 2004 rose in the District of Columbia and in 45 of the 50 states compared to a year earlier.

http://www.frac.org/html/news/fsp/02.05_FSP.html

3. Op-ed: Protect the Food Stamp Program

("Protect food stamp program from cuts," Atlanta Journal-Constitution, May 2, 2005)

In this op-ed piece, Bill Bolling, executive director of the Atlanta Community Food Bank, and Pat Showall, executive director of Families First, urge Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga,), chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, to protect the Food Stamp Program from block grants, waivers or budget cuts. More than 400,000 Georgians do not get enough food to eat and rely on food pantries and food stamps as a fragile safety net that helps keep food on the table, rent paid and medicines purchased. The average monthly food stamp benefit of $218 per family brings in more than $924 million in federal funds to the state's food industry. If cuts are made, charities and faith-based groups can't fill the gaps. This all makes the Food Stamp Program a win-win for a Georgia politician: it supports local farmers, grocers, nonprofits and low-income families.

http://www.ajc.com/opinion/content/opinion/0505/02edfood.html
(free registration required)

4. New York: While TANF Participation Declines, Food Stamp Use Jumps Among Working Poor

("Stamping Out Hunger, Food Stamp Use on the Rise Among Working Poor," City Limits, May 2, 2005)

In New York City, participation in the Food Stamp Program has risen since 2002, with three-quarters of the increase due to increased enrollment of able-bodied or working people who are not using the TANF Program. This comes at the same time that TANF enrollment has dropped. The working poor now account for 40 percent of the city's 1.1 million food stamp recipients. The increase is due to city government's efforts to enroll eligible people, state regulations that eased access and food stamp offices that are more user-friendly. An online application accessible from grocery stores and food pantries is being developed. Despite these gains, enrollment rates for workers in the city lag behind the national average. Also, Mayor Bloomberg recently refused to pursue a federal waiver allowing unemployed workers looking for jobs to receive food stamps.

http://www.citylimits.org/content/articles/weeklyView.cfm?articlenumber=1715

5. Editorial: Congress' 2006 Budget is Misguided

("If You Copy Congress, Budgeting Can Be Fun, Just Ignore Major Expenses and Mushrooming Debt," Des Moines Register, May 2, 2005)

In this editorial, the writers speak out strongly against Congress' fiscal year 2006 budget, comparing it to a household budget that ignores all credit-card debt and cuts spending to vulnerable family members. "Congress' budget outline for 2006 is bogus. It makes cuts that affect the most vulnerable Americans. It gives tax cuts to the rich. And it isn't really about economics." The writers point out that planned cuts to Medicaid, the Food Stamp Program and other programs for the poor and elderly reflect the values of the current Congress.

http://tinyurl.com/auvy8

6. Op-ed: Budget Proposal Increases Inequality, Poverty and Injustice

("The President's Budget is Immoral," Topeka Capital-Journal, April 29, 2005)

In this op-ed piece, Mary Ellen McNish, general secretary of the American Friends Service Committee, calls President Bush's proposed fiscal year 2006 budget "immoral" because it increases inequality, poverty and injustice. Twenty faith-based organizations, including the Episcopal Church USA, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the United Methodist Church, and the American Friends Service Committee, have issued an interreligious "Faith Reflection on the Federal Budget." "Our government should be a tool to correct inequalities, not a means of institutionalizing them. The federal budget should share the burdens of taxation, according to one's ability to pay, and distribute government resources fairly to create opportunity for all."

http://cjonline.com/stories/042905/opi_mcnish.shtml
(free registration required)

7. Editorial: Proposed Federal Budget Cuts Domestic Programs, Plans More Tax Cuts

("Federal Spending: Many dollars, no sense," Seattle Post-Intelligencer, May 2, 2005)

This editorial criticizes the fiscal year 2006 federal budget, with $40 billion in cuts to domestic programs, including Medicaid, food stamps, and education, while planning another $106 billion in tax cuts. The tight economic times are to blame for the cuts, say members of Congress, but the newspaper compares "giving $2.50 in tax cuts for every $1 in domestic-program reductions [to] a father cutting back a bit on food for his hungry kids so he can buy tons more beer, tobacco and lottery tickets."

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/222264_budgeted.asp

8. Commentary: Many More Children Could Benefit from the Summer Food Service Program

("Commentary:Marian Wright Edelman: Food for Thought" Chicago Defender, May 3, 2005)

In this opinion piece, Marian Wright Edelman, founder of the Children's Defense Fund, asks the question: what happens to the millions of hungry children enrolled in the National School Lunch Program when school is out for the summer? She cites FRAC data showing the Summer Food Service Program and school lunch programs for summer school and year-round students reach almost 3.2 million children, but still 80 percent of the 16 million children who receive free or reduced-price school meals during the school year do not participate in these programs. Summer food is missing millions of poor children. "Many schools and summer recreational programs that serve needy children may not realize that federal funds are available to provide meals during the summer, and many families also aren't aware of the program because there isn't enough publicity about it."

http://www.chicagodefender.com/page/commentary.cfm?ArticleID=663

9. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns Presents First HealthierUS School Challenge Awards

("Johanns Announces HealthierUS Gold and Silver Award-Winning Schools in Tennessee and Louisiana," USDA, May 4, 2005)

Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns presented the first HealthierUS School Challenge awards to three elementary schools in the Brownsville, Tennessee area and one elementary school in Slidell, Louisiana. The challenge builds on USDA's efforts to improve nutritional quality of school meals. The Tennessee schools received silver awards, meaning that they met higher nutritional standards than the basic federal government requirements in the National School Lunch Program and encouraged physical activity among students. Cypress Cove Elementary, in Louisiana, received a gold award, meaning it met even higher standards: healthy standards for all meals offered anywhere in the school at any time of day (or avoid serving or selling any food or drink other than school meals).

http://tinyurl.com/8c4m2

10. Former President Bill Clinton Encourages Schools to Serve Healthier Foods

("Clinton Joins Fight Against Child Obesity," New York Times, May 4, 2005)

Former President Bill Clinton announced that his William J. Clinton Foundation and the American Heart Association are creating programs to stop the increasing prevalence of childhood obesity in the United States by 2010. Former President Clinton pointed out that the national prevalence of obesity among children was 16 percent, 20 percent in the southeast, and up to 25 percent in Alabama and Mississippi. The alliance will encourage schools to serve healthier foods and increase physical activity among students. Also, it will focus on encouraging children between the ages 9 to 13 to lead healthier lives and further efforts by food manufacturers and restaurants to serve smaller portions of healthier foods. Tools and continuing education opportunities for better prevention and treatment of obesity in children will be created through work with health care groups.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/04/health/04obese.html
(free registration required)

11. California Ranks Last in Nation with Food Stamp Program Participation Rate

("Low food stamp program participation still a problem," Ukiah Daily Journal, April 29, 2005)

California ranks last in the nation with a Food Stamp Program participation rate of just 39 percent. The Ukiah County Community Center and Food Bank is working to address the problem by organizing a workshop for those who work with low-income households who are eligible for assistance. Jeff Rogers, the Food Bank manager, points out that the area is very rural and "there are a lot of transportation barriers to families to make it to the food bank. We want to bring the food to where low income families live instead of them finding transportation to Ukiah." Nationally, the downward trend in Food Stamp Program enrollment has been reversed in recent years, with a rise in participation in 44 of the last 49 months, according to FRAC data.

http://tinyurl.com/exbcb

12. Grant Awarded to End Childhood Hunger in the Nation's Capital

("Sodexho Foundation Announces $75,000 Commitment for Initiative To End Childhood Hunger in the Nation's Capital," PRNewswire, May 4, 2005)

The Sodexho Foundation, Sodexho USA's charitable organization, announced a grant in the amount of $75,000 to support an initiative that will seek to eradicate childhood hunger in the nation's capital. The initiative is also receiving funding from the Case Foundation. The initiative, led by D.C. Hunger Solutions, the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) and Share Our Strength, will design and implement a 10-year strategic plan to end childhood hunger in the District of Columbia and ensure access to the nutritious food children need to grow, thrive and learn. The plan includes identifying gaps in currently available services in neighborhoods. Sodexho Foundation President Stephen J. Brady said "We believe childhood hunger is a solvable problem."

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050504/clw060.html?.v=7

13. Ohio: New WIC Dietary Guidelines Praised by Moms, Advocates

("Local Moms Welcome WIC Dietary Changes," Marietta Times, May 2, 2005)

Proposed changes to the dietary guidelines in the WIC Program were met with enthusiasm in Marietta, Ohio. The new guidelines help the WIC Program serve a more culturally diverse population and deal with obesity, which has emerged as a major health problem. Emily Welch, says that "without WIC, it would be really rough." Another mom says that WIC has "done an incredible, awesome job for us." Melayne Pritchett says the program saves her 40 percent on her food bills every week and encourages her to avoid unhealthy foods; for example, she doesn't buy sugary cereals.

http://www.mariettatimes.com/news/story/052202005_new01wicchange.asp

14. Food Pantries Fear Longer Lines if Proposed Cuts to Food Stamp Program Materialize

("The Cruelest Cuts: As Congress haggles over food stamp cuts, soup kitchens fear longer lines," In These Times, May 2, 2005)

At the Storehouse, New Mexico's largest food pantry, the line for food starts at 7:30 in the morning because the pantry has only enough food to feed the first 100 families that show up. The Storehouse is serving 1.4 million meals per year, 45 percent more than last year. Demand for emergency food is expected to get even higher if the federal budget cuts essential safety net programs like food stamps. The budget that President Bush proposed included $600 million in cuts to the Food Stamp Program, enough to eliminate 300,000 people from the program.

http://www.inthesetimes.com/site/main/article/2092/

15. Missouri: Senior Farmer's Market Program Cut

("Seniors Lose Market Vouchers to State Program Budget Cuts," The Examiner, April 27, 2005)

Two programs designed to encourage healthier eating in Missouri have been cut. The Senior Farmer's Market Program and the WIC Farmer's Market Program were cut this year as part of $14.9 million in cuts to the state Department of Health and Senior Services. The state government stands to save $110,000 by cutting the tow programs, but will also forfeit federal funds going to the program. "We're having to eliminate state funding because of a reduction in the state's budget," says Nanci Gonder, spokesperson for the department. Maxine Dorn, a recipient of the vouchers, said she received the letter about the program cancellation the same day a nutritionist spoke to seniors at her retirement community about the importance of eating fresh fruits and vegetables. 6,500 Missouri seniors were enrolled in the Senior Farmer's Market Program.

http://www.examiner.net/stories/042705/new_042705009.shtml

16. Connecticut: Poll Supports Ending Soda Sales, Increasing Exercise in Schools

("Poll: Adults favor no soda in schools, 80% urge healthier options, exercise," Connecticut Post, April 27, 2005)

A poll conducted for the anti-hunger group End Hunger Connecticut! found that 70 percent of adults in the state would support a law that would permit only the sale of water, milk and fruit juice to students. Also, the poll found that 80 percent favor increased physical activity for school children. Legislation is currently moving through the Connecticut state house that would require 20 minutes of daily exercise in elementary school and would eventually restrict the types of snacks available to students in all grades. Experts said removing soda from vending machines would not be a financial problem for schools. "People think students are getting healthy foods all the time in school, and, generally, they are. But there is a lot of other stuff out there, too," said Lucy Nolan, executive director of End Hunger Connecticut!

http://www.connpost.com/news/ci_2709454/ci_2687621

End Hunger Connecticut! web page following school nutrition legislation, media:

http://www.endhungerct.org/Pages/page9.html

17. West Virginia: School Food Service Professionals Serve Students, Elderly, All Year

("School Cooks Serve Community," Parkersburg News and Sentinel, April 26, 2005)

Beverly Blough, director of Wood County Schools Food Service Department in Parkersburg, West Virginia, says the iconic image of the school cook is outdated and misleading. "School cooks...are some of the unsung heroes in the school district," she points out. In addition to serving and preparing lunches, school food service professionals prepare snacks during school hours, meals for summer and afternoon programs, and meals for the elderly. From October 1, 2004 through February 28, 2005, Wood County Schools prepared 6,510 meals for the local senior center, 13,742 meals for home delivery to the elderly, and meals for the Wood County Senior Citizens Association. The Association is a Title III C program's licensed adult day service, which helps watch loved ones for people while they work. Seniors rely on the meals for sustenance and socialization, according to Kimberly Flanigan, interim director of the Senior program.

http://www.newsandsentinel.com/news/story/0426202005_new01school.asp

18. North Carolina: Social Service Workers Participate in Poverty Simulation

("Poverty: How the Other Half Lives," Roanoke Rapids Daily Herald, April 29, 2005)

At the 4-H Rural Life Center in Halifax, area social service workers, assistance program providers and nursing students participated in a poverty simulation in order to better understand the situations that their clients face. "There is no good book on how to live in poverty - people figure these things out on their own," simulation coordinator Laura Weber told the group. Things began to get desperate during the second week of the simulation. "I can see why our kids come to school upset a lot of times," said Lori Young, who works as a behavioral mentor at William R. Davie Middle School.

http://www.rrdailyherald.com/articles/2005/04/29/news/news.txt