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.

1. House of Representatives Committee Rejects President’s Proposed CSFP Cut
2. FRAC Parent Outreach Brochure Encourages Parents to Get Involved in Local Wellness Policies
3. Agriculture Secretary Announces Summer Food Service Week to Promote Summer Meal Programs
4. MAZON Earns Donations to Fight Hunger by Painting Real Picture of the Hungry
5. Ex-Prisoners Face Endless Barriers, Experts Report
6. Americans Spend More on Health Care Than English but Are Sicker, Study Says
7. The More Social Disadvantages Children Have, the Worse Their Health
8. Adoption of New Government Food Pyramid Icon Is Slow
9. Congress Moves to Lock In Tax Cuts for Rich
10. Oregon Groups Unite to Fight Hunger
11. Georgia: Brunswick Mayor to Fast in Observance of National Hunger Awareness Day
12. California: Language Barriers and Homelessness Keep Food Pantry Clients in Los Angeles From Accessing Food Stamps
13. California: Program Allowing Food Stamp Use in Restaurants Struggles to Get Started
14. Michigan Grocery Stores Seek to Change Food Stamp Distribution Schedule
15. Rhode Island: Protesters Demand Free Breakfast for All Students in Newport Community
16. Oregon: North Wasco County Schools Benefit from Expanding Meal Programs
17. Texas Will Let Summer Food In When School Is Out
18. Minnesota: Breckenridge School District Focuses on Health and Nutrition
19. Oregon: School Board Resistant to Change in Adopting Wellness Policy
20. Arizona: Battle for Student Wellness Features School Gardens, Walking Clubs and “Play First” Programs
21. Texas: State Workers Will Determine Eligibility for Public Benefits After Contractor Failed
22. Iowa: School Book and Breakfast Club Enjoys “Thrilling” Success
23. Illinois: Breakfast Buddies Program Grows Into Keep-Up-The-Spirit Packages to Iraq
24. More Iowa Farmers Markets Boosting Sales by Accepting Electronic Benefit Cards
25. Editorial: Red Tape Prevents Oregon Children from Getting Health Insurance
26. Florida: Unaware of Discounted Telephone Program, Low-Income Residents Do Not Participate

1. House of Representatives Committee Rejects President’s Proposed CSFP Cut

(“House Panel Preserves Anti-Hunger Program,” washingtonpost.com, May 9, 2006)

The House Appropriations Committee has saved from the chopping block the Commodity Supplemental Food Program that provides food boxes to nearly 500,000 seniors each month. President Bush had proposed to kill the program, but it received broad support among lawmakers. The committee approved a bill that would increase the program’s budget by 10 percent. The Agriculture Appropriations bill is the first of 11 spending bills to clear the committee for FY 2007. Republican committee chairman Jerry Lewis helped to transfer $6.4 billion from defense and foreign aid budgets to mitigate the President’s proposed cuts to domestic programs. Even with this shift, “Republicans are finding living within Bush’s budget limits difficult.”

http://tinyurl.com/ppaqg

2. FRAC Parent Outreach Brochure Encourages Parents to Get Involved in Local Wellness Policies

(“FRAC Publishes Parent Outreach Brochure to Encourage More Parents to Get Involved in the Creation of Local Wellness Policies,” frac.org, May 10, 2006)

A new FRAC Parent Outreach Brochure encourages parents to get involved in creating local wellness policies for their school district. It was designed for parents who may be unaware of the opportunities that exist for them to get involved in the important process requiring school district wellness policies by the beginning of the 2006-2007 school year. Wellness policies will be stronger and more effective if they include input from parents. The brochure also emphasizes the importance of afterschool and summer programs as part of the wellness policy, which is particularly timely as districts gear up for summertime and summer food programs. These programs should be an integral part of local wellness policies, as decisions made for the health and well-being of students should not be limited solely to the traditional school day, FRAC says.

http://www.frac.org/html/news/parent_brochure06.html

3. Agriculture Secretary Announces Summer Food Service Week to Promote Summer Meal Programs

(USDA Summer Food Service Week Proclamation, fns.usda.gov, May 2006)

Secretary of the U. S. Department of Agriculture Mike Johanns proclaimed June 4–10, 2006, as Summer Food Service Week, intended to raise public awareness of the benefits of summer meals for poor communities and to encourage additional summer meal sites. Congress established the Summer Food Service Program to ensure that children can continue to receive nutritious midday meals on school playgrounds and in parks, camps, and other sites after the end of school, says the USDA proclamation. The program specifically targets low-income areas, where at least 50 percent of children are eligible for free or reduced-price school meals. However, far too few children take advantage of the program, which serves fewer than 15 percent of the children receiving free and reduced-price meals in school. To improve the situation, the agency is working to increase the number of eligible schools, community and faith-based organizations, and other sponsors that offer the program in their communities through paperwork reduction and streamlining of the school meal programs with summer meals.

http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/summer/states/SFSP_2006_Proclamation.pdf (English)

http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/summer/states/sp-SFSP_2006_Proclamation.pdf (Spanish)

4. MAZON Earns Donations to Fight Hunger by Painting Real Picture of the Hungry

(“MAZON Fights Hunger with Jewish Ideals,” clevelandjewishnews.com, April 28, 2006)

After Hurricane Katrina, many Jews from all over the country wanted to help disaster victims by donating to MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger. “If we give the money to you, we know that it will go where it is needed,” MAZON vice president Barbara Bergen recalls. MAZON raised $1 million for the Gulf Coast. The organization started in 1985 and since then has given away over $38 million to food banks, soup kitchens and anti-hunger advocacy groups. Bergen explains, “it’s a hidden problem because people don’t realize how much hunger there is, all the time, not just after natural disasters.” Part of MAZON’s mission is to fight the stereotype that only homeless and unemployed people suffer from hunger. “We want people to be as angry as we are that in this country you can work full time and not be able to put food on the table,” Bergen says.

http://tinyurl.com/lvve5

5. Ex-Prisoners Face Endless Barriers, Experts Report

(“Religion Writers Told There Are Good Stories in Prison,” episcopalchurch.org, May 4, 2006)

Prison inmates are confronted by endless challenges when they leave prison, reported a panel of religion and government experts from all over the country, addressing religion reporters and editors of the Associated Church Press in Orlando, Fla. “Did you know that in many states ex-offenders with drug felony records cannot get food stamps for their families?” asked Val Hymes, editor of the Prison Ministry Task Force network for the Diocese of Maryland. “Did you know that many ex-offenders cannot move into public housing, get student loans, become barbers, hair stylists, embalmers, pest controllers, landscapers or even work in nursing homes or day care?” She added that “some ex-felons are not allowed to vote or drive.” The Florida Governor’s Ex-Offender Task Force Preliminary Report recommended that Governor Jeb Bush issue an executive order that would review the laws, policies and practices that disqualify ex-offenders from employment and would allow case-by-case relief from “disqualification based on the individual’s showing of rehabilitation.”

http://www.episcopalchurch.org/3577_74249_ENG_HTM.htm

6. Americans Spend More on Health Care Than English but Are Sicker, Study Says

(“Study: Americans Sicker Than English,” cnn.com, May 2, 2006)

The Journal of the American Medical Association published a study that says Americans are much sicker than their British counterparts, although American health care spending per person is more than double what England spends. Americans of all incomes have higher rates for diabetes, heart disease, strokes, cancer and other diseases. “At every point in the social hierarchy there is more illness in the United States than in England and the differences are really dramatic,” said study co-author Dr. Michael Marmot, an epidemiologist at University College London. Experts disagree about the factors that lead to the already-known fact that the United States spends more on health care than any other industrialized nation, but lags behind in rankings of life expectancy. According to the study, the upper crust in both countries was healthier than middle-class and low-income people in the same country, but richer Americans’ health status resembled the health of the low-income British. The study focused just on whites to take minority health factors out of the equation and also adjusted for income and education. Among causes for the remaining gap, experts speculate, are: poorer job the United States does compared to other industrialized countries in providing primary medical care; Americans’ financial insecurity (only the top fifth of Americans increased their incomes since the mid-1970s, while English citizens saw their incomes improve); and the stress of striving for the American dream in an environment that lacks a reliable government safety net like the one in England. “The opportunity to go both up and down the socioeconomic scale in America may create stress,” said Harvard professor Robert Blendon.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/05/02/sick.america.ap/

Also see http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/295/17/2037 (“Disease, Disadvantage in the United States and England,” the Journal of the American Medical Association)

7. The More Social Disadvantages Children Have, the Worse Their Health

(“Disadvantaged Kids Get Sick More Often, Study Reports,” May 2, 2006)

Children who have three main social disadvantages – poverty, limited parental education and being from a single-parent household – were four times more likely than children with none of these risk factors to be in poor, fair, or good health, as opposed to having very good or excellent health, said Dr. Ruth Stein, a pediatrician at Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Children’s Hospital at Montefiore in the Bronx, N.Y., who was involved in a nationwide study of more than 57,000 children under 18. Children with all three risk factors were twice as likely as children with none to have a chronic health condition such as asthma, diabetes or mental retardation. The researchers estimated that 6.2 million American children have all three risk factors, 9.6 million have two and 18.9 million have one. This study, published in the April issue of Pediatrics, was the first one to show that the more social disadvantages children have, the more health risks they face. The study demonstrated that the three social disadvantages outweighed the advantages of the availability of health insurance. Insurance “may very well improve the health of children, but it’s not going to solve the problem of social disparities,” said Laurie J. Bauman, Albert Einstein College of Medicine sociologist and the study’s lead author. Greg Duncan, professor of education and social policy at Northwestern University, pointed out that “access to health care doesn’t insulate disadvantaged kids from having poor health. The sources of poor children’s health run much deeper than just how much access they have to health care.”

http://tinyurl.com/qlvox

Also see http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/117/4/1321 (“Cumulative Social Disadvantage and Child Health,” Pediatrics)

8. Adoption of New Government Food Pyramid Icon Is Slow

(“Breadmakers Balk at Altered Food Pyramid,” centredaily.com, May 8, 2006)

Former Kansas school nurse Karen Foster used to teach children how to stay healthy and thin by showing them the U.S. Agriculture Department’s food pyramid. Last year, USDA replaced its recognizable nutrition icon with the new MyPyramid icon, which does not provide general serving suggestions by demonstrating different food groups in blocks, but visualizes a diet through a series of colored lines reaching to the pyramid’s top and sends consumers to a website for an individualized nutrition profile. Foster said the new pyramid is a better guide to health, and USDA characterizes the website-based approach a success, with more than 1.7 billion page visits the first year. Food companies, however, have been slow to include the new icon in their labels, often using the old pyramid. Some nutrition advocates say the old pyramid promotes an unhealthy amount of refined white and wheat breads that add empty calories to diets and may increase risk of Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. The new icon, unlike information about nutrition facts, is not required to be on food packaging. Some food companies say the old pyramid is still valuable for its up-front serving suggestions.

http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/news/nation/14525418.htm

Also see http://www.mypyramid.gov/ (USDA MyPyramid)

9. Congress Moves to Lock In Tax Cuts for Rich

(“Republicans Set Aside Middle-Income Tax Cuts to Focus on Rich,” bloomberg.com, May 8, 2006)

The Republican majority in Congress is trying to lock in the 15 percent tax rate on investment income and to repeal the estate tax before new elections might change the balance of power. President Bush’s supporters say lower taxes on investments and multimillion-dollar estates will sustain economic growth. The Securities Industry Association is lobbying for the cuts, arguing that its members fear investors will flee the markets if they sense higher rates are on the horizon. While pushing for measures largely benefiting the rich, Republican leaders in Congress are not pursuing extensions of lower rates for all taxpayers and expanded breaks for married couples and families with children, which expire after 2010. IRS data show that taxpayers with incomes of at least $1 million reaped 43 percent of all savings from reduced rates on dividends and capital gains. The Joint Committee on Taxation estimates that the estate tax elimination would cost the government $78.8 billion in revenue a year by 2016 and that renewing the investment tax breaks would cost $50 billion in lost government revenue.

http://tinyurl.com/p6s8n

10. Oregon Groups Unite to Fight Hunger

(“Banding Together to Battle Hunger,” oregonlive.com, May 4, 2006)

The Oregon Food Bank, the Vision Action Network and the Tualatin United Methodist Church are uniting their forces to coordinate the fight against hunger in Washington County, Ore. The groups hope to attract a broad cross-section of representatives of the community, government, businesses, and faith organizations to their network that will deal with: the distribution of food; educating county residents about the causes of hunger; and helping people advocate changes in public policy. “We need to be looking at this from a whole countywide effort,” Rev. Wes Taylor, pastor of the Tualatin United Methodist Church, said, calling for planning ahead “so we’re not always catching up.” The network also will try to “break the myth that people who are accessing services aren’t working,” said Denise Russell of the Oregon Food Bank.

http://tinyurl.com/lj65j

11. Georgia: Brunswick Mayor to Fast in Observance of National Hunger Awareness Day

(“Mayor Seeks ‘Fast’ Hunger Solution,” thebrunswicknews.com, May 10, 2006)

Brunswick (Ga.) Mayor Bryan Thompson agreed to fast for at least 24 hours on June 5 and 6 in observance of National Hunger Awareness Day. He will be one of an estimated 150 local participants in a fast sponsored by America’s Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia. This is the least he can do in the face of such a widespread problem as hunger, Thompson said.

http://www.thebrunswicknews.com/front/286487631891065.php

12. California: Language Barriers and Homelessness Keep Food Pantry Clients in Los Angeles From Accessing Food Stamps

(“Barriers to Participation in the Food Stamp Program Among Food Pantry Clients in Lost Angeles,” ajph.org, May 2006)

Substantial numbers of food pantry clients are eligible for food stamps, but only 15 percent receive them, according to a new study of background characteristics of 14,317 food pantry clients in Los Angeles. Ninety percent of clients had incomes lower than $1,000 a month; 59 percent were Hispanic; and 44 percent were homeless. For the majority of clients who do not receive food stamps, homelessness and limited English language skills are barriers to food stamp participation. “Lack of permanent address prohibits many homeless individuals from being able to sign up for and receive food stamp benefits. Undocumented immigrants are ineligible for food stamps and comprise many of the limited English language food pantry clients who are food stamps nonrecipients in Los Angeles. However, children of undocumented immigrants born in the United States are eligible to receive food stamps and can be enrolled through additional outreach efforts,” the study found. It appeared in the American Journal of Public Health.

http://www.ajph.org/cgi/content/abstract/96/5/807

13. California: Program Allowing Food Stamp Use in Restaurants Struggles to Get Started

(“New Food Stamp Option,” sacbee.com, May 6, 2006)

The California Department of Social Services’ program that allows people with disabilities, the elderly and homeless persons to use food stamps to buy restaurant meals kicked off in Sacramento County. The program intends to give options to people who cannot store or prepare their own meals and also to save limited cash for food stamp recipients who can otherwise spend it on food. About 4,000 county residents are eligible for the program, but few know about it, and local restaurants are not eager to participate. So far, five Subway sandwich outlets have signed up. Some 18 states have tried the program, a spokeswoman for the Sacramento County Department of Human Assistance said. Of those, 14 have dropped out, because they could not get enough restaurants to sign up.

http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/story/14252363p-15068517c.html

14. Michigan Grocery Stores Seek to Change Food Stamp Distribution Schedule

(“Michigan Retailers Seek Changes to Food Stamp System,” mlive.com, May 11, 2006)

The Michigan Food Policy Council, a state advisory body, is considering recommending a change in the way Michigan administers the Food Stamp Program. Currently, 1.1 million state residents receive food stamps on one of the first nine days of the month. In Detroit, where more than a third of the population has incomes below the poverty line, and in other areas this food stamp distribution results in heavy customer traffic to local grocery stores at the beginning of every month, but leaves the stores nearly deserted at the end of the month. Grocery shop owners say such swings in customer traffic interfere with their ability to keep the stores adequately staffed and stocked and maintain suppliers’ delivery schedules. The Associated Food and Petroleum Dealers of Michigan have asked the state to divide recipients’ food stamp benefits into two payments per month, which is allowed by federal law, though no state currently has such a practice. Big grocery chains have abandoned Detroit, and affordable food is difficult to find, especially for low-income people. Some advocates for the poor say splitting benefits into two payments could hurt those clients who live far from stores and cannot get to them easily. Some support staggering the distribution of benefits over the whole month as a different means to help grocers. Tamika Ealy from Detroit, a food stamp recipient, said it is important to be able to use the benefits when she wants to.

http://tinyurl.com/r5bsv

15. Rhode Island: Protesters Demand Free Breakfast for All Students in Newport Community

(“Protesters Call for Free School Breakfast for All,” newportdailynews.com, May 6, 2006)

Religious, labor and community leaders picketed in front of the Newport (R.I.) school administration building demanding that the superintendent offer free school breakfast to all students, not just poor ones. The protesters argue that universal breakfast eliminates the stigma associated with the breakfast program. Newport is the only Rhode Island community with a high percentage of children living in low-income families that does not have a universal breakfast program, Henry Shelton of the George Wiley Center said. The superintendent refused to put the issue on the School Committee agenda, which spurred the picketing. Now the superintendent has agreed to put the program on the agenda, but he is opposed to free universal breakfast. Shelton said the breakfast program is a proven success. East Providence , Woonsocket, Warwick and West Warwick recently initiated pilot universal breakfast programs, while Providence, Central Falls, Pawtucket and Cranston already have full free breakfast programs in all their schools. ”No community in this state that ever implemented the program has ever removed it,” he said. The 2005 School Breakfast Scorecard of the Food Research and Action Center reported that “a good breakfast eaten at school boosts student achievement, reduces absenteeism, improves student nutrition and health, and helps to prevent overweight.”

http://www.newportdailynews.com/articles/2006/05/06/news/news4.txt (subscription required)

See also http://www.frac.org/pdf/2005_SBP.pdf (FRAC 2005 School Breakfast Scorecard)

16. Oregon: North Wasco County Schools Benefit from Expanding Meal Programs

(“Brain Food,” thedalleschronicle.com, May 8, 2006)

As full tummies make better learners, North Wasco County School District serves breakfast, lunch for all students and free dinner for students in afterschool programs (through the national Child and Adult Care Food Program with help from the Wasco County Prevention Coalition). For many years, students could purchase before-school breakfast, but this year the district has gone a step farther: some schools started offering free breakfast during the first 15 minutes of class to ensure all students get morning meals. The goal is to improve students’ learning capacity and behavior, as well as growth and health. In summertime, the district partners with Northern Wasco County Park & Recreation to provide free lunch, breakfast and snacks to children. The district follows government guidelines for meal content. Schools have benefited financially from expanding meal programs to more students, particularly those who are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches. “It has a ripple effect,” Heater-Judah said. “That’s why we really encourage parents to fill out the applications.” The district’s wellness committee is working on creating a wellness policy to be adopted in July.

http://tinyurl.com/perpb

17. Texas Will Let Summer Food In When School Is Out

(“Food That’s in … When School Is Out,” easttexasreview.com, May 10, 2006)

When school is out, food needs to be in for those children who do not always have an opportunity to get regular, healthy meals in the summertime. In Texas, just about 4 percent of the children who eat free and reduced-price breakfasts and lunches during the school year receive meals from the Summer Food Service Program. About 2 million Texas children are at risk of going hungry after school closes for the summer. Local school districts, cities and faith- and community-based organizations can open summer food programs for children and serve meals in addition to activities at recreation centers, schools, summer camps and other safe places where children enjoy the company of their peers and supportive adults. This year, Texas will have about 2,100 summer meal sites throughout the state.

http://www.easttexasreview.com/story.htm?StoryID=3505

18. Minnesota: Breckenridge School District Focuses on Health and Nutrition

(“A Healthier School District,” wahpetondailynews.com, May 10, 2006)

The Breckenridge ( Minn.) school district plans to add a salad bar in elementary, middle and high schools, and more fruits, vegetables and whole grain products to school lunch menus. The district is in the process of creating federally-mandated local wellness policies that promote students’ health, well-being and ability to learn. The new policy will not forbid soda and candy sold in concessions, but the district “will work toward offering some healthier options,” according to Breckenridge Superintendent David Pace. During the school day there won’t be any carbonated beverages sold. School celebrations involving food will be allowed to have no more than one food or beverage that does not meet nutrition standards. Students will no longer sell chocolates to raise money. Schools will encourage them to use non-food items, e.g., a school calendar, or foods with high nutritional value, such as fresh fruit or nuts, as fundraising choices. The policy also will ensure that students are physically active.

http://www.wahpetondailynews.com/articles/2006/05/10/news/news01.txt

19. Oregon: School Board Resistant to Change in Adopting Wellness Policy

(“Salem-Keizer School District's Wellness Proposal Criticized,” statesmanjournal.com, May 9, 2006)

In Oregon, the Salem-Keizer School District’s nutrition task force of parents, students, administrators and health-care professionals spent eight months developing recommendations for a district wellness policy, but was “shocked and dismayed” by the school board’s decision not to follow most important recommendations in the policy proposal. “With the exception of getting rid of sodas, which is kind of a nationwide trend anyway, they just didn’t want to do anything that would require significant change,” committee member Gaelen McAllister said. The task force recommended that students receive balanced nutrition from their meals at school and be encouraged to participate in the federal breakfast and lunch programs; that certain candies not be sold or served on school premises; and that all students would have a comprehensive physical activity program. The task force proposed adoption of specific standards for the nutrition content of school lunches, but the board instead ruled only that “students should, as much as possible, receive balanced nutrition from their meals at school.” The original recommendations included giving children at least 30 minutes to buy and eat their lunch, but the approved policy only requires the district to ensure “meal times that provide adequate time for students to eat.” District spokesman Jay Remy said many of the recommendations had significant cost implications. “When it comes to our food-service department, there is the issue of keeping per-meal costs down so the prices are reasonable for students.”

http://159.54.226.83/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060509/ITK/605090345/1016

20. Arizona: Battle for Student Wellness Features School Gardens, Walking Clubs and “Play First” Programs

(“Board Adopts Healthy Habits,” newszap.com, May 9, 2006)

A new wellness policy adopted by the Paradise Valley ( Ariz.) Unified School District (PVUSD) calls for schools to participate in the National School Lunch and Breakfast programs. Moreover, it is not only about eating right, says PVUSD Director of Nutrition and Wellness Kathy Glindmeier. Students also must exercise regularly. Jim Lee, PVUSD assistant superintendent, stressed that physical activity is essential for the school wellness policy to work. In their battle for student wellness, some district schools have opened educational school gardens, walking clubs and “play first” programs. Glindmeier said more than one-third of PVUSD’s elementary schools have started promoting the “play first” concept, which encourages students to have their lunch recess prior to lunch to ensure students have enough time to eat their meals.

http://www.newszap.com/articles/2006/05/10/az/north_valley/nep03.txt

21. Texas: State Workers Will Determine Eligibility for Public Benefits After Contractor Failed

(“State Takes Back Aid Task,” mysanantonio.com, May 10, 2006)

Texas state workers again will determine eligibility for public assistance and process applications for food stamps, Medicaid and other programs after state officials found that the private contractor, Accenture, failed to perform adequately under its $899 million contract. The state Health and Human Services officials acknowledged multiple problems, including lack of training of Accenture workers, incompatible program software and delays in processing applications. Low-income advocates fear problems in understaffed state offices (thousands of workers have left believing their jobs would be lost in the Accenture takeover). “If the contractor is not able to do the job it promised it could do, (the task) is going to again fall on state workers, who are already working in understaffed offices ... which means their already unmanageable caseloads just got bigger, which means more (people) will suffer or not get the benefits they are entitled to,” said Celia Hagert of the Center for Public Policy Priorities.

http://tinyurl.com/mb8l8

22. Iowa: School Book and Breakfast Club Enjoys “Thrilling” Success

(“Kids Talk Books Before School,” desmoinesregister.com, May 10, 2006)

Jensen Elementary School in Urbandale, Iowa, hosts a before-school book club for fifth-grade students with weekly meetings that offer breakfast and conversation about the books students have read, in a coffee-shop atmosphere. The club was started to encourage students to read outside of class. “I’m just thrilled with how successful it’s been,” said teacher Jen Reiter. Students credit the club with making them read the books they would not normally read.

http://tinyurl.com/n62cr

23. Illinois: Breakfast Buddies Program Grows Into Keep-Up-The-Spirit Packages to Iraq

(“Keith Students Send Letters, Smiles to Military Personnel,” rrstar.com, May 10, 2006)

Since November last year, Keith School students in Rockford, Ill., have sent “Smiles to Iraq” – packages filled with letters, thank-you notes and artwork – to keep up the spirits of American troops. The initiative grew out of Christine Hermie’s small, before-school Breakfast Buddies program and became a popular school project. “People may not believe in the war, but we are not going there with it,” Hermie said. “We just want our soldiers to come home safely.”

http://tinyurl.com/p5nsl

24. More Iowa Farmers Markets Boosting Sales by Accepting Electronic Benefit Cards

(“Farmers Markets in Iowa Gain Wireless Technology,” brownfieldnetwork.com, May 10, 2006)

Nearly 67 farmers market vendors in Des Moines, Bettendorf, Cedar Rapids, Clarinda, Council Bluffs, Davenport, Marshalltown, Mason City and Sioux City, Iowa, will get the electronic benefits transfer (EBT) capability to allow food stamp card carriers to buy fresh produce. Farmers requested an expansion of the pilot program launched last year by the Iowa Department of Human Services. According to the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, expanding the convenience of credit card transactions may boost not only access to fresh produce, but sales for farmers in 2006.

http://tinyurl.com/m2jah

25. Editorial: Red Tape Prevents Oregon Children from Getting Health Insurance

(“An Obstacle Course for Poor, Sick Kids,” oregonlive.com, May 7, 2006)

A new federal waiver that gives Oregon permission to extend the period of eligibility for its children’s health care program from six months to 12 months is “the first of many steps Oregon must take to help more poor families with children acquire, and maintain, health insurance,” argues this editorial in The Oregonian. Of the 117,000 uninsured children in Oregon, about 62,000 live in families eligible for public health insurance. Other states do much more than Oregon to get their kids health coverage. A “mishmash” of state rules and restrictions makes it difficult for low-income families to enroll their children in a public health plan. “ Oregon should be trying to get all eligible kids insurance coverage, not setting up an obstacle course for families,” writes the newspaper. “The state needs to spend more money and time on outreach” to eligible families and to simplify the application process. “Most of all, Oregon needs to spread the word through every available means of social marketing – at libraries, churches, schools – that this is a state where families can get insurance coverage for their kids, even if parents cannot afford it for themselves.”

http://tinyurl.com/rcm27

26. Florida: Unaware of Discounted Telephone Program, Low-Income Residents Do Not Participate

(“Low-Income Families Can Get Phone Bill Aid Through Federal Program,” tmcnet.com, May 4, 2006)

Record phone-bill increases have added to the costs of South Florida families in recent years, but only one in nine eligible Florida households takes advantage of the phone service discounts provided through the federal Lifeline Assistance Program, a survey found. The national participation rate was about 19 percent in 2005. More than 7 million Americans participate in Lifeline, Link-Up and Toll Limitation Service, or TLS, giving them discounted telephone service. People using Medicaid, food stamps, Federal Housing Assistance and the school lunch program may qualify, but they need to apply and prove eligibility. Telephone companies in South Florida grant up to a $13.50 monthly credit to eligible households. Florida officials said lack of awareness of the program and distrust of government support programs by many poor residents are some of the barriers to enrollment. The state is “considering an automatic system that would enroll people after they get government assistance, as is currently done in other states,” according to Todd Brown, a spokesperson for the Public Service Commission. Phone bills have grown sharply in recent years, adding to escalating costs for gasoline, insurance and homes. Three years ago, phone companies passed on the biggest phone rate increase in Florida history, and consumers are again facing a possible 90 percent increase in basic phone service by next year.

http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2006/05/04/1637368.htm