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. FRAC Alert: Agriculture Appropriations Bill Continues to "Plow Ahead"
2. Inconsistent Access to Food May Explain Relationship Between Weight Gain and Low Income
3. Commentary: Preparation for Natural Disasters Must Consider Needs Of Low-Income People
4. Op-Ed: United States Needs to Catch Up with the Rest of the World’s Nations in Providing Benefits to Working Mothers
5. With Number of Mothers in Prison Growing, Barriers to Re-Entering Society Must Be Addressed
6. Opinion: Poverty in America Mostly a Transitional State, Quick Response With Support Is Best Policy
7. Opinion: Homeless Census Misses Rural People and Families With Children
8. Homeless Immigrant Population Growing
9. Study Shows That 75 Percent of Homeless Families in L.A. Can’t Get Beds on a Typical Night
10. Delaware: Food Bank, State Officials Urge Low-Income Families to Participate in Summer Feeding Programs
11. Colorado: Benefits System Causes Backlog of Public Assistance Applications
12. Editorial: Careful Consideration of Indiana Plan to Privatize Application Process Needed
13. In New York City, Low-Income Working Mothers Struggle With Few Benefits
14. California: Battle of Two Minimum Wage Proposals, Governor’s Lacks Cost-of-Living Indexing
15. California: Ventura Creates Living Wage--$12.50 an Hour, $9.75 an Hour With Benefits
16. Kentucky Schools Work on Guidelines for Nutrition and Nutrition Education
17. New Hampshire: State Lawmakers Increase Work Requirements for TANF Recipients
18. Montana Launches Project to Teach Low-Income People to Be Financially Literate

1. FRAC Alert: Agriculture Appropriations Bill Continues to "Plow Ahead"

The FY2007 Agriculture Appropriations bill passed the House of Representatives on May 23 by a vote 378-46, clearing the path for Senate subcommittee action expected soon after the Memorial Day recess (May 27-June 4). House bill highlights include rejection of Administration proposals that would have eliminated the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) and limited WIC Program eligibility and administration. The House panel did not, however, provide funding to expand the Simplified Summer Food Program ("Lugar pilots"). Efforts to obtain such funding now will focus on the Senate. This alert includes a chart of current funding levels of different nutrition programs, the Administration and House-passed versions, and FRAC’s recommendations.

http://www.frac.org/Legislative/Budget_07/Alerts/05.26.06.html

2. Inconsistent Access to Food May Explain Relationship Between Weight Gain and Low Income

("Inconsistent Access To Food In Low-income Households May Contribute To Weight Gain, USA," medicalnewstoday.com, May 24, 2006)

Parke Wilde, PhD, a food economist at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, co-authored a study that analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), which found women in food insecure households more likely to be obese than food secure women, and suggest that inconsistent access to food may contribute to weight gain among women. Women in food-insecure households were approximately 50 percent more likely to be obese and to gain at least 10 pounds in one year, compared with women in fully food-secure households. "To my knowledge this is the first study to focus on the association between adults’ food security status and change in weight over time, using national level data," Wilde said. Uneven cycles of purchasing and consuming food in food-insecure households leading to periods of under-eating followed by compensatory overeating, could be a reason for the weight gain. "Alternatively," Wilde adds, "when money is less available, people may consume inexpensive, high-calorie food." Changes to federal food assistance programs could reduce the problem. "Food stamps are available in monthly cycles. This may lead to uneven purchasing and consumption. Perhaps the federal Food Stamp Program could be modified to provide benefits more frequently to even the distribution," noted Wilde. He also suggested changes in nutrition education.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=43933

3. Commentary: Preparation for Natural Disasters Must Consider Needs Of Low-Income People

("Remembering the Forgotten," niemanwatchdog.org, May 11, 2006)

The poor and elderly suffer a "double whammy" when hit by hurricanes or other disasters. They are told to prepare by stocking seven days worth of food, enough prescription drugs to last for several weeks, emergency medical supplies, bottled water and fresh batteries for flashlights and radios. When evacuations were ordered, they were advised to flee with those supplies, a full tank of gas and plans to stay with relatives or in hotels out of harm's way. That might be reasonable to many Americans, but it isn’t for an elderly person, living alone and spending almost every dollar of a Social Security check on housing, prescriptions and food. Or for a single mother with preschool children who takes the bus to work, gets food stamps to help feed her kids, and Medicaid because her job doesn't include health care benefits.

http://tinyurl.com/nblm9

4. Op-Ed: United States Needs to Catch Up with the Rest of the World’s Nations in Providing Benefits to Working Mothers

("U.S. Can Afford the Benefits Parents Need to Care for Families," mercurynews.com, May 16, 2006)

In this op-ed piece, Jody Heymann, director of the McGill University Institute for Health and Social Policy, compares benefits guaranteed to working mothers in the United States and many other countries, developed or otherwise. According to Heymann, of 168 countries for which data was collected for Harvard University’s Project on Global Working Families, 164 have found a way to guarantee paid maternity leave. Only Papua New Guinea, Swaziland, Lesotho and the United States have not. In 27 countries but not the U.S., fathers are entitled to at least three months paid paternal leave. Other areas where the United States falls short compared to other countries: personal sick leave is a basic right in 150 countries, leave for parents of sick children is guaranteed in 37 countries, and 76 countries in the study ensure that mothers can take time from work to breast-feed. "The United States has engaged in a unique private-sector experiment-as opposed to any partnership between the public and the private. The experiment has tested what companies can and will offer voluntarily. This means that companies that want to do the right thing by mothers are stymied. If they offer paid maternity leave, they have to compete with a company across the street that doesn’t-an uneven playing field that does not exist in most nations."

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/opinion/14589989.htm

5. With Number of Mothers in Prison Growing, Barriers to Re-Entering Society Must Be Addressed

("Women in Prison," catholic.org, May 22, 2006)

This piece in the Catholic magazine America highlights issues related to the growing population of women in prison in the United States. More than 200,000 women are now in prison, most of them African American or Hispanic. The incarceration rate for women is growing faster than for men, primarily because of nonviolent drug offenses and mandatory minimum sentences imposed by the war on drugs. What especially distinguishes female from male prisoners is children: the majority of women behind bars were the primary care providers for their offspring at the time of their arrest. A major stumbling block to re-entry is provisions of the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, which prevent those convicted of drug felonies from ever qualifying for government assistance. "For mothers, the denial of food stamps and access to public housing greatly limits the possibility of family reunification." On a hopeful note states can opt out of the welfare ban; 10 have done so fully, another 20 in part, for example, lifting the ban if the offense stemmed from using or possessing drugs but not selling them. Nevertheless, a majority of women with drug convictions remain subject to penalties of this kind that hinder successful re-entry.

http://www.catholic.org/views/views_news.php?id=19917&pid=0

6. Opinion: Poverty in America Mostly a Transitional State, Quick Response With Support Is Best Policy

("The War on Poverty: Most of the ‘Poor’ in the U.S. Are Not Poor for Long," csmonitor.com, May 22, 2006)

In this piece, George B. Weathersby, CEO of Genesys Solutions, LLC, points out that Census Bureau data show that most people who are poor in America in a given year are poor for an average of fewer than 5 months. This contrasts with conventional wisdom, which suggests that the "poor" in America are made up of a large and persistent group of people left out of the economic success of the nation. A 1998 Census Bureau report that carefully studied a sample of individuals, who were poor between October 1992 and 1995, found that in 1994, 6.9 million people who were not poor in 1993 became poor. At the same time, 7.6 million people who were poor in 1993 rose out of poverty in 1994. This means that government agencies need to qualify applicants and deliver services within weeks of entering poverty of the public expenditures will be largely irrelevant. Long-term support issues of housing, training, and education may be important to the one-third chronically poor, but not to the two-thirds in transit through poverty. Weathersby calls for a war on poverty on at least two fronts: "First is the quick response, transactional battle of month to month for those at the edge of poverty to sustain or regain employment and family stability [leveraging] their own substantial family and financial momentum. The second is for the chronic poor, where there is a different strategy of long-term support and gradual transition."

http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0522/p09s02-coop.html

7. Opinion: Homeless Census Misses Rural People and Families With Children

("Understanding poverty and homelessness in America," csmonitor.com, May 22, 2006)

In this opinion piece, Gerry Roll, executive director of the Hazard Perry County Community Ministries in Hazard, Kentucky, points out shortcomings with the 2006 "Street Count," an annual census of homeless people in major U.S. cities. While the census found decreased rates of homelessness in major metropolitan areas such as Miami, Dallas and Denver, Roll says that people who live in rural America and families with children were not counted at all. Roll cites different definitions of homelessness by different federal government agencies as part of the reason that the census covers such a narrow spectrum of who is homeless. For example, families with children not in the streets but who double-up, or even triple-up, with other families, or frequently move between multiple locations, may be considered homeless by local school districts, but not by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. According to the U.S. Conference of Mayors, families with children make up the fastest-growing segment of the homeless population. "At least 3.5 million persons are likely to experience homelessness during a year in the United States and 40 percent of them will be children. None of these children got counted this year, either."

http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0522/p09s01-coop.html

8. Homeless Immigrant Population Growing

("L.A.’s Skid Row Immigrant Population Grows," seattlepi.nwsource.com, May 21, 2006)

On Los Angeles’ Skid Row, a growing number of immigrants live among the estimated 14,000 homeless people in the area. Mainly from Mexico and Central America, they generally do not use free meals and beds offered by area service providers because of language barriers and a fear of violence. They also are less likely to be addicted to drugs or mentally disturbed. "The vast majority are looking for work, and they are decent people," says Rev. Richard Estrada, executive director of Jovenes Inc. Though there is no official count, like the population of immigrants nationally, the homeless immigrant population is growing, according to people who interact with and serve them.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1110AP_Skid_Row_Immigrants.html

9. Study Shows That 75 Percent of Homeless Families in L.A. Can’t Get Beds on a Typical Night

("Homeless Families Find Little Shelter, Study Says," latimes.com, May 20, 2006)

A report released by the Union Rescue Mission and the nonprofit Shelter Partnership, Inc. found that, of 8,200 homeless families in Los Angeles, only about 1,980, or less than a quarter of the total, can find beds at emergency shelters on any given night. Also, those that find beds are staying longer because of the high cost of rent. Family homelessness is expected to increase because wages and benefits are not keeping pace with the increasing cost of housing. Advocates for the poor and city officials are calling for more transitional housing for families with specialized needs, affordable housing and short-term rental assistance. The study was based on a survey of 47 county agencies that operate shelters and transitional housing.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-report20may20,1,3288326.story

10. Delaware: Food Bank, State Officials Urge Low-Income Families to Participate in Summer Feeding Programs

("Groups Look to Feed Needy Children," delawareonline.com, May 24, 2006)

Volunteers at the Food Bank of Delaware are busy preparing for this year’s Summer Food Service Program, which can help break the annual summer cycle of poor nutrition and hunger among low-income children. Free meals can also bring some relief to family budgets stretched thin by high gas prices, medical care and other expenses. "It may seem early, but parents can register now," said Sarah Forbes of the Food Bank of Delaware. In Delaware, only 23 percent of the 45,000 children who receive free and reduced-price school lunches during the school year participated in summer feeding programs last summer. However, Delaware does reach more children than the national average, which is 20 percent. Active outreach work by the Education Department and involved agencies, as well as Delaware’s "manageable size," is credited with increasing participation from about 8,000 children in recent summers to 9,500 last year. For many participating children, according to the Food Research and Action Center, summer lunches are the only consistently nutritious meals they receive when school is out. And, they point out, children suffering long-term hunger or poor nutrition are likely to remain in poverty, do worse in school, and have poorer health.

http://tinyurl.com/m6btz

11. Colorado: Benefits System Causes Backlog of Public Assistance Applications

("Benefits System Forces Mesa County to Hire 9 Additional Employees," gjsentinel.com, May 23, 2006)

Operation of the Colorado Benefits Management System, which was intended to provide one-stop shopping for food stamps, Medicaid, TANF and other programs, is forcing counties to pay to hire additional employees, in part to deal with the increased amount of time it now takes to fill out applications. Completing an application used to take 15 minutes, now it can take as long as two hours. Also, the backlog of applications is growing steadily. A state audit of the $200 million system found that it had an error rate that could require Colorado to reimburse the federal government as much as $10 million. And now, Mesa County commission chairman Tillie Bishop said, "The local taxpayer has paid for a state program that didn’t work."

http://tinyurl.com/nh473

12. Editorial: Careful Consideration of Indiana Plan to Privatize Application Process Needed

("Roob and FSSA Must Get it Right," southbendtribune.com, May 24, 2006)

This editorial urges Indiana officials at the Family and Social Services Administration to allow for more public input as they move forward plans to privatize the application process for government assistance programs such as food stamps, TANF and Medicaid. About 1 million people in Indiana receive services administered by the FSSA. The editorial says that the decision whether to privatize the process, and whether either of the two bidding companies is right for the job, "must be made judiciously and correctly. Anything less would be reckless." By July 5th, FSSA Secretary Mitch Roob plans to award a private contract worth $1 billion over ten years to an out-of-state private company, which would replace 2,000 experienced state workers. In Roob’s pursuit of streamlining the FSSA through privatization critics say that the FSSA has inadvertently made services harder to get. During a recent three month period the percentage of Indiana households mistakenly denied food stamps rose by 25 percent. "We aren’t just talking about statistics. We’re talking about a lot of hungry people," writes the Tribune.

http://tinyurl.com/p268d

("The Other Mothers," nytimes.com, May 14, 2006)

In New York City, 57.8 percent of single mothers with no more than a high school education worked last year, up from 40 percent in 1996. They face huge strains in balancing work and family. According to a survey by the Community Service Society, a nonprofit group that fights poverty, more than 50 percent of working mothers living on less than $32,000 for a family of three were not entitled to a single day of paid sick leave. Almost two-thirds did not have any paid vacation leave, and 80 percent did not receive employee health benefits for themselves or their children. In addition, 37 percent of survey respondents skipped necessary medical attention in the past year, 43 percent had to rely on food pantries, and 42 percent fell behind in rent. Existing benefits like food stamps and the Earned Income Tax Credit could do much more to help these mothers. More than 700,000 eligible New Yorkers do not receive food stamp benefits to which they are entitled. The working poor have a particularly tough time taking advantage of these benefits because they cannot take time off from work to apply. The city has promised to use federal funds for online applications and outreach campaigns, which would help. At the federal level, the proposed Healthy Families Act, which would guarantee seven days paid sick leave to full-time workers and prorated benefits to part-timers would be a step forward. Also, New York should follow the lead set by California, which in 2004 became the first state to provide paid leave to care for a new child, one’s own serious illness or that of a family member. A nation that promotes work as the path out of poverty should make an effort to pave the road and make the journey smoother.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/14/opinion/14CIgotbaum.html [free registration required]

14. California: Battle of Two Minimum Wage Proposals, Governor’s Lacks Cost-of-Living Indexing

("End Run on Minimum Wage Issue," sacbee.com, May 19, 2006)

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger asked the dormant Industrial Welfare Commission-a state agency de-funded two years ago--to approve his proposed $1 minimum wage hike. His request came after the state Senate’s Labor Committee stalled the increase because it didn’t also include an indexing formula that would link automatic future increases to the cost of living. The dormant commission still retains the power to put the Governor’s plan into action and may vote on the issue within the next 120 days. Gov. Schwarzenegger requested the increase saying "the current minimum wage is inadequate-it has been substantially outpaced by the rising cost of living for minimum wage earners." Last year, when the Legislature passed a minimum wage hike that included the indexing formula, the Governor vetoed it. Advocates of the indexing formula worry that if the Governor’s plan goes through, it may be the last pay raise for minimum wage earners for years.

http://tinyurl.com/qcvzv

15. California: Ventura Creates Living Wage--$12.50 an Hour, $9.75 an Hour With Benefits

("Ventura Passes a Living Wage Ordinance," latimes.com, May 17, 2006)

The Ventura City Council has joined more than 100 cities around the United States in adopting a living wage ordinance, primarily for companies that contract with the city. The measure raises the minimum wage to $12.50 an hour for those without health benefits and $9.75 for those with benefits. A generation ago, anyone who worked hard at a full-time job could afford to pay rent, food and other living expenses. "That’s no longer true," said Councilman Bill Fulton. Advocates for the poor previously were not able to get a similar law passed by the council. This time, the city council voted unanimously to pass the law, partly because of negotiations between members of the Chamber of Commerce and The Ventura County Living Wage Coalition. Before the meeting, the Coalition had gathered enough signatures to put a more generous wage increase in a ballot proposal for the fall elections. Also, the ordinance exempts nonprofit groups.

http://tinyurl.com/prnpz

16. Kentucky Schools Work on Guidelines for Nutrition and Nutrition Education

("Students Give New Menus Mixed Reviews," courierpress.com, May 14, 2006)

While some donut-chomping students at Henderson County High School are still offering negative reviews of new, healthier food guidelines at their school, others think the enforcement of new rules is positive, and Shelia Redmon, director of Nutrition and Childcare Services for the school district, hopes to expand those policies. Her latest policy for the school board to consider would limit the amount of birthday parties (where parents typically bring sugary snacks) and give children healthy snacks in the classroom. "I really feel like Kentucky is a leader in the nation on their restrictions on food sales ... in dealing with obesity in children and early diabetes," she says. "There really has to be a change in eating habits, and they are starting with the schools." Also, the plan is for the district to provide information to parents to teach their children about health and nutrition. The new policies will be reviewed and renewed each year, and schools will be encouraged to come up with their own subcommittees to incorporate the requirements into individual school policy.

http://tinyurl.com/r5g33

17. New Hampshire: State Lawmakers Increase Work Requirements for TANF Recipients

("Welfare Reform Goes to Final Vote," seacoastonline.com, May 23, 2006)

New Hampshire legislators are working to adopt stricter work requirements for TANF. New federal rules, which are part of the Deficit Reduction Act, state that 50 percent of TANF recipients must have jobs or job training for 30 hours per week. Currently, 32 percent, or roughly 1,050 people receiving TANF in the state, meet the new federal work requirements. Among proposals to meet the higher goal, officials are revising the TANF program by adding pregnant women and women whose babies reach age 1 to the list of people who must meet work requirements. The state will spend additional funds on transportation and child care.

http://www.seacoastonline.com/news/05202006/news/103771.htm

18. Montana Launches Project to Teach Low-Income People to Become Financially Literate

("Project Aims to Ease State Poverty," greatfallstribune.com, May 18, 2006)

The Human and Community Services Division of the Montana Department of Health and Human Services announced a $1.5 million project to help low-income families on public assistance programs learn how to become financially literate. The project will teach families about finances, credit options, predatory lending, the benefits of savings accounts, how to open a new business, and, possibly, homeownership. The agency indicated it was still feeling its way in the project. "We’ve set out the parameters and expectations," said Hank Hudson, administrator of the Human and Community Services Division, "and now we want to hear ideas of how this would work."

http://tinyurl.com/nmku7

For the next 2 weeks, Ben Winter (a former Digest editor), will be filling in while Olga Doty is on vacation.