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. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns Observes National Hunger Awareness Day, June 6th
2. News Articles from Summer Food Service Week, June 4-10, 2006
3. America's Second Harvest Hosts National Hunger Symposium in Washington, D.C.
4. Op-Ed: Congress and the President Need to Strengthen Safety Net Nutrition Programs
5. Bush Administration Proposes Cutting Census Bureau's Survey of Income and Program Participation
6. Editorial: Misery Caused by Katrina Deepens; Food Stamp Participation Grows
7. Low-Income Floridians Cannot Afford Expensive Supplies for Hurricane Season
8. Active Hunger Awareness Day in Pennsylvania; Food Stamp Access Considered
9. Pennsylvania: Large Number of Low-Income Seniors Rely on Food Stamps, Pantries to Stretch Social Security Check
10. Los Angeles: Growing Demand, Lack of Food Strain Emergency Food System
11. Montgomery, Ala., to Maintain Breakfast in All Schools This Fall
12. Crisis of Public Benefit Computer System in Colorado Leaves People Without Food Stamps
13. New York City Council Speaker and George McGovern Talk School Breakfast on Hunger Awareness Day
14. Texas Suffers From Highest Rate of Food Insecurity in the Nation
15. Editorial: Large Increase in Minnesota Food Shelf Use “a Sign of Trouble”
16. California Sees Increased Need for Food Assistance
17. West Virginia: State Board of Education Recommends Guidelines for Wellness Policies
18. Pennsylvania: Local School Boards Adopt Wellness Policies, Add Healthy Snacks
19. California: Los Angeles Launches Website to Help Residents Apply for Public Assistance Programs
20. Editorial: Indiana Officials Slow Push to Privatize Social Services Administration, As They Should
21. Oklahoma: Governor Signs Farm-to-School Act
22. Brother and Sister Fire Chiefs Succeed in Career Overcoming Rough Childhood
23. Wisconsin: Increased Minimum Wage Still Leaves Many Workers Behind
24. Free Healthy Cooking Demonstrations and Nutrition Education Offered by Utah State University

1. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns Observes National Hunger Awareness Day, June 6th

("Johanns Lauds Efforts to Combat Hunger," usda.gov, June 6, 2006)

Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns recognized the observance of National Hunger Awareness Day on June 6th. "Improving access to nutrition assistance continues to be a major priority for President Bush and for the Department of Agriculture," said Johanns. "Ending hunger in America will take the combined efforts of all of us - federal, state, and local governments, along with the valued work of non-profit organizations and private individuals." The national nutrition safety net administered by the USDA includes 15 food assistance programs. More people were served in the major nutrition programs in Fiscal Year 2005 than in the previous fiscal year. The cornerstone is the Food Stamp Program, which served in 2005 a monthly average of nearly 26 million people. Over half of all Food Stamp participants are children. USDA nutrition assistance programs touch the lives of one in every five Americans.

http://tinyurl.com/rkkty

2. News Articles from Summer Food Service Week, June 4-10, 2006

(FRAC, frac.org, June 2006)

See an index of recent newspaper articles:

http://www.frac.org/Press_Release/06.12.06.html

3. America's Second Harvest Hosts National Hunger Symposium in Washington, D.C.

("Government, Industry, Faith Leaders Urge Help for Hungry Americans; National Hunger Awareness Day Brings Communities Together,” news.yahoo.com, June 5, 2006)

On National Hunger Awareness Day, leaders from the federal government, anti-hunger community, agriculture sector, conservation groups, food industry and faith community gathered in Washington, D.C. for a National Hunger Symposium to discuss the nation’s hunger crisis and help chart a course for the reauthorization of the Farm Bill expected in 2007. "It is a disgrace that everyday millions of hard working Americans are forced to make a decision between food and basic necessities like utilities, rent or medicine. The problem is being exacerbated by skyrocketing healthcare costs and gasoline prices," said Vicki Escarra, president and CEO of the America's Second Harvest – the Nation’s Food Bank Network. America's Second Harvest hosted the National Hunger Symposium along with other hunger-relief organizations, bringing together leaders such as USDA Undersecretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services Eric Bost, Reverend Jim Wallis, president of Call to Renewal, Ambassador Tony Hall and Senator George McGovern.

http://tinyurl.com/mwqyg

4. Op-Ed: Congress and the President Need to Strengthen Safety Net Nutrition Programs

("D'Amato: Raising Hunger Awareness in Massachusetts,” metrowestdailynews.com, June 4, 2006)

Catherine D'Amato, president and CEO of The Greater Boston Food Bank, points to the findings of "Hunger in Eastern Massachusetts 2006," a quadrennial study of hunger released in March. The study showed that the Greater Boston Food Bank and its 618 member agencies serve more than 320,000 people annually – a 14 percent jump from four years ago and double the 1997 figure. This growth rate outpaced the national average. The study also documented who used the food bank's services, typically the working poor. "Hunger is solvable. However, the solution requires federal, state and private sector actions. Nearly 40 percent of the people we serve receive food stamps, which provide about 2 1/2 weeks worth of food. Through the USDA, The Greater Boston Food Bank receives surplus foods. Congress and the president need to strengthen these and other federal safety net nutrition programs included in the upcoming 2007 'Farm Bill.'"

http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/columnists/view.bg?articleid=131890&format=text

5. Bush Administration Proposes Cutting Census Bureau's Survey of Income and Program Participation

("Democrats Try to Save Poverty Survey," seattlepi.nwsource.com, June 8, 2006)

With the Census Bureau's 2007 budget under consideration in a House committee, proposals for cutting spending include eliminating the Survey of Income and Program Participation. The survey repeatedly questions thousands of people over time about how income changes affect their poverty status, health coverage and use of government services. Supporters say the 22-year-old survey has been crucial for measuring the effects of welfare changes, unemployment insurance, food stamps and other services. Census Bureau officials say they plan to eventually replace the survey with one that uses a variety of government records to track income and poverty. Howard Hogan, the Census Bureau's associate director for demographic programs, said the agency hopes to have a replacement survey operating by 2009 and said it would have been better to continue the old survey while a new one was developed. The Survey of Income and Program Participation costs $32 million this year.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1153AP_Census_Budget.html

6. Editorial: Misery Caused by Katrina Deepens; Food Stamp Participation Grows

(“Census: Katrina Blew Residents to Four Winds,” clarionledger.com, June 8, 2006)

“The U.S. Census Bureau has now confirmed what folks in Mississippi’s Gulf Coast region already knew: Hurricane Katrina blew residents to the four winds,” writes The Clarion-Ledger in Jackson, Miss. The bureau reports the Mississippi Gulf Coast lost 50,000 residents. The population of New Orleans (Orleans Parish) dropped from 437,000 to 158,300. “The proportion of people receiving food stamps in Harrison, Hancock and Jackson counties increased from 8 percent to 36.4 percent - painting a picture of economic devastation,” The Clarion-Ledger writes. “This portrait of misery is deepened by news this week that unemployment benefits are running out for those left behind.”

http://tinyurl.com/q676k

7. Low-Income Floridians Cannot Afford Expensive Supplies for Hurricane Season

(“Poverty Keeps Many From Preparing for Storm Season,” miami.com, May 31, 2006)

Nelida Andrade, 68, and Milagros Ferreras, 73, from South Miami have just a few candles and a little bit of canned food for the coming storm season. Katrina and Wilma already damaged their home last year, but Andrade’s income of $6,300 a year in Social Security is not enough to pay $20,000 to fix the roof damaged by last year’s hurricanes. Dozens of buckets catch leaks. Andrade and Ferreras do not own a refrigerator and every 2 days have to spend money on ice to put with perishable food in a small chest. They chuckled when asked about their readiness for summer hurricanes and said they “are almost on the verge of having a nervous breakdown.” Many of South Florida’s low-income residents cannot afford supplies such as generators, flashlights, batteries and stocks of nonperishable food to prepare for an emergency. “I don’t have the extra money,” said Sheila Tobias, 39, a Miramar mother of two and a substitute school bus driver who makes $9 an hour. “I have to take care of the kids, take care of school clothes. That’s all the money I have.” More than 28 percent of Miami residents live below the poverty level. Social service and government agencies are prepackaging thousands of meals for distribution right after a storm, but acknowledge the potential need exceeds resources.

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/14702058.htm

8. Active Hunger Awareness Day in Pennsylvania, Food Stamp Access Considered

("Pennsylvania Governor Rendell Announces Joint Effort to Improve Food Stamp Program," biz.yahoo.com, June 6, 2006)

The Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger released the results of its Food Stamp Enrollment Campaign, "Making Food Stamps Work." The Food Stamp Enrollment Campaign used students and faith-based and community volunteers to screen low-income people for potential eligibility for food stamps and to help them apply for benefits. During the first 18 months of the campaign, 2,000 clients successfully enrolled in the food stamp program, bringing an additional $3.2 million in federal funds into low-income Philadelphia neighborhoods, which generated an estimated $5.9 million boost for local businesses. However, campaign data indicate that only 53 percent of potentially eligible clients are succeeding in applying for the food stamp program, and only 40 percent successfully enroll. Governor Edward G. Rendell highlighted new rules adopted by the Department of Public Welfare that, in part, eliminate the face-to-face interview process for people applying for food stamps. Now, more elderly, disabled and low-wage workers may complete the application process by telephone. Also, DPW has joined with the Social Security Administration to improve access to food stamps for low-income elderly or people with disabilities. The Pennsylvania Combined Application Project will enable eligible Supplemental Security Income (SSI) applicants to apply, and be evaluated, for food stamps at the same time they are interviewed by Social Security. "It's important that people know where to go in a time of crisis and that they will get help as quickly as possible," Governor Rendell said.

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060606/phtu028.html

Also see http://www.hungercoalition.org/download/06foodstampreport.pdf (The Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger report, "Making Food Stamps Work")

9. Pennsylvania: Large Number of Low-Income Seniors Rely on Food Stamps, Pantries to Stretch Social Security Check

("Retired Seniors Find Little Security," pittsburghlive.com, June 5, 2006)

For 7.7 million Americans over the age of 65 who do not receive pensions or have savings, Social Security is their sole source of income. That number includes 396,000 Pennsylvanians, many of whom have been hit hard by rising energy bills, and some of whom are participating in the Food Stamp Program to make ends meet. In Pennsylvania, 58,598 seniors received food stamps in February 2006, up from 54,165 in 2004. Carmel Coffee, 86, says “without food stamps, I wouldn’t be able to manage.” Joni Rabinowitz of Just Harvest says senior food stamp participation in Alleghany County has increased steadily over the last two years. "The bottom third of households just don't have anything else," said Alicia Munnell, director of the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. "That's so hard to envision. You really wonder how these people make ends meet." Joyce Rothermel, CEO of the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, says that “at the end of their lives, this is what they have to look forward to.” In addition to utilizing food stamps, some 3 million seniors nationally are turning to food banks to help stretch their budgets, said America’s Second Harvest. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, one in five low-income households with elderly members had difficulty affording food in 2004.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_456716.html

10. Los Angeles: Growing Demand, Lack of Food Strain Emergency Food System

("New Report Details County's High Hunger Levels," cbs2.com, June 6, 2006)

The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank estimates that 957,000 Los Angeles County residents seek assistance from food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters each year. The report, "Hunger in Los Angeles County 2006," finds that one-third of food bank clients are working-age adults with jobs, and one-third have a college or technical school education. Also, 31 percent of food pantries and 49 percent of shelters turned clients away in the past year, and at least 20 percent of food pantries report a reduction in the quality of food offered because of a lack of food. On average, a one-month allotment of food stamps lasts for 2 1/2 weeks, according to the Food Bank.

http://cbs2.com/local/local_story_157071811.html

11. Montgomery, Ala., to Maintain Breakfast in All Schools This Fall

(“School Breakfast to Return,” montgomeryadvertiser.com, June 5, 2005)

The breakfast program in Montgomery, Ala., public schools will reach all schools again this fall. One year after the district began offering breakfast in all 59 of its schools (previously it was limited to 36 schools), 23 percent of the 32,000 students ate a daily breakfast. “This a great beginning for our breakfast program,” said Tom Salter, spokesman for Montgomery Public Schools. “There is an incredible amount of research that shows that students who eat a good breakfast are more alert throughout the day. Research has also shown that breakfast has a positive effect on learning.” District officials wanted to expand the breakfast program to all schools so all students, especially those from low-income families, would have access to a healthy meal every morning. Of the nearly 1.3 million breakfasts served, 89 percent went to students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals. Breakfast was more popular in elementary and middle schools. But even at the high school level breakfast became significantly more popular as the year progressed. Oliver, a rising high school senior, said “a lot of my friends began eating breakfast at school and it gave us a chance to talk before classes began.”

http://tinyurl.com/phbyb

12. Crisis of Public Benefit Computer System in Colorado Leaves People Without Food Stamps

(“Food Stamps Reinstated After CBS4 Investigation,” cbs4denver.com, June 7, 2006)

TV channel CBS4 in Denver, Colo., investigated the continued problems of the state’s public benefit computer system, and helped one woman get her food stamps reinstated within hours. Mary Crook, who has multiple sclerosis and cannot work, had been a victim of a paper trail mix-up and computer crisis that left her and her family without food. Now “we don’t have to worry from day to day what we are going to eat,” Crook said. “You open the refrigerator and go ‘wow, there’s food.’” Eighteen months after the state installed a $200 million system, people still are having difficulty getting their benefits. The investigation found at least 2,000 cases two weeks ago that left food stamp recipients without food. According to CBS4, a computer upgrade froze the food stamp cases and added countless hours of additional work for case workers. Denver County said social workers were already overloaded with an average of 800 cases per employee.

http://cbs4denver.com/topstories/local_story_159002844.html

13. New York City Council Speaker and George McGovern Talk School Breakfast on Hunger Awareness Day

(“Breakfast with George McGovern,” villagevoice.com, June 6, 2006)

Former Democratic Presidential nominee and Senator George McGovern had breakfast with New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn on Hunger Awareness Day in an effort to increase awareness about underused programs like school breakfast, summer meals, and food stamps. Quinn is committed to reducing the number of hungry New Yorkers by more than half in the next four years. The 600,000 city residents eligible for but not receiving food stamps represent “a billion dollars we’re leaving on the table in Washington,” Quinn said. Council members joined McGovern on the City Hall steps to be photographed next to a colorful poster illustrating the low participation in school breakfast (17 percent) and summer lunch (14 percent) programs.

http://www.villagevoice.com/blogs/powerplays/archives/002664.php

14. Texas Suffers From Highest Rate of Food Insecurity in the Nation

("Texas Hunger Awareness," texascivilrightsreview.org, June 6, 2006)

On Hunger Awareness Day, the Texas Center for Public Policy Priorities points out that Texas has the highest rate of food insecurity in the nation, with 16.4 percent of households at risk for hunger and 4.9 percent of households experiencing hunger – well above the national averages of 11.4 percent food insecure and 3.6 percent hungry. Summers are especially challenging, when children no longer have access to free and reduced-price school meals as they do during the school year. Research shows that requests for emergency food from families with children soar during the summer months when school is out and energy bills are high. In Texas, 60 percent of all children enrolled in public school are eligible for free or reduced-price meals due to their families’ limited income. Yet of these 2.4 million children, less than 10 percent are served by the summer food program each day. A combination of factors contributes to low participation, including lack of awareness, lack of transportation, and the fact that most summer food sites are located at schools, which generally shut down in late June or mid-July.

http://texascivilrightsreview.org/phpnuke/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=525

15. Editorial: Large Increase in Minnesota Food Shelf Use “a Sign of Trouble”

(“Food Shelf Use a Sign of Trouble,” mankatofreepress.com, June 7, 2006)

A recent report on food shelf use by Hunger Solutions Minnesota showed a large and unexpected increase in the wealthy Twin Cities suburbs, writes The Free Press in Mankato, Minn. Residents of Eden Prairie, Minnetonka and Golden Valley are visiting food shelves in record numbers. Over five years, food shelf visits in Eden Prairie more than quadrupled from about 1,500 in 2000 to 10,000 last year. A study of western metropolitan area food shelf recipients indicated that, while wages have increased a total of about 12 percent during the last five years, rents have grown 20 percent. The use of food shelves in Minneapolis remained the same.

http://www.mankatofreepress.com/editorials/local_story_158002737.html

16. California Sees Increased Need for Food Assistance

(“Hunger No Stranger in This Area,” dailynews.com, June 6, 2006)

Belinda Crawford, executive director of the Santa Clarita ( Calif.) Valley Food Pantry, reports that the pantry distributed 60 percent more food every day in the first quarter of 2006 compared to 2005. Crawford attributes the added demand for emergency food to high gasoline prices that strain family budgets. In Los Angeles County, 957,000 people are food insecure, according to spokesman for the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank Darren Hoffman. More people are applying for food stamps and social services, reported Lupe Lopez of the Los Angeles County Department of Community and Senior Services. She said twenty-eight percent more clients visited the agency’s emergency food pantry in May than in April. “We’re starting to see more people who were making it on their own without using any public services - the low-income and low-middle-income person who was just eking by,” commented Lopez. “Some families - to keep a roof over their heads - are starting to go without food.”

http://www.dailynews.com/santaclarita/ci_3902710

17. West Virginia: State Board of Education Recommends Guidelines for Wellness Policies

(“W.Va. Board of Education Takes Steps to Improve Student Wellness,” register-herald.com, June 3, 2006)

The West Virginia Board of Education has recommended guidelines for counties to use in developing school wellness policies and issued a position statement placing a priority on good health and reducing childhood obesity in West Virginia. The guidelines help the state meet the requirements of the Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act of 2004 for schools that participate in federal school meal programs. In general, children who eat breakfast and lunch at school consume twice as many servings of fruits, vegetables and milk than those who do not participate in school programs. They also drink one-fourth the number of soft drinks and skip fewer meals. Washington Lands Elementary in Marshall County has agreed to become a model school this fall by adopting a comprehensive program that incorporates health and wellness in every subject, said Debbie Schrader, the county’s child nutrition director. Plays and musical programs will have health and wellness themes, essay contests will promote exercise and nutrition, and math classes will use fruits and vegetables to teach counting. The county banned homemade goods in an effort to control junk food brought to school. Instead, school officials encourage parents to send granola bars and other healthy snacks. They also have eliminated vending machines from elementary schools and doughnuts from staff meetings. At Parkersburg South High School a hallway breakfast cart loaded with food-on-the-go offerings, including fruit juices, breakfast burritos, bagels and whole wheat doughnuts was added this year, recognizing that eating breakfast helps students think more clearly.

http://www.register-herald.com/features/local_story_154222337.html

18. Pennsylvania: Local School Boards Adopt Wellness Policies, Add Healthy Snacks

("Snacks Get Smarter," post-gazette.com, June 8, 2006)

In Pittsburgh area school districts, policies geared to healthier eating and increased exercise for students are being implemented in response to the Child Nutrition and Reauthorization Act of 2004, which requires schools to create and adopt wellness policies. The requirement applies to all public and private schools that participate in the National School Lunch or National School Breakfast program. Districts must form a wellness committee of school board members and administrators, a district food service representative, parents, students and community members. The committee is supposed to help develop the district's policy, and someone within the district must be designated to monitor the district's compliance with its policy. In North Allegheny, students have been posting notes on soft drink machines asking for more sports drinks, bottled water and other healthier beverages, according to Lynn Kovacic, director of special education and pupil services there. In North Hills, standard meals now include salad or fresh fruit. In general, as demand for healthier foods has grown, companies have been offering more choices, food service director Gerry Galat said.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06159/696421-54.stm

19. California: Los Angeles Launches Website to Help Residents Apply for Public Assistance Programs

("Web Site Assists With Health Services," dailybulletin.com, June 4, 2006)

Los Angeles County has launched a website to help residents get assistance with government services, including: CalWORKS, child-support services, food stamps, family preservation program and Medi-Cal, Health Families and Healthy Kids. The website is available in English and Spanish and will include program descriptions, instructions on how to apply for services and contacts for applications.

http://www.dailybulletin.com/news/ci_3896787

Also see http://www.lacountyhelps.org (LACountyHelps! website)

20. Editorial: Indiana Officials Slow Push to Privatize Social Services Administration, As They Should

("Slowing the Privatization Train," fortwayne.com, May 27, 2006)

The Journal-Gazette editors point to the slowdown of the privatization of the state Family and Social Services Administration's entire eligibility operation as a good sign. After reports from Texas and other states of problems with Accenture and IBM, the private firms which are bidding for the Indiana contract, and questions about FSSA Secretary Mitch Roob's prior relationship with ACS, one of the bidding partners with IBM, officials have decided to take more time in naming a vendor. The previous deadline had been July 5th. "This is such a big contract, we want to make sure we do it exactly right," FSSA spokesperson Dennis Rosebrough said. "Shouldn’t that go without saying? With the well-being of hundreds of thousands of poor Hoosiers and $1 billion in state money on the line, patience is not so much a virtue as a necessity," reads the editorial.

http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/journalgazette/news/editorial/14682283.htm

21. Oklahoma: Governor Signs Farm-to-School Act

("Program links farms, schools," tulsaworld.com, June 8, 2006)

Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry signed the Farm-to-School Program Act, which aims to get more Oklahoma-grown fruits and vegetables into the state's schools. The program also calls for hands-on lessons like field trips to farms, cooking demonstrations, and school gardening and composting projects. The statewide program follows a successful pilot project started in 2004. Supporters of the program hope it will lead to better eating habits in children and more income for beleaguered family farms. Oklahoma residents rank last in the nation in the number of servings of fruits and vegetables they consume, the Oklahoma Food Policy Council says. "It will be wonderful to have the kids understand where their food comes from, and eat more fruit and vegetables," said Anne Roberts, executive director of the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy and legislative chairwoman of the Oklahoma Fit Kids Coalition. A statewide, full-time director will be hired to manage day-to-day tasks, seek grants and help farmers and school districts communicate.

http://www.tulsaworld.com/BusinessStory.asp?ID=060608_Bu_E1_Progr24534

22. Brother and Sister Fire Chiefs Succeed in Career Overcoming Rough Childhood

(“Fire Chiefs Have Special Family Bond,” chron.com, May 29, 2006)

Clare Frank and Mark Bisbee of San Jose, Calif., are like most brothers and sisters, except that both are fire chiefs and built their careers in spite of a rough childhood of moving from city to city and sometimes living in hotels and trailers. Their father had never held a job for long, and the family often survived on welfare and food stamps. Now Bisbee, 43, is the head of Watsonville’s fire department. Frank, 41, supervises the fire department in Milpitas and is the first woman fire chief in Santa Clara County.

http://tinyurl.com/jw99s (the electronic article is available in Google's cache only)

23. Wisconsin: Increased Minimum Wage Still Leaves Many Workers Behind

(“Today, 200,000 People Got a Raise,” madison.com, May 31, 2006)

Wisconsin increased the state’s minimum wage to $6.50 an hour, up from the $5.70 mark a year ago, in compliance with a June 1, 2005 state law that stipulated a two-step increase. The increased wage is $1.35 more than the $5.15 federal minimum wage, which has not risen since 1997. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Wisconsin is one of 18 states whose minimum wage is higher than the federal minimum wage. “From our point of view, it’s all positive,” said Rose Lynch, spokeswoman for the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development. “Employees who are making a fair wage are happier on their job, and that increases productivity.” Madison Ald. Austin King said the increase is helpful, but does not provide a long-term solution to low-wage workers. The new law will not increase the tipped employee minimum wage. Hayley Spohn, a waitress and student making $2.33 an hour plus tips to pay for rent, food and college expenses, says she has had times where she can’t eat for a day or relies on a friend for food because she runs out of money for groceries.

http://www.madison.com/wsj/mad/top/index.php?ntid=85906&ntpid=1

24. Free Healthy Cooking Demonstrations and Nutrition Education Offered by Utah State University

("Class Tells How to Eat Well on the Cheap," sltrib.com, June 7, 2006)

Thousands of cooking demonstrations are offered each year for families through Utah State University's Food Sense Nutrition Education Program. Utah has the fifth-highest rate of food insecurity in the nation, as measured by the number of people who report not knowing where their next meal will come from. Last year, 112,000 Utahns were food insecure. Another 35,000 experienced hunger at some point during the year. According to Steve Blackman, an advocate for Utahns Against Hunger, many families struggle to purchase and fix nutritious meals. One of the cooking class teachers, Trish Cutler, points out that "in some cases, people lack the education - they've never learned the basics of nutrition." That's where Cutler's passion for "cheap, easy and healthy" cooking pays off. She teaches families how to make the most of food stamps and pantry items. The program, which will send instructors to homes if asked, also offers education about exercise and the nutrition pyramid and reached 30,000 people last year.

http://www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_3907488