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. American Public Health Association Awards FRAC’s Lynn Parker for Outstanding Contributions to Child Nutrition Programs
2. Heating Assistance Associated with Better Nutrition and Health Among Young Children in Poor Families
3. Six States Propose Annual Adjustments to Minimum Wage Increase to Keep Up with Inflation
4. New York City: Improved Access to Food Stamps Is Critical to Efforts of Emergency Food Network
5. Illinois: Chicago Mayor Announced Efforts to Publicize Availability of Food Stamps and Other Benefits to Families of Low-Income Students
6. Op-Ed: Massachusetts State Senator Urges to Increase Access to Nutritious Food for Low-Income Residents
7. California: West Hollywood Kicks Off Anti-Hunger Campaign
8. Texas: Galveston Group Fills Empty Stomachs and Fights Poverty by Enrolling More People in Food Programs
9. New York: Hunger Affects Up To 25 Percent of Tompkins County’s Population
10. Texas: Free Breakfast Program in Nacogdoches Discovers Benefits of Eating in Classroom
11. California: Lack of Transportation Keeps Women Living in Mountains from Participating in WIC
12. Delaware: WIC Proposal Would Help Low-Income Mothers to Buy Fresh Produce for Children
13. Wyoming: Big Horn County Community Leaders Step into Shoes of the Poor
14. Indiana Sends Privatization Contract to Department of Agriculture for Review
15. Texas Failed to Oversee Contract to Manage Public Benefit System, Report Says
16. Kansas: Open House at Hutchinson Social Service Agency Demystifies Services and Programs It Offers to Community
17. Op-Ed – North Carolina: Children’s Law Project Helps When Poverty Follows Students into Classroom

1. American Public Health Association Awards FRAC’s Lynn Parker for Outstanding Contributions to Child Nutrition Programs

(“FRAC Child Nutrition Director Lynn Parker Honored by American Public Health Association with Mary C. Egan Award,” frac.org, November 7, 2006)

Lynn Parker, director of child nutrition for the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC), is this year’s recipient of the Mary C. Egan Award from the American Public Health Association. The Mary C. Egan Award is given to public health nutritionists who have shown imaginative and creative efforts to advance and promote nutrition at the state and national level, with particular attention to programs that improve children’s nutrition. Throughout her career, Parker has focused on the nutrition and health needs of low-income children and families. “We are extraordinarily proud of Lynn Parker and her accomplishments for nearly three decades at FRAC in protecting and improving the nutrition and health of low-income Americans,” said FRAC President Jim Weill.

http://www.frac.org/Press_Release/11.07.06.html

2. Heating Assistance Associated with Better Nutrition and Health Among Young Children in Poor Families

(“Heat or Eat: The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program and Nutritional and Health Risks Among Children Less Than 3 Years of Age,” pediatrics.aappublications.org, November 2006)

A national study conducted by the Children’s Sentinel Nutrition Assessment Project shows that the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) can help protect young children’s growth and health in low-income families that face the “heat or eat” dilemma in the winter months. The study found that LIHEAP seems to reach the most vulnerable families with persistent food insecurity and higher rates of low birth-weight children. Receiving LIHEAP benefits is associated with less evidence of child’s undernutrition and increased overweight. The benefits also lower the odds among young children of hospitalization from an emergency room visit, compared with those of children in similar households that do not receive heating assistance. “Pediatric health providers caring for children from impoverished families should consider encouraging families of these children to apply for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program early in the season before funding [for the program] is depleted,” the study says. “As fuel costs and children’s poverty rates increase, expanding the program to more low-income households with young children might potentially benefit such children’s growth and health, the study recommends. The study appeared in the November issue of Pediatrics.

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/118/5/e1293

Also see http://www.frac.org/pdf/energy_paper05.pdf (FRAC analysis, “Heat and Eat: Using Federal Nutrition Programs to Cushion the Shock of Skyrocketing Heating Bills”)

3. Six States Propose Annual Adjustments to Minimum Wage Increase to Keep Up with Inflation

(“Proposals Link Wages to Inflation,” businessweek.com, November 1, 2006)

A measure to raise the minimum wage in Missouri and five other states includes not only a one-time increase, but also an automatic annual adjustment to keep up with inflation. Business leaders argue that tying wages to the consumer price index could make labor too expensive and result in layoffs, inflation and business closings. Supporters of an inflation-adjusted minimum wage say it helps poor people afford the basics. “The reality is if a gallon of milk 10 years from now is $5 a gallon, then $6.50 an hour is a pretty paltry wage,” said Sara Howard, a spokeswoman for Give Missourians a Raise. Social Security checks are already linking payments to consumer prices. If Missouri, Arizona, Colorado, Montana, Nevada and Ohio pass the measures to raise the minimum wage that were on the ballot last Tuesday, the number of states with minimum wages tied to inflation will reach 10. Voters in Washington were the first to do it in 1998. On Jan. 1, the state’s minimum wage will rise to $7.93 an hour, the highest in the nation. Washington was followed by Oregon (2002), Florida (2004) and Vermont (2005).

http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D8L4EUAG1.htm

4. New York: Improved Access to Food Stamps Is Critical to Efforts of Emergency Food Network in New York City

(“The Emergency Food Chain,” nynp.biz, November 2006)

With the “shocking” need for food, the emergency food network in New York City is growing. In 1980, the city had 20-30 agencies, but today there are over 1,200, according to Joel Berg of the New York City Coalition Against Hunger. “This is the greatest untold story in American social policy, this dramatic growth in a sector that really wasn’t there in 1975,” Berg said. “There are 1.5-1.7 million people living in poverty in New York City …[and] another 1.5 million on the brink of poverty. With that in mind, the fact that 1.2 million New Yorkers sometimes go without food shouldn’t be surprising. Hunger is the canary in the coal mine of poverty,” he explained. For many low-income New Yorkers, food pantries and soup kitchens have become the primary source of nutrition. The emergency food network is trying to look beyond food bags and hot meals into underlying causes of hunger and food insecurity. One of its most critical policy issues is improved access to food stamps. “The Administration has worked to enroll more families. The tragedy of this situation is that many New Yorkers do not sign up because they do not know they are eligible,” reported City Council Speaker Christine Quinn.

http://www.nynp.biz/current/archives/nynparchives/currentmonth.pdf

5. Illinois: Chicago Mayor Announced Efforts to Publicize Availability of Food Stamps and Other Benefits to Families of Low-Income Students

(“Daley Eyes More Downtown Dorms,” chicagotribune.com, October 31, 2006)

Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley announced plans at a news conference at Little Village High School to publicize the availability of food stamps, free and low-cost medical care and other state and federal benefits to low-income families of public elementary- and high-school students. City officials have discovered that nearly 25 percent of low-income students in public schools have no active medical card and at least that many are not enrolled in the food stamp program. Almost 85 percent of 415,000 students qualify for free or reduced-price school meals. Information about available benefits will be distributed to parents and guardians on Nov. 8 and 9 when they come to schools to pick up student report cards.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/custom/newsroom/chi-061031daley,1,7128681.story?coll=chi-news-hed

Also see http://www.wqad.com/Global/story.asp?S=5642160&nav=1sW7 (“Chicago School Officials Urge Parents to Pickup Report Cards,” wqad.com, November 6, 2006)

6. Op-Ed: Massachusetts State Senator Urges to Increase Access to Nutritious Food for Low-Income Residents

(“Addressing Child Hunger in Massachusetts,” townonline.com, November 2, 2006)

“Hunger is a problem present in communities throughout Massachusetts, ranging from poor to middle class, from individuals to families. Thousands of families experience hunger because they cannot afford adequate food,” writes Massachusetts State Sen. Richard Tisei in the Wakefield ( Mass.) Observer. One in three children from low-income communities lives in a family that is unable to meet basic food needs, points out the senator. Tisei highlighted the efforts of Project Bread, which “has done an excellent job in attempting to better utilize federal nutrition programs as a consistent resource to address hunger locally.” But, he agrees with Project Bread’s findings that Massachusetts is missing the opportunity to capture millions more of federal dollars through food stamps, school breakfast and summer food programs. “Universal Breakfast programs have been successful in allowing more children to eat school breakfast each day leading to a better learning environment,” writes Tisei. The Summer Food Service Program also is important because “children should have access to nutritious meals all year long and not just part of the year” when schools are in service. “Food pantries are not intended to consistently make up for chronic food shortages in low-income households but rather should be preserved for emergency situations,” argues the senator. “We need to look at new ways to increase access to nutritious food for the tens of thousands of Massachusetts residents in need of assistance.”

http://www2.townonline.com/wakefield/opinion/view.bg?articleid=605708

7. California: West Hollywood Kicks Off Anti-Hunger Campaign

(“West Hollywood Launches Campaign to End Hunger,” abclocal.go.com, November 6, 2006)

City Council members and community leaders in West Hollywood, Calif., kicked off the “Campaign to End Hunger and Food Insecurity,” an anti-hunger initiative that aims to connect food banks and other community groups working to end hunger. The campaign will help residents enroll in food stamp and school meal programs that provide access to nutritious food. Components of the campaign include working with the L.A. County Department of Public Social Services and school principals to ensure that all eligible children and adults receive food benefits as well as developing a plan to provide summer meals to children receiving subsidized school meals during the school year. They also plan to partner with local residents and businesses to expand the capacity of food banks and other local agencies that administer feeding programs.

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=local&id=4732822

8. Texas: Galveston Group Fills Empty Stomachs and Fights Poverty by Enrolling More People in Food Programs

("The Jesse Tree Looks to Expand,” news.galvestondailynews.com, November 6, 2006)

Since 2001, the nonprofit group The Jesse Tree has provided food and other services to low-income residents of Galveston County, Texas. It expanded to Texas City and Bolivar Peninsula and has plans to extend their programs to Brazoria County in 2007. “Most areas in the county don’t have access to transportation. We decided that we needed to bring the food to them,” said Ted Hanley, executive director. The group also encourages clients to enroll in social programs seen as tools for breaking the poverty cycle. “Poverty is a chronic, generational issue,” Hanley said. “It takes intervention, outreach and education to break a cycle like that.” Hanley said Galveston missed out on more than $11 million worth of food stamps in 2005 because no one applied for them. The WIC program fails to reach 35 percent of eligible mothers. In addition to efforts to increase food program enrollment, the group motivates people to break out of poverty. “Food is not the only issue,” Hanley said. “There are systemic problems at hand, ones that can only benefit from systemic change.” For November, the group has vision screenings, HIV screenings, diabetes education classes, flu shots, food stamp program enrollment and food fairs. The group gives special Jesse Tree dollars to people who attend health or social service classes so they can use the “money” to buy items, such as a toaster or a winter coat.

http://news.galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=eb5dd027a1b311c0

9. New York: Hunger Affects Up To 25 Percent of Tompkins County’s Population

(“Help Fight Hunger This Year,” theithacajournal.com, November 8, 2006)

“The problem of hunger knows no age, race or socioeconomic boundary across the world or here at home in Tompkins County,” writes The Ithaca (N.Y.) Journal. The newspaper will dedicate space over the next two months to provide information about donation drives, hunger fundraisers and food pantry and soup kitchen hours and needs. As many as 20-25 percent of county residents are at risk of being food insecure, according to the 2005 COMPASS II Phase II survey conducted by the United Way. Nearly 10 percent of residents said not having enough money for food was a problem they dealt with regularly. One food pantry that participated in the survey estimated that almost 5,000 people, or about 20 percent of the county’s population, use emergency food outlets. Organizers say that pantries and soup kitchens have become an income supplement to help people get food. “It is a problem here, and if people think it isn’t, they aren’t looking hard enough. … It is our hope that the listing service will help those in need — particularly through the holiday season, though hunger is a problem every day throughout the year,” states the newspaper.

http://www.theithacajournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061108/OPINION01/611080316

10. Texas: Free Breakfast Program in Nacogdoches Discovers Benefits of Eating in Classroom

(“Breakfast in the Classroom,” dailysentinel.com, November 4, 2006)

Research suggests that children who eat school breakfast achieve higher scores on standardized tests, make fewer trips to the nurse’s office and make better grades. Children at Brooks-Quinn-Jones Elementary (BQJ) in Nacogdoches, Texas, are experiencing the benefits from a good breakfast since the school initiated the free Breakfast in the Classroom program several weeks ago. Janet Parker, a second-grade teacher, pointed out that breakfast is optional for the students, but it’s rare for anyone to turn it down. “They eat every crumb,” she said. “Having them eat breakfast in the classroom means fewer are tardy for class. … They’re happier, and more are in attendance each day,” Parker said. Principal Rachel Johnson said more than 800 students attend BQJ, and many of them don’t eat breakfast before they arrive, or they don’t arrive in time to have the breakfast served by the cafeteria. Some of those who eat breakfast at home do not get a balanced meal, she added. Schools have a responsibility to help students and staff establish and maintain lifelong, healthy eating patterns, said Vanessa Hooper, director of student nutrition at Nacogdoches Independent School District. Well-planned and well-implemented school nutrition programs have been shown to positively influence students’ habits, she pointed out.

http://tinyurl.com/tkocr

11. California: Lack of Transportation Keeps Women Living in Mountains from Participating in WIC

(“WIC Tape Stays Stuck,” bigbeargrizzly.net, November 8, 2006)

Just after two months Big Bear Valley resident Dawn Crawford was dropped from the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), because she did not have a car and was unable to get down the mountain for a WIC appointment. To be approved for the program again would have taken Crawford two days and subsequent drives. “It’s just not worth it with the gas prices to go down the mountain,” she said. “Between gas, finding a babysitter and all the running around it would maybe make the difference of $30, if that.” According to Betsy Cline, director of WIC in San Bernardino County, Calif., Crawford’s problem “has historically been our perpetual dilemma.” Only 63 percent of eligible women living in the county participate in the program. Cline says people who cannot make the drive monthly can have checks mailed to them if there is no new paperwork required. “For a lot of people, it has made a difference,” Cline stressed. Local community-based organizations in partnership with Healthy Start and the Mothers on Mountain, or M.O.M. Project work to navigate bureaucratic red tape and increase WIC participation, but the WIC tape seems to be stuck. They have offered local resources to get a mobile WIC service in Big Bear Valley a few days a month, which is not enough to get it done, according to Cline.

http://www.bigbeargrizzly.net/articles/2006/11/08/news/wic.txt

12. Delaware: WIC Proposal Would Help Low-Income Mothers to Buy Fresh Produce for Children

(“Milk Could Take Back Seat to Fruit,” delawareonline.com, November 5, 2006)

“I try to keep my kids as healthy as possible, but it’s expensive,” says Melynda Montes, Wilmington, Del., resident. She visits a nearby grocery store every 10 days to buy fruit for her four children and pays with food stamps. “Eating healthy costs a lot of money,” Monte admits. Her monthly grocery budget is $500, including $85 for produce. “The fruits are always the first to go,” observes Montes who keeps a fruit basket in the dining room where her children can see it. USDA has proposed revisions to the WIC food packages, which would add fruits and vegetables to the food it currently offers. “I love that idea,” said Montes whose two sons receive WIC benefits. “I know how important it is for them to have those foods.” The proposal is based on the Institute of Medicine’s recommendations. New mothers know the importance of a diet replete with produce, said Caroline Gibson of Resource Mothers. “They always say it costs too much,” she said. According to FoodService Director magazine, fresh produce prices have risen 6.07 percent from the same time last year.

http://tinyurl.com/sku4u

13. Wyoming: Big Horn County Community Leaders Step into Shoes of the Poor

(“Big Horn County Leaders Play Poverty Game,” jacksonholestartrib.com, October 31, 2006)

A group of community leaders from Big Horn County, Wyo., took part in a poverty simulation organized by educators from the University of Wyoming’s (UW) Cooperative Extension office. Organizers say in small, rural communities, families often work hard to conceal their financial difficulties, which is an important reason why others should walk a mile in the shoes of the working poor. According to UW data, more than 800 households in Park, Big Horn, Washakie and Hot Springs counties receive food stamps. Gretchen Gasvoda-Kelso, UW nutritionist, said the exercise shows that what seem like easy answers to outsiders don’t always work in the simulation, where participants must role-play scenarios of working single moms, seniors on fixed incomes or families with mounting bills. Only one group ended the game with $10 in cash. Others were sinking in debt, and another – playing an 85-year-old widow – was evicted as the widow was unable to afford medicine and diagnosed as malnourished. “I never knew where my mom was, or whether we would have food in the house, or even if we’d still be living in the house the next day,” said Trish Brown who played the role of a 12-year-old girl. “Most people walk away having a better appreciation for people living in poverty,” noticed Janice Schmidlin of UW Extension. “They have more empathy and patience and are able to step outside their preconceived notions.”

http://tinyurl.com/t9qa6

14. Indiana Sends Privatization Contract to Department of Agriculture for Review

(“Deal to Privatize Hoosier Welfare Nears,” indystar.com, October 31, 2006)

The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) sent the U.S. Department of Agriculture a copy of its unsigned contract with a team of contractors who have been chosen to process applications and determine eligibility for food stamps, Medicaid and welfare. The state is planning to privatize these services by Jan. 1 and has been negotiating with IBM and Affiliated Computer Services to do the work. However, problems that other states have had with similar contracts have put the potential deal under scrutiny. Advocates for Indiana benefit recipients and for FSSA employees who could lose their jobs if the state proceeds with the contract have criticized the pace of the outsourcing. Michael Reinke of the Indiana Coalition of Housing and Homeless Issues said it was reassuring that the state was following prescribed steps for USDA review of the contract, noting the state of Texas had not done so with a similar contract last year.

http://tinyurl.com/y34ukm

15. Texas Failed to Oversee Contract to Manage Public Benefit System, Report Says

(“State Has Mismanaged Project, Strayhorn Report Says,” kristv.com, October 25, 2006)

The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) has mismanaged a project meant to make it easier for people to apply for public benefits, said Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn in a letter to three lawmakers who asked her to review the project. The commission failed to properly oversee a new state contractor and hurried to implement a system that wasn’t ready to be used, she pointed out. Accenture was hired to sign up eligible people for Medicaid, food stamps and welfare and to process applications for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). “HHSC has proven it cannot manage Accenture and the contract.” Strayhorn said that the contractor should be fired and an independent panel should be established to salvage the project. More than 81,500 Texas children lost their CHIP coverage between December and August because of the problems with the public benefit system. These problems prompted the state to indefinitely delay a statewide rollout of the system. Celia Hagert of the Center for Public Policy Priorities said she hopes the report motivates lawmakers to provide more staff and more resources to the system. “I don’t think we can expect that we’re going to have this wonderful new system any time soon,” Hagert pointed out. “In the meantime, services to clients are suffering.”

http://www.kristv.com/Global/story.asp?S=5590355

16. Kansas: Open House at Hutchinson Social Service Agency Demystifies Services and Programs It Offers to Community

(“Open House Shows SRS Benefits,” hutchnews.com, November 6, 2006)

The Hutchinson (Kan.) Social Rehabilitative Services program hosted a “Get to Know Your SRS” open house to provide information about the agency to the community. “Some … people don’t have enough information, or they may feel like we’re a big, mysterious agency,” said Human Services Supervisor Sam Burkhart. The agency offers food stamps to low-income residents to buy groceries and also helps them receive health coverage, cash and employment assistance, child care and some other services. The agency has added a customer service representative to assist people in determining their needs and direct them to the available benefits.

http://www.hutchnews.com/news/local/stories/srs110606.shtml

17. Op-Ed – North Carolina: Children’s Law Project Helps When Poverty Follows Students into Classroom

(“Public School Students Get Special Attention with Children’s Law Project,” citizen-times.com, November 7, 2006)

Problems associated with poverty, affordable housing, family violence, limited mental health services and others follow many students into the classroom each day, writes Alida Woods, the principal of Isaac Dickson Elementary School in Asheville, N.C., in the Ashville Citizen-Times. “These challenges are … very disruptive to students’ learning and hinder their success,” and educators are often called upon to become social workers to students. Isaac Dickson Elementary has partnered with Pisgah Legal Services (PLS). PLS attorneys help families of eligible children navigate bureaucratic red tape and obtain food stamps, Medicaid, mental health services and subsidized housing. “When we find that our students are living in appalling housing conditions — trailers with holes in the floor, moldy apartments, homes with unsafe electrical systems — we refer their families to PLS,” writes Woods. They also provide training and information sessions to school staff to inform them about the legal solutions to problems the most vulnerable students face. Woods urges other local schools to take advantage of the Children’s Law Project to “fully serve our students.”

http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200661106048