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.

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1. FRAC Analysis of U.S. Conference of Mayors/Sodexho Survey on Hunger and Homelessness in the United States
2. Food Stamp Participation in September 2006 Below Hurricane Katrina Disaster Aid Levels of Year Earlier
3. USDA Awards Nearly $1 Million in Food Stamp Outreach Grants
4. For First Time, Suburb Rather than City is Home to More Poor People
5. Poverty Has Negative Implications for Children’s Health and Education
6. Champions for Healthy Kids Will Award Fifty $10,000 Grants to Innovative Nutrition and Fitness Programs
7. Washington: Seattle at Bottom of Food Stamp Participation List
8. Kansas Gets $1.5 Million Food Stamp Performance Bonus
9. California: Food Bank Manager, Assemblyman and County Worker Recognized for Efforts to Strengthen State’s Food Stamp Program
10. Editorial: Washington Became First State to Serve Free Breakfast to All Low-Income Students
11. Editorial – South Carolina: Access and Availability of School Meal Programs to Needy Children Are Good News
12. South Carolina: More Schools Serve Breakfast-in-the-Classroom, Increasing Number of Students Eating School Breakfast
13. Oklahoma School Officials Believe in Importance of School Breakfast
14. Wisconsin: School Meals at Fort Howard Change World of Hunger into World of Learning
15. Indiana Welfare Contract Threatens to Repeat Disappointing Experience with Welfare Privatization in Texas
16. Florida: Predictions of Doom After Minimum Wage Increase Proved to Be Untrue
17. Greater Cincinnati Region: United Way’s Report Shows Growth of Poverty and Widening Income Gap
18. Florida Social Workers Face New Group of Clients from Working Middle Class
19. Indiana: Many Poor Families Enter Another Harsh Winter Without Heating Assistance

1. FRAC Analysis of U.S. Conference of Mayors/Sodexho Survey on Hunger and Homelessness in the United States

(“FRAC Special Analysis: 2006 U.S. Conference of Mayors/Sodexho Survey on Hunger and Homelessness,” frac.org, December 14, 2006)

During the last year, requests for emergency food assistance in survey cities increased an average of 7 percent, with 74 percent of cities reporting an increase, according to the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM). The annual U.S. Conference of Mayors/Sodexho Survey on Hunger and Homelessness reported data for 23 cities from November 1, 2005 through October 31, 2006. The survey found that, on average, 23 percent of the demand for emergency food in survey cities is estimated to have gone unmet. In all cities, people relied on emergency food outlets both in emergencies and as a steady source of food over long periods of time. The leading causes of hunger cited in the survey include unemployment, high housing costs, poverty, medical or health costs, substance abuse, utility, transportation and child care costs, and lack of education. The survey “demonstrates the need for a continued focus on the challenges of hunger and homelessness in the United States. With the coming reauthorization of the Farm Bill, there is an opportunity to expand the Food Stamp Program to better meet the needs of people who are struggling against hunger,” FRAC writes. Trenton Mayor and USCM President Douglas Palmer also highlighted the importance of the Food Stamp provision in the Farm Bill.

http://www.frac.org/html/news/121406surveyUSCM.html

Also see http://www.usmayors.org/uscm/hungersurvey/2006/report06.pdf (USCM/Sodexho Survey on Hunger and Homelessness)

2. Food Stamp Participation in September 2006 Below Hurricane Katrina Disaster Aid Levels of Year Earlier

(“Food Stamp Participation in September Up Over Month, But Below Hurricane Katrina Disaster Aid Levels of Year Earlier,” frac.org, December 13, 2006)

In September 2006, more than 26 million people participated in the Food Stamp Program, an increase of 62,551 from the previous month. The overall caseload for September 2006 was more than 1.2 million persons lower than the prior September, when many Hurricane Katrina victims received disaster food stamp benefits. Still, September 2006 participation levels were more than 8.3 million persons higher than in August 2001. Participation has risen in 56 of the last 69 months, but in only four of the last eight months. The program still is missing nearly four in ten eligible people. At a time when more than 35 million people in the United States face a constant struggle against hunger. It is vital to continue to widen the reach of the Food Stamp Program.

http://www.frac.org/html/news/fsp/2006.9_FSP.html

3. USDA Awards Nearly $1 Million in Food Stamp Outreach Grants

(“USDA Awards Nearly $1 Million In Food Stamp Outreach Grants to Faith-Based And Community Organizations,” usda.gov, December 11, 2006)

U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns awarded nearly $1 million to 14 faith-based and community organizations for their efforts to raise awareness about the availability of the Food Stamp Program among eligible households who are not currently participating in the program. “The Administration is committed to ensuring that people who are eligible for food stamps can access benefits with dignity and respect,” said Johanns. “Faith-based and community organizations are uniquely positioned to help us reach those in need with information about this critical nutrition safety net.” The majority of the grantees will work to customize their outreach programs to the needs of the community, partnering with other faith-based or community organizations, senior service programs, food banks or food pantries, health providers and housing programs. The maximum grant amount is $75,000.

http://tinyurl.com/yd6j9k

4. For First Time, Suburb Rather than City is Home to More Poor People

(“12 Million Suburbanites Live in Poverty,” commondreams.org, December 7, 2006)

For the first time in American history, more poor people live in suburbs than in cities last year, according to a study of the nation’s 100 largest metropolitan areas by the Brookings Institution. “Cities have been viewed as home to poor populations, surrounded by middle- and upper-income suburbs. This ‘tipping’ of poor populations to the suburbs represents a signal development that upends historical notions about who lives in cities and suburbs,” the report said. The large cities’ poverty rate (18.8 percent) is still higher than it is in the suburbs (9.4 percent). But the overall number of suburbanites living in poverty is higher in the suburbs, in part, because of population growth, the study found. Suburbs are adding people much faster than cities and becoming more diverse, racially and economically. “There’s poverty really everywhere in metropolitan areas because there are low-wage jobs everywhere,” said Alan Berube who co-wrote Brookings’ report. Recent immigrants, who usually have lower incomes than people born in the United States, are increasingly moving directly to suburbs, especially in the South and West. Marc H. Morial of the National Urban League said many of the same social and economic problems – struggling schools, rising crime and low-paying jobs – that have plagued cities for years are now affecting the suburbs. “I hope this says to people that the way to confront poverty is not to wall it off and concentrate it,” Morial said. “You really need policies to eliminate it.”

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/1207-02.htm

Also see http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6598999 (“For First Time, More Poor Live in Suburbs than Cities,” npr.org, December 12, 2006)

5. Poverty Has Negative Implications for Children’s Health and Education

(“Systems Struggling to Address Student Health,” washingtonpost.com, December 5, 2006)

Children who live in poverty have higher rates of health problems, including asthma, malnutrition, obesity and mental disorders, than the more affluent children, according to research on how health affects academic achievement. “Good dental care doesn’t make you a good student, but if your tooth hurts, it’s hard to be a good student,” explained Geoffrey Canada of the Harlem Children’s Zone. The businessman-turned-philanthropist Leonard Turkel was shocked to learn that mandatory eye screenings of thousands of Miami-Dade (Fla.) County public school students do not result in helping needy children to buy glasses or to see an eye doctor. He assembled a vision-laboratory-in-a-bus for schools in low-income neighborhoods and started a program that not only provides vision tests, but also orders free glasses for students that need them. School principals report that children who received the glasses show improvement in attendance, focus and achievement, and behavior. “The program underscores what many educators point to as a missing ingredient in the debate about school reform today: physical and mental health problems that can leave a student unable to fully participate in even the best academic program,” reads this story.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/04/AR2006120400983.html

6. Champions for Healthy Kids Will Award Fifty $10,000 Grants to Innovative Nutrition and Fitness Programs

(Champions for Healthy Kids, generalmills.com, 2006)

The General Mills Foundation will award 50 grants of $10,000 each to nonprofit organizations with innovative programs that help young Americans develop good nutrition and fitness habits. The Foundation’s Champions for Healthy Kids grants are part of the General Mills Champions for Healthy Kids initiative, created in partnership with the American Dietetic Association Foundation and the President’s Council on Physical Fitness. The goal of the grants is to support communities to improve the eating and physical activity patterns of young people, ages 2-20. Grant applications are due February 1, 2007 and grants will be awarded in May of 2007. Background information and an online application form are available on the General Mills’ Web site.

http://www.generalmills.com/corporate/commitment/champions.aspx

7. Washington: Seattle at Bottom of Food Stamp Participation List

(“Seattle at Bottom of Federal Food-Stamp List,” westseattleherald.com, December 13, 2006)

Seattle is one of five other cities at the bottom of the food stamp participation list, with barely half of eligible people receiving benefits from the federal Food Stamp Program, according to the Food Research and Action Center. Advocates say barriers to food stamp participation include continued confusion and misinformation about program’s eligibility and benefits, language barriers and the persistence of the stigma associated with receiving food stamps. “In addition to families missing out on key food resources, communities suffer when program participation is low,” said Linda Stone of the Children’s Alliance. “Think of Basic Food [the Food Stamp Program in Washington state] as a counter-recessionary program - when the community’s economy suffers, increased food stamp participation helps grocers, farmers and the community.” State efforts to connect more eligible people with food stamps include simplified reporting of income for participating families, changes in vehicle ownership rules that allow families to own operable cars and still receive assistance, and expanded use of telephone interviews instead of face-to-face office visits.

http://www.westseattleherald.com/articles/2006/12/12/news/local_news/news08.txt

Also see http://www.frac.org/pdf/cities2006.pdf (FRAC report, “Food Stamp Access in Urban America: A City-by-City Snapshot”)

8. Kansas Gets $1.5 Million Food Stamp Performance Bonus

(“SRS Rewarded with Bonus,” cjonline.com, December 12, 2006)

Clarence Carter, deputy administrator for Family Nutrition Programs with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, presented a bonus award of $1,590,582 to Kansas Lt. Gov. John Moore and the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services (SRS). The performance bonus recognizes the state for having one of the nation’s lowest payment error rates in administering its Food Stamp Program. “Kansas SRS has achieved this remarkable performance for the second year in a row through the dedication of field staff and supervisors who are committed to providing accurate and timely food stamp benefits,” said SRS Secretary Gary J. Daniels.

http://cjonline.com/stories/121206/leg_bonus.shtml

9. California: Food Bank Manager, Assemblyman and County Worker Recognized for Efforts to Strengthen State’s Food Stamp Program

(“Name Dropping: Food Bank Employee Wins a State Award,” santacruzsentinel.com, December 12, 2006)

Joel Campos, outreach manager for the Second Harvest Food Bank of Watsonville, received this year’s “Stampy” award for his work in helping food bank recipients apply for food stamps. Speakers at a forum discussing participation in the Food Stamp Program pointed out that food stamps are severely underused in California, which makes Campos’ work with low-income households so important. Assemblyman John Laird, who sponsored the bill simplifying the food stamp application process, and Renee Brown of the Human Resources Agency of Santa Cruz County, a key member of the county food stamp team, also earned statewide recognition for strengthening the Food Stamp Program in California.

http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/archive/2006/December/12/style/stories/01style.htm

10. Editorial: Washington Became First State to Serve Free Breakfast to All Low-Income Students

(“Hunger Should Not Be Distraction for Kids,” thenewstribune.com, December 12, 2006)

“That fewer Washington children are starting the school day with empty stomachs is something to celebrate,” writes The News Tribune in Tacoma, Wash. This year, Washington became the first state in the nation to offer free school breakfasts to all low-income children by eliminating the reduce price category. In 48 selected districts, school officials reported an average 39 percent increase in breakfast participation among eligible students since the schools started offering free breakfast. “That’s thousands of students who otherwise could be going to class hungry … Kids who are hungry are kids who have trouble learning and are more apt to act up in school. Given the billions the state dedicates to schools, spending a million dollars to make sure hunger isn’t an impediment to educational success is a no-lose investment,” argues the newspaper. With the success of eliminating the reduced price category for breakfast, child nutrition advocates also plan to ask the Legislature for $10 million to eliminate payment for school lunches for students eligible for reduced-price school lunch.

http://www.thenewstribune.com/opinion/story/6275368p-5474934c.html

11. Editorial – South Carolina: Access and Availability of School Meal Programs to Needy Children Are Good News

(“A Good Breakfast,” charlotte.com, December 11, 2006)

South Carolina is one of the top 10 states in the percentage of students participating in the school breakfast and lunch programs, according to a report from the Food Research and Action Center. The good news is that there is access and availability of these programs to children in need, writes this editorial in The Charlotte Observer, S.C., but the bad news is the need itself. “In 2005, 12.9 million U.S. children – one in six – lived below the poverty line. States nationwide are posting increases in participation, in part to address that sad need.” Research shows that breakfast helps children do better academically and also helps improve their diets and reduce obesity. “No child should come to school hungry. No child should ever be hungry. More work is needed to address the problems … that make parents unable to adequately feed their children,” writes the newspaper.

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news/opinion/16212002.htm

12. South Carolina: More Schools Serve Breakfast-in-the-Classroom, Increasing Number of Students Eating School Breakfast

(“Eating at Desk a Hit with Kids,” charleston.net, December 9, 2006)

A growing number of South Carolina schools now offer a breakfast-in-the-classroom program, an innovative solution that has helped increase the number of students participating in the School Breakfast Program. Susan Best, the principal of Sedgefield Intermediate School in Berkeley County, said the classroom breakfast has become an ingrained part of her school’s culture. “It starts our school day in a calmer, quieter way than having students rush through the cafeteria on their way to class as the bell rings,” Best said. “Some of our students have gone for a long time since they ate their last meal, and everything we read about nutrition says we are all much more productive when we give nourishment to our body.” Nationally, participation in school breakfast has been lagging behind participation in school lunch, but a new report by the Food Research and Action Center shows that this trend is changing. South Carolina had the third-highest breakfast participation rate in the country last year. Walter Caudle of the state’s Department of Education said 33.5 million breakfasts were served during the 2005-2006 school year, and 85 percent of those meals went to low-income students. “Not all states mandate that their schools serve both breakfast and lunch, but South Carolina does. That puts us ahead of the curve on a national basis,” Caudle said.

http://tinyurl.com/yc8j7l (subscription required)

13. Oklahoma School Officials Believe in Importance of School Breakfast

(“First Meal of the Day Is Most Important,” tahlequahdailypress.com, December 13, 2006)

Approximately 69 percent of Tahlequah (Okla.) I-35 School District students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, according to Child Nutrition Director Rhonnie Kerns. “We believe … that nutrition plays a large role in education,” said Kerns. At Cherokee Elementary, on average, 49 percent of students eat breakfast every day. At Sequoyah’s, about 44 percent of students take advantage of the morning meal. “That has quadrupled over time,” said Kerns. “It’s significantly higher than when I first started, which was about 15 years ago,” she observed. According to the School Breakfast Scorecard 2006, released by the Food Research and Action Center, Oklahoma ranks seventh in the nation for free and reduced-price breakfast participation in the 2005-2006 school year, a fall from No. 4 in the nation the previous year. Even though the state’s participation increased 0.6 percent, still there is room for improvement. Free and reduced-price programs are extremely important to the community and the school, pointed out Kerns, but equally as important, she said, is that all students have access to a good meal before beginning their day at school.

http://tinyurl.com/yamk3c

Also see http://www.frac.org/pdf/2006_SBP.pdf (FRAC report, “School Breakfast Scorecard 2006”)

14. Wisconsin: School Meals at Fort Howard Change World of Hunger into World of Learning

(“Full Stomachs One Way Green Bay School Helps Fill Students’ Needs,” greenbaypressgazette.com, December 14, 2006)

Last year, Fort Howard Elementary School in Green Bay, Wis., hit the 100 percent poverty level. “Kids were hungry and (saying), ‘when is lunch? when is lunch?’” said first-grade teacher Lacy Charnetski. “But this year they’re focused,” she said. The school changed the whole day to ensure students were getting nutritious breakfast and lunch. Now it serves as an example of how the Green Bay School District is coping with the increased problem of students touched by poverty. Before initiating the free breakfast program, school staff saw a spike in complaints of headaches and stomachaches around 10 a.m. each day, said Jim Asher, Fort Howard principal. Asher arranged a new bus schedule so students can get to school earlier to eat breakfast. Breakfast is just one example of the ongoing challenges the school faces. Asher estimated they spent $700 on winter coats to make sure children were equipped for the cold weather. The holiday season can be a particularly tough time for kids in poverty, Asher said. The school gives parents vouchers for places like Goodwill so they can buy presents for their children.

http://tinyurl.com/y9fg4n

15. Indiana Welfare Contract Threatens to Repeat Disappointing Experience with Welfare Privatization in Texas

(“Indiana Governor Aims to Privatize Social Services,” npr.org, December 13, 2006)

Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels proposed a plan to change how his state delivers welfare to its residents. “Two-thirds of our clients say they do not like the current system. It is hard for them to deal with,” stated the governor. Daniels said a private contractor, IBM, would handle some behind-the-scenes social service jobs and extend the business hours, while allowing residents to apply for public assistance by e-mail. It will save the state money and improve service to clients. But people like Betty Bledsoe who attended a crowded public hearing on the contract are not convinced. “Trying to get on the Internet and trying to find services and get to where I need to go, I get lost,” she said. “I wonder what happens with the people who suffer from mental issues, depression,” she added. Celia Hagert of the Center for Public Policy Priorities in Austin, Texas, says while the Indiana contract doesn’t privatize as many services, there are striking similarities with Texas’s social services contract with Accenture, known to create multiple problems. “You just replace the word Indiana with Texas and it’s the same story. … I really think that it’s important for Indiana to learn from … Texas’ mistakes and move more slowly,” Hagert said.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6618323&sc=emaf

Also see http://www.frac.org/html/news/newsdigest/12.11.06.html#18 (“Texas: Group’s Report Shares State’s Experience with Outsourcing Social Services,” FRAC’s News Digest, Issue 48, December 11, 2006)

16. Florida: Predictions of Doom After Minimum Wage Increase Proved to Be Untrue

(“Higher Wage, Minimum Problem,” heraldtribune.com, December 11, 2006)

Before Florida passed an amendment to increase the minimum wage from $5.15 to $6.15 per hour and tie it to inflation in 2004, business owners predicted doom. Within the first year since the passage of the amendment, 200,000 new jobs were created, with particularly strong increases in the industries with a high concentration of low-wage workers: trade, leisure and hospitality, and food services. Unemployment in Florida has dropped from 4.9 percent to 3.1 percent. Florida’s current wage of $6.40 will increase to $6.67 in January. If Congress boosts the federal minimum wage to $7.25, Florida minimum wage workers will get another 58-cent per hour raise. More than 80 percent of Americans support raising the federal minimum wage, according to the Pew Research Center. “Many policy issues these days provoke significant partisan disagreement, so the broad bipartisan support for minimum wage is unusual,” said Pew researcher Carroll Doherty.

http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061211/BUSINESS/612110394

17. Greater Cincinnati Region: United Way’s Report Shows Growth of Poverty and Widening Income Gap

(“Income Is Up, So Is Poverty,” news.cincypost.com, December 6, 2006)

In the Greater Cincinnati region, incomes keep going up, but the poverty level is on the rise as well, according to the United Way’s 2006 State of the Community report. Job growth is recovering, but too many people in the region still do not have health insurance. The joint rise in per-capita income and poverty shows a widening income gap between the rich and the poor, said United Way President Rob Reifsnyder. Top `challenges include health, education, employment, housing and crime issues. While the report doesn’t suggest remedies, it prompts action, said Reifsnyder. Cincinnati (Ohio) USA Regional Chamber President Ellen G. van der Horst announced that her group would spearhead an effort to develop a Regional Civic Agenda, using the State of the Community Report as a resource and guide to the area’s needs.

http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061206/NEWS01/612060375

18. Florida Social Workers Face New Group of Clients from Working Middle Class

(“More Seek Help for First Time,” miami.com, December 9, 2006)

Social workers in Florida are seeing more people seeking help for the first time and facing a new group of clients, the working middle class. At the Cooperative Feeding Program in Fort Lauderdale, the first-time visitors are lining up for food stamps with the homeless. Agencies say a new wave of clients is stretching thinly available resources. “Our biggest givers were the middle class but the middle class can’t pay their insurance and can’t pay their taxes,” said Marti Forman of the program. The Coral Gables Congregational Church in Miami used to stretch its assistance budget until December. But “in the past two years, these funds were exhausted by the summertime. The needs have gotten so great,” said Guillermo Marquez-Sterling, the church’s associate pastor. First-time visitors often swallow their pride and head for a soup kitchen or apply for food stamps. “I’ve never been … [on] food stamps,” said Daphne Azpiazu, 29, who lost her home to Hurricane Wilma and later a manager’s job in a dental office. One Fort Lauderdale resident said she had nothing to lose by applying for food stamps. “Everything has gone … sky high,” observed James McConnell, the Oakland Grove tile cleaner who tried to cut expenses by quitting smoking, giving up his dog, shutting off his phone and now taking the bus.

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/16199728.htm

19. Indiana: Many Poor Families Enter Another Harsh Winter Without Heating Assistance

(“Many Poor Lack Heating Assistance,” indystar.com, December 8, 2006)

Thousands of low-income Indiana families face another harsh winter without heating assistance, consumer advocates say. About 60 percent of the 500,000 Indiana households eligible for help with heating do not participate in heating assistance programs, often because they are unaware such help exists, said Dave Menzer of Citizens Action Coalition. Families in need are “cutting back on medication, living in one room of their house with plastic holding back the cold” and “taking in many cases extreme if not dangerous measures, such as using space heaters that can cause fires,” Menzer said. Vickie Allen-Beeson of the Indiana Community Action Association pointed out that studies have shown that 25 percent of the income of working poor families goes toward their energy needs. “That’s just unaffordable,” she said. “We’re looking at what will probably be the second- or third-highest heating costs in U.S. history this winter,” Menzer noted.

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061208/LOCAL/612080506