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 Guide Offers Strategies for Food Stamp Outreach
2. New Back to School Resources for Afterschool Providers
3. Food Assistance Programs Increase Food Access, Reduce Food Insecurity and Economic Vulnerability for Low-Income Americans
4. Ann Cooper’s Nutrition Revolution
5. Two-Thirds of Households With Students Receiving Free Lunch at School Do Not Receive Either Food Stamps or Welfare
6. Op-Ed: Federal and State Governments Should Increase School Meal Reimbursements to Provide Healthy Food to Schoolchildren
7. Obesity-Related Illnesses Drive Sharp Increases in Medicare Spending
8. Overweight Toddlers and Preschoolers Become Overweight or Obese Adolescents, Study Finds
9. Editorial: Economic Growth Is Not Answer to Poverty, Income Inequality and Lack of Insurance
10. Young Workers Suffer From Lower Wages, Higher Housing Costs and Rising College Debt
11. Breastfeeding Mothers in Low-Paying Jobs Face More Obstacles to Pump Milk at Work Than Women Professionals
12. New York City Children Struggle With Hunger and Obesity
13. California Legislature Passes Bill Reducing Hunger and Improving Nutrition Among Low-Income Families
14. Ohio: “Quiet Phenomenon” of Suburban Hunger in Cuyahoga County
15. Illinois Lawmakers Ask Governor to Hire More Staff for Human Services Offices
16. Colorado Anti-Poverty Groups Start Paycheck Away Project to Gain Support for Social Programs
17. Editorial – Indiana: Growing Poverty Should Alarm State and Local Governments, Communities
18. Michigan’s Child Poverty Up 30 Percent Over 5 Years

1. FRAC Guide Offers Strategies for Food Stamp Outreach

(“FRAC Guide Details Promising Partnerships and Strategies for Food Stamp Outreach,” frac.org, September 7, 2006)

A new publication by the Food Research and Action Center titled “FRAC’s Guide to Food Stamp Outreach Collaborations” provides an overview of promising partnerships that are working to increase participation in the Federal Food Stamp Program (FSP). In FY 2004, only about 60 percent of eligible people received food stamps – the program missed four in ten qualified individuals. With the support of the UPS Foundation, the guide offers suggestions on ways to leverage federal matching funds and other supports to maximize the reach of food stamp education campaigns and boost food stamp participation. It describes approaches to engaging different stakeholders on collaborative outreach, from school officials, state legislators and city officials, to food pantry operators, grocers and employers. Together, stakeholders partnering on food stamp outreach can make important contributions to the health and well-being of families and communities.

http://www.frac.org/html/news/fsp_guide2006.html

2. New Back to School Resources for Afterschool Providers

(“New Back to School Resources for Afterschool Providers,” frac.org, August 2006)

The Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) released new materials on the afterschool and summer nutrition programs for afterschool providers. The brochures include information for providers on how they can start serving snacks – and in some states, suppers – to children in their programs. The brochures also provide valuable tips for families about access to federal nutrition programs; shopping for healthy foods on a tight budget; and leading healthier lifestyles through increased family activity.

http://www.frac.org/Out_Of_School_Time/Afterschool/back_schoolres.html

3. Food Assistance Programs Increase Food Access, Reduce Food Insecurity and Economic Vulnerability for Low-Income Americans

(“Food Assistance: How Strong Is the Safety Net?” ers.usda.gov, September 2006)

This feature article in the Amber Waves, a publication of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, offers an extensive overview of goals, accomplishments and challenges of government food nutrition programs – food stamps, the school meals programs and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). These programs serve one out of every five Americans at some point during the year. They increase food access and reduce food insecurity among low-income families by providing households with a minimal level of food sufficiency. Research by George Borjas of Harvard University indicates that “a 10-percentage-point cut in the share of the population that receives public assistance increases the share of food-insecure households by about 5 percentage points.” The programs also reduce overall vulnerability during economic downturns. In 2000, about 500,000 children, or 4 percent, were lifted out of poverty by food stamps. In 2004, food stamp benefits raised 9 percent of food stamp recipients out of poverty, including raising 17 percent of the poorest households above 50 percent of the poverty guideline. During the last few decades, food programs, especially the school meals programs and WIC, have also been promoted as a nutrition safety net offering access to a balanced diet. Some of the initial studies on the healthful effects of these programs suggest that children eating school lunch increase their consumption of important nutrients and vitamins. The availability of the school breakfast program is associated with a greater likelihood that low-income students will eat a more substantial breakfast.

http://www.ers.usda.gov/AmberWaves/September06/Features/FoodAssistance.htm

4. Ann Cooper’s Nutrition Revolution

(“The Lunchroom Rebellion,” chefann.com, September 4, 2006)

For Ann Cooper, a renowned restaurant chef who cooked haute cuisine, her new job as an executive chef of the Berkeley public schools in California has been a drastic career change. Last fall she came to the school system with a nutrition revolution in mind and started revamping school cafeterias and kitchens filling them with a long-forgotten smell of freshly prepared foods made from whole grains, organic vegetables and fresh fruits. The Chez Panisse Foundation, headed by nutrition visionary Alice Waters, is paying Cooper’s salary and expecting her to demonstrate the wonders of healthy nutrition in public schools. But the students did not take initially to Cooper’s menu changes. Once, she even received a petition signed by two hundred students that read: “We do not like the veggie pizzas, nor do we like the pork roast with applesauce.” Cooper has been challenged by using commodity foods that were pre-ordered by her predecessor and being mindful of the low budget. “The war costs more than a billion dollars a week! Why don’t we say we’ll double what we spend on school lunch? Where are our priorities?” complained Cooper. “I want school lunch to be an election issue in 2008!” Her low point came when she was faced with inspectors from the U.S. Department of Agriculture who were concerned about the calorie content of her foods. Cooper had been re-working recipes and cooking from scratch, but did not have time to analyze the nutritional content of the dishes and enter them into a database. The inspectors threatened to close Cooper down. But, her cooking warmed up the inspectors, who admitted that the food was “tasty” and high quality. The students have started accepting the changes in the menu – although slowly. School lunch participation at Berkeley schools has gone up as well.

http://www.chefann.com/blog/?p=397#more-397

5. Two-Thirds of Households With Students Receiving Free Lunch at School Do Not Receive Either Food Stamps or Welfare

(“Profiles of Participants in the National School Lunch Program: Data From Two National Surveys,” ers.usda.gov, August 2006)

A new report by the Economic Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture describes characteristics of the 29 million children who participate in the National School Lunch Program. Based on the results of two national surveys – the 2001 Panel of the Survey of Income and Program Participation and the 1999-2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, participation was higher for children ages 8 to 13, regardless of whether they received free or reduced-price lunch or paid for it. Almost one-half of participants lived in households with income under 185 percent of the poverty line compared with a little more than one-third of all students. Almost all children from households receiving food stamps or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) ate free lunches at school. However, almost two-thirds of households with students receiving a free lunch were not participating in either food stamps or TANF. Free-lunch recipients were evenly distributed among White, African-American and Hispanic participants, with two-thirds of them coming from female-headed households.

http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/EIB17/

6. Op-Ed: Federal and State Governments Should Increase School Meal Reimbursements to Provide Healthy Food to Schoolchildren

(“Students Deserve to Eat Better,” timesunion.com, September 3, 2006)

As the school year begins, a nearly impossible “financial wizardry” is expected from food service directors pressed to provide students with healthy and nutritious meals, writes Jennifer Wilkins, a Food and Society Policy Fellow at Cornell University, in the Times Union in Albany, N.Y. New York schools have a little more than $2 to cover the full costs of each lunch served, which leaves them less than $1 available for food after factoring in labor and other costs. According to Florence Reed of the New York Office for the Aging, group meals served to seniors cost from $5.06 to $8.98 each. “Why should our society place less value on the lunch destined for a child who is learning, growing and forming eating habits that will impact her lifetime risk of diet-related diseases than on the midday meal served to our deserving elders?” asks Wilkins. With the childhood obesity epidemic raging, putting children at risk of developing high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and diabetes, children’s health should be a national priority. “The increases in federal and state reimbursements needed to provide wholesome meals to schoolchildren and eliminate the need for competitive foods pale in comparison to ballooning health care costs from diet-related diseases,” Wilkins urges.

http://tinyurl.com/e8mah

7. Obesity-Related Illnesses Drive Sharp Increases in Medicare Spending

(“Obesity Driving Medicare Costs Higher,” forbes.com, August 22, 2006)

Sharp increases in Medicare spending have been associated with medication costs, hospital and doctors fees. A study by the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, Atlanta, says, however, 90 percent of the increases can be attributed to people entering the program with obesity-related diseases. “Most of the debate about how to deal with the growth in entitlements really is ignoring these key facts,” said lead author Kenneth E. Thorpe. “We need to recognize that we need to do much more in terms of primary prevention – diet, exercise and nutrition – not only among the existing Medicare beneficiaries, but among the near-elderly, those 55 to 64,” Thorpe said. Another expert, Robert M. Hayes of the Medicare Rights Center, suggests extending Medicare to 55 to 64 year olds so clients would enter the program healthier. “It’s common sense,” said Hayes. “If we give people better care, they will be healthier and live longer.”

http://www.forbes.com/forbeslife/health/feeds/hscout/2006/08/22/hscout534510.html

Also see http://tinyurl.com/jhqef (Health Affairs, “The Rise In Spending Among Medicare Beneficiaries: The Role Of Chronic Disease Prevalence And Changes In Treatment Intensity”)

8. Overweight Toddlers and Preschoolers Become Overweight or Obese Adolescents, Study Finds

(“Overweight in Early Childhood Increases Chances for Obesity at Age 12,” nichd.nih.gov, September 5, 2006)

A collaborative study by the National Institutes of Health and several academic institutions provides some of the strongest evidence to date that children who are overweight as toddlers or preschoolers are more likely to be overweight or obese in early adolescence. “These findings underscore the need to maintain a healthy weight beginning in early childhood,” said Duane Alexander, M.D., of NIH. “Contrary to popular belief, young children who are overweight or obese typically won’t lose the extra weight simply as a result of getting older.” Obese adolescents are likely to suffer obesity-cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, stroke and diabetes as adults. The study tracked height and weight measurements of a group of children, beginning at age 2 and continuing until age 12. The study appeared in the September issue of Pediatrics.

http://www.nichd.nih.gov/new/releases/obesity_risk_early_childhood.cfm

Also see http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/118/3/e594 (Pediatrics, “Identifying Risk for Obesity in Early Childhood”)

9. Editorial: Economic Growth Is Not Answer to Poverty, Income Inequality and Lack of Insurance

(“Downward Mobility,” select.nytimes.com, August 30, 2006)

“If you’re still harboring the notion that the economy is ‘good,’ prepare to be disabused,” writes this editorial in The New York Times. The only “good” number in the recent Census Bureau report shows that median income rose 1.1 percent last year, to $46,326, for households headed by 65 year olds in 2005. This increase is likely from Social Security increases and investment income rather than from wages and salaries. The rest of the 91 million households saw their median income drop by $275. Among the nation’s 37 million low-income people, 43 percent were living below half the poverty line – the highest percentage of people in “deep poverty” since 1975. The ranks of the uninsured grew 15.9 percent, or 1.3 million people, to a record 46.6 million, which is worse than during the recession year of 2001. Economic growth and worker productivity were strong last year, but Census numbers demonstrate that they are not the answer to spreading poverty, income inequality and the lack of insurance. “What have been missing are government policies that help to ensure that the benefits of growth are broadly shared – like strong support for public education, a progressive income tax, affordable health care, a higher minimum wage and other labor protections,” points out the newspaper.

http://tinyurl.com/kxby7 (subscription or purchase required)

10. Young Workers Suffer From Lower Wages, Higher Housing Costs and Rising College Debt

(“Many Entry-Level Workers Find a Rough Market,” nytimes.com, September 4, 2006)

Entry-level wages for college and high school graduates decreased by more than 4 percent from 2001 to 2005, when adjusted for inflation, according to an analysis by the Economic Policy Institute. The study, using data from the U.S. Department of Labor, also shows that only 64 percent of college graduates received health coverage from their employers in 2005, down from 71 percent five years earlier. One-third of workers with high school diplomas received health coverage in entry-level jobs, down from two-thirds in 1979. From 2001 to 2005, entry-level wages for high school graduates fell, with men’s pay falling 3.3 percent to $10.93 an hour and women’s pay falling by 4.9 percent to $9.08 an hour. College graduates now earn 45 percent more than high school graduates, up from 23 percent in 1979. High housing costs and rising college debts, largely because of soaring tuition, exacerbate young workers’ financial crunch. The amount borrowed to pay for education has jumped by more than 50 percent in recent years.“In a weak labor market, younger workers do the worst,” said Lawrence Mishel, the institute’s president. “Young workers are on the cutting edge of experiencing all the changes in the economy.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/04/us/04labor.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Also see http://www.epi.org/content.cfm/webfeatures_snapshots_20060524 (analysis, “Young college graduates face weak labor market”)

11. Breastfeeding Mothers in Low-Paying Jobs Face More Obstacles to Pump Milk at Work Than Women Professionals

(“On the Job, Nursing Mothers Find a 2-Class System,” amhersttimes.com, September 1, 2006)

Mothers in professional jobs have more opportunity to breastfeed in the workplace than mothers employed in low-wage jobs. Breastfeeding is associated with reducing risk of allergies, obesity and chronic disease later in child’s life. For many women who work in restaurants, factories, call centers and the military pumping at work is practically impossible, causing some women not to breastfeed at all, and others to quit after a short time. Women in this group who try to pump at work often become objects of derision or even harassment from managers, and also suffer from a lack of privacy or even a place where they can pump. By contrast, professional women often enjoy special lactation rooms, company-provided electric pumps and can slip away from their desks for the two or three 20-minute sessions each day. “It is a particularly literal case of how well-being tends to beget further well-being, and disadvantage tends to create disadvantage — passed down in a mother’s milk, or lack thereof,” points out this story.

http://tinyurl.com/fresj

12. New York City Children Struggle With Hunger and Obesity

(“NYC Children Struggle With Hunger, Obesity: Report,” news.monstersandcritics.com, September 5, 2006)

The Food Bank for New York City reports that one quarter of New York City’s 1.9 million children lives in poverty, which is 50 percent higher than the United States average, and nearly half the city’s primary school children are overweight. More than 40 percent of the children in the Head Start program, which helps low-income families to ensure healthy development of their children under age 5, are overweight or obese. Low-income families have limited budgets for groceries and “must buy the cheapest food available in order to keep their children fed,” said Aine Duggan of the food bank, noting that affordable foods for low-income families tend to be high in calorie and fat content. A food bank report titled “Growing Up Hungry in New York City: An Analysis of Hunger Among Children” says almost one-fifth of the city’s children rely on free food to survive and 40 percent of families with children were food insecure in 2005. Less than half of New York City families seeking emergency food took advantage of the School Breakfast Program, and less than two-thirds used the School Lunch Program, according to Duggan. Improving access to food stamps and other government nutrition and health programs is one of the key ways of responding to the problems of hungry children. “Children who go to school hungry often cannot reach their full potential,” the food bank pointed out. Breakfast should be made available during school hours, because many families cannot get their children to school earlier to use the program, Duggan said.

http://tinyurl.com/ksgbg

Also see http://www.foodbanknyc.org/index.cfm?objectid=46953E9D-C09F-0662-D201DFEE2BEC5E19#growinguphungryinnyc (report, “Growing Up Hungry in New York City: An Analysis of Hunger Among Children”)

13. California Legislature Passes Bill Reducing Hunger and Improving Nutrition Among Low-Income Families

(“Evans’ Bills Pass Legislature,” timesheraldonline.com, August 31, 2006)

An anti-poverty bill authored by California State Assemblywoman Noreen Evans has passed the Legislature and is on its way to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for approval. The bill removes administrative barriers to free school lunches and food stamps. Families with children authorized to receive benefits through Medi-Cal would be eligible to receive food stamps. Children of these families automatically would be eligible to receive subsidized lunches and breakfasts at school. “This bill will help give the children of poor families a better shot at a good life,” said Evans.

http://www.timesheraldonline.com/ci_4266258

14. Ohio: “Quiet Phenomenon” of Suburban Hunger in Cuyahoga County

(Hunger Growing in the Suburbs,” cleveland.com, September 1, 2006)

Even in some of the most affluent suburbs in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, hunger is affecting more families. “The big message here was the movement of hunger into the suburbs. It’s not just a Cleveland problem,” said Terry Lenahan of the Center for Community Solutions that released a report about food insecurity in the area. “People should know that it’s happening all over, maybe right in their own neighborhood.” The report found that the number of food stamp recipients per 1,000 county residents jumped 43 percent between 2000 and 2005, with the suburbs’ food stamp rate going up almost 89 percent. The number of requests for emergency food from the suburbs over the same period rose by 68 percent. “It’s definitely a quiet phenomenon in the suburbs,” said Erin Deegan of the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank. “The people standing in line for food don’t always look like they need emergency help. But with all the job losses, they do.” “What we’re seeing is some of the spread of poverty,” commented Joseph Gauntner of the county’s Department of Employment and Family Services. “Think about the stereotypical steelworker who’s no long[er] making steel. Now he cleans offices and works at McDonald’s on the weekends.” More often people who have jobs still cannot meet their basic needs.

http://tinyurl.com/f8gze

Also see http://www.communitysolutions.com/images/upload/resources/foodindicator082206.pdf
(report, “Hunger Indicators in Greater Cleveland, 2000 to 2005”)

15. Illinois Lawmakers Ask Governor to Hire More Staff for Human Services Offices

(“More Staff Sought for Human Services,” sj-r.com, September 2, 2006)

After visiting an Illinois Department of Human Services office in Springfield, state Reps. Raymond Poe and Rich Brauer sent a letter to Gov. Rod Blagojevich informing him that the lack of staff in DHS offices has led to “long waits for service” and to “excessive delays in obtaining needed benefits.” “We are calling on you to act immediately to hire additional staff in the DHS Family Community Resource Centers here in Sangamon County,” the letter states. “We’re a little overwhelmed by the huge backup,” said Brauer. The decrease in staffing “really underlines how critical the situation is there - that services aren’t being provided,” Brauer explained. The number of workers at the office on Martin Luther King Drive, which provides assistance with food stamps, welfare and medical programs, has declined from about 120 to 49, the lawmakers said. The average caseload for one social worker is about 600, Poe pointed out. He met a caseworker who has nearly 1,000 clients. DHS spokesman Tom Green said the staff cuts were part of the state budget reduction and that a workload of 600 cases is comparable to the statewide average of 500 to 600. “We don’t believe there are any problems in service,” Green stressed, because technological advancements have helped employees work “more efficiently and effectively.” Brauer, however, expressed concerns that “there’s not the proper supervision” to monitor the caseload.

http://www.sj-r.com/sections/news/stories/94858.asp

16. Colorado Anti-Poverty Groups Start Paycheck Away Project to Gain Support for Social Programs

(“Pay Pals,” csindy.com, August 23, 2006)

Eight Denver-based anti-poverty groups combined efforts by starting the Paycheck Away Project – a listening tour that will identify poverty issues across the state. The project was named for those Coloradoans who live below the poverty line and struggle to make ends meet between paychecks. “A large portion of our constituents are living in debt. So if they lose their next paycheck, it means that they have debt they can’t pay for as well,” explained project organizer Ben Davis of the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative. The project is expected to strengthen the anti-poverty lobbying efforts in Denver, which deal with attracting more funds to programs that benefit low-income residents. “We need to work to get the constituents involved in the anti-poverty movement,” said Deb DeBoutez, of the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless. Colorado College political science professor Robert Loevy believes that “gaining support, being visible, having a voice and having grassroots support in the outlying cities of Colorado can produce votes in the state Legislature.” When the tour ends in October, the project’s organizers are planning to develop a five-year blueprint for a series of anti-poverty policy recommendations for state legislators.

http://www.csindy.com/csindy/2006-08-17/news4.html

17. Editorial – Indiana: Growing Poverty Should Alarm State and Local Governments, Communities

(“We Must Do Better to Lower Poverty,” indystar.com, August 31, 2006)

“Rise in poverty should set off alarms for charities, their donors, and for state and local governments,” contends this editorial in The Indianapolis Star. More than 260,000 children in Indiana live in poverty and more than 740,000 adult residents (12.2 percent) lived below the poverty line last year. It is “not acceptable that those figures have increased three years in a row, during a period of relatively strong economic growth elsewhere in the nation.” Efforts to combat poverty in Indiana should not stop with private charity and community support. The state needs to do a better job of rebuilding its economy, still suffering from a loss of well-paying manufacturing jobs, and improving schools and education. “Year after year, about three out of 10 Indiana students who entered high school as freshmen fail to graduate as seniors. The consequences, for individuals and society, are dire,” argues the newspaper.

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060831/OPINION/608310344

18. Michigan’s Child Poverty Up 30 Percent Over 5 Years

(“A Growing Worry: The Poor Children,” freep.com, August 30, 2006)

Over a five-year period, the number of Michigan children living in poverty increased by 30 percent, from 353,000 children in 2000 to 459,000 last year. Michele Corey of Michigan’s Children said these U.S. Census Bureau numbers mirror the findings of the national Kids Count data book released earlier this year. The 30 percent increase shows that “ Michigan is clearly on a different trajectory than the rest of the country,” she stressed, calling the impact of poverty “particularly disconcerting.” “The resources are not available in so many areas, in nutrition and health care, and other things like books and learning tools in the home,” said Sharon Parks of the Michigan League for Human Services.“It shows a weakening in our social safety net. We are not well-positioned as a state to turn the poverty numbers around,” Parks said.

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060830/NEWS06/608300320/1008