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. USDA Features Retailer Food Stamp Outreach Toolkit
2. Schoolchildren Consume More Fruits and Vegetables When Given More Access
3. Summer Food Insecurity Greater in Households with School-Age Children
4. Depression and Anxiety in Mothers and Children Are More Common Among Food Insecure Mothers
5. Association Seeking Schools and Communities to Apply for Healthy School Communities Grants
6. More Evaluation Needed to Chart Progress and Effectiveness in Reversing Childhood Obesity
7. USDA Awards Five States $1 Million in WIC Grants to Promote Healthy Eating and Physical Activity
8. USDA Announces $900,000 in Farmers Market Development Grants
9. ACT Scores Reflect Gap in Student Achievement Between Low-Income and Affluent Schools
10. Utah: Hundreds of People Lost Food Stamps and Need to Enroll in State Training to Get Them Back
11. North Carolina Student Wins National Essay Contest on Importance of Eating Breakfast
12. New York City Is Seeking to Provide Easier Access to Public Benefits
13. Op-Ed: New York Mayor Needs to Do More to Fight Poverty
14. Colorado: In Denver Public Schools “Smart Start” Stands for Free Nutritious Breakfasts for All
15. Texas WIC Office Holds Healthy Eating Classes as Part of “Fit Kids Happy Kids” Initiative
16. Illinois: 37 Percent of All Public Benefits Used by Low-Wage Workers
17. California Will Get One of Highest Minimum Wage in Nation by 2008
18. Iowa Wages Remain Low Even As Worker Productivity and Corporate Profits Rise

1. USDA Features Retailer Food Stamp Outreach Toolkit

(“Food Stamp Program Outreach Tool Kit for Retail Stores,” fns.usda.gov, September 2006)

The Food and Nutrition Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture developed a toolkit designed for retailers who wish to increase the nutrition of low-income Americans and decrease food insecurity by providing information to their customers about food stamps. The toolkit is intended for retailers of any size, whether chain or independent stores, and contains information about how to promote food stamps to families in need who are eligible for the program but not participating. It also features outreach efforts through partnerships and explains how retailers can help educate their customers about the nutrition benefits of food stamps. The USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service presented its first Golden Grocer Hunger Champions Award to Pathmark Stores, a regional supermarket operating 141 stores primarily in the New York-New Jersey and Philadelphia metropolitan areas. The award recognizes the company’s contribution to promoting participation in the Food Stamp Program and its efforts to improve service to food stamp recipients and encourage healthy eating habits.

http://www.fns.usda.gov/fsp/outreach/retailer-kit.htm

Also see http://tinyurl.com/gcwoj (“Pathmark to Receive USDA’s First Golden Grocer Hunger Champions Award,” home.businesswire.com)

2. Schoolchildren Consume More Fruits and Vegetables When Given More Access

(“Fruit and Veg Access in Schools Promotes Overall Consumption, Study,” foodnavigator-usa.com, September 13, 2006)

Children increased their consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables as a result of a pilot program at 25 Mississippi schools that involved 725 students in grades 5, 8 and 10, according to a study published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. An evaluation conducted last fall before the program started and in the spring at the end of the school year showed that more access to fruits and vegetables raises most children’s willingness to try a new fruit and vegetable and increases the variety and amounts of consumption of these foods. Students in grades 8 and 10 preferred eating more fruits than vegetables, and their consumption of vegetables did not increase during the school year. Fifth grade students responded to the program with the least success. “The distribution of fresh fruit at school free of charge to secondary school students might be an effective component of a comprehensive approach for improving student dietary behaviors,” concluded the report, which called for more research on the subject.

http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/news/ng.asp?n=70510&m=1FNU913&c=xqdjukrrlerzutg

Also see http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5535a1.htm (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, CDC, “Evaluation of a Fruit and Vegetable Distribution Program – Mississippi, 2004-05 School Year”)

3. Summer Food Insecurity Greater in Households with School-Age Children

(“Hunger in the Summer: Seasonal Food Insecurity and the National School Lunch and Summer Food Service Programs,” journalsonline.tandf.co.uk, September 2006)

This study analyzes the effects of children’s summer meals provided by the National School Lunch and Summer Food Service programs on households’ food insecurity. It examines seasonal differences by looking at the data from the Current Population Survey Food Security supplement, which alternated between spring and summer from 1995 to 2001. The study discovered that seasonal differences, which are characterized by higher prevalence of food insecurity in the summer, were greater for households with school-age children than for other households. For households with school-age children, seasonal differences were greater in states providing small numbers of Summer Food Service Program meals and summertime school lunches.

http://tinyurl.com/z6v5b (registration required)

4. Depression and Anxiety in Mothers and Children Are More Common Among Food Insecure Mothers

(“Food Insecurity and the Risks of Depression and Anxiety in Mothers and Behavior Problems in their Preschool-Aged Children,” pediatrics.aappublications.org, September 2006)

The prevalence of depression and anxiety in mothers and behavior problems in pre-school children are more common among food insecure mothers. “Mental health problems in mothers and children are more common when mothers are food insecure, a stressor that can potentially be addressed by social policy,” points out a new study by Mathematica Policy Research, which surveyed 2,870 mothers of 3-year-old children from 2001 to 2003 in 18 large U.S. cities. The percentage of mothers with either major depressive episode or generalized anxiety disorder increased with increasing food insecurity. For fully food secure mothers, it was 16.9 percent; for marginally food secure mothers 21 percent; and for food insecure mothers 30.3 percent. The percentage of children with a behavior problem also went up with increasing food insecurity – 22.7 percent, 31.1 percent and 36.7 percent correspondingly to the three groups of mothers.

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/118/3/e859

5. Association Seeking Schools and Communities to Apply for Healthy School Communities Grants

(“Grants Available to Promote Healthy School Communities,” ascd.org, September 1, 2006)

The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development will award 10 grants of $10,000 each to “help schools and communities work together to create a healthy school environment.” The ASCD grant program is part of the effort to promote the integration of health and learning and the benefits of school-community partnerships. The selected schools are expected to excel in leadership and instruction, support student health programs and create strong partnerships with community groups. “Grantees will assess the health-related aspects of the learning environment and use the results for school improvement and community engagement. They will participate in a study to identify the key indicators of success.” Grant applications are available at www.ascd.org/healthyschoolcommunities and are due November 15, 2006.

http://tinyurl.com/kw45a

6. More Evaluation Needed to Chart Progress and Effectiveness in Reversing Childhood Obesity

(“Progress Is Slow in Reversing Childhood Obesity Trend,” nationalacademies.org, September 13, 2006)

Government, industry, communities, schools and families have developed many policies and programs to respond to rising childhood obesity, but their efforts remain fragmented, according to a new report by the Institute of Medicine. It is difficult to identify the effectiveness of these initiatives because most of them are not being evaluated, said the report. The committee that wrote the report also points out that national leadership on this public health issue is lacking. The U.S. obesity rate for children and youth rose from 16 percent in 2002 to 17.1 percent in 2004, and is expected to reach 20 percent by 2010 if the current growth continues. “The good news is that Americans have begun to recognize that childhood obesity is a serious public health problem, and initiatives to address it are under way,” said Jeffrey Koplan of Emory University, Atlanta, and committee chair. “With that awareness and mobilization of efforts, we can make huge strides in beginning to halt and reverse the childhood obesity trend – if we have strong leadership, effective policies and programs that we know work, and sufficient resources.” The committee saw promise in a new federal mandate to establish local school wellness policies for the 2006-07 school year. The Alliance for a Healthier Generation, a joint initiative by industry, foundations, and government that established guidelines to limit children’s portion sizes and calories from beverages during the school day, also is among promising practices.

http://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?RecordID=11722

7. USDA Awards Five States $1 Million in WIC Grants to Promote Healthy Eating and Physical Activity

(“USDA Awards Nearly $1 Million for WIC Special Project Grants to Five States,” usda.gov, September 15, 2006)

Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns awarded nearly $1 million in grants to California, New York, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Vermont to develop, implement and evaluate new methods for serving participants of the Women, Infants and Children's Program (WIC). “WIC is a vital component of the nutrition assistance safety net,” Johanns said. “These grants will enable states to develop strategies to help build healthier communities by providing nutrition assistance, promoting healthy eating and encouraging physical activity to reduce obesity, which is a serious issue in our country, among children of all backgrounds.” The grants are part of USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service’s Revitalizing Quality Nutrition Services in WIC initiative.

http://tinyurl.com/gjjtk

8. USDA Announces $900,000 in Farmers Market Development Grants

(“Johanns Awards 20 Grants Under the Farmers Market Promotion Program,” usda.gov, September 8, 2006)

Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns announced 20 grants totaling $900,000 for local farmers markets, roadside stands and similar agricultural ventures under the new Farmers Market Promotion Program. The grants will help regional farmers markets authorities, local governments, nonprofits and other organizations in 17 states to establish, expand and promote farmers markets. In many grantee states like Arkansas, Colorado, New Mexico, New York, South Carolina, Vermont and others, some of the grant money will be allocated to improving access of lower-income consumers to fresh fruits and vegetables through food stamp redemption, WIC and Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program coupon redemption and nutritional education programs.

http://tinyurl.com/z8a9q

9. ACT Scores Reflect Gap in Student Achievement Between Low-Income and Affluent Schools

(“Schools Still Struggle With Effects of Poverty,” kansascity.com, September 11, 2006)

ACT college entrance exam scores show that the gap between affluent and low-income families remains a significant factor in student achievement. An analysis of ACT scores at 50 high schools in the Kansas City ( Mo.) area shows that only three schools among the 20 with the highest percentages of low-income students are not on the list of 20 lowest-performing schools. On the contrary, 18 of the 20 schools with the lowest number of economically disadvantaged students are among the 20 with the highest ACT scores. Poverty is “the 600-pound gorilla in the classroom,” said Arizona State University professor David Berliner. “It’s what no one wants to talk about.” The No Child Left Behind Act is pressing sanctions on a growing number of schools that are lagging behind in achieving the goal of making all children perform at grade level in 2014. In reality though, many students, especially in rural and inner-city schools, are likely to be surrounded by students with little or no family history of attending college. They lack educational family trips, books and sometimes such basics as tooth paste and clean clothes. Buckner Elementary School in northeastern Jackson County got a washer and dryer to help children from transient families to wash their clothes. A belief in the power of schools is good, said Marty Blank of the Coalition of Community Schools. But in addition to a strong and challenging classroom with an excellent teacher, the mission of the community school is to make sure a student’s basic medical, mental, physical and health needs are met, Blank said. “No matter who shows up at the door, teachers have to have high expectations.”

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/15489052.htm

10. Utah: Hundreds of People Lost Food Stamps and Need to Enroll in State Training to Get Them Back

(“Hundreds Lose Food Stamps,” kcpw.org, September 12, 2006)

Anti-hunger advocates say the Utah Department of Workforce Services violated state law in taking away food stamps from several hundred people last month. “Normally when they cut a public program they’re supposed to go through a public process and they didn’t do that,” explained Bill Tibbitts, an organizer of the Anti-Hunger Action Committee at Crossroads Urban Center. “The people who were cut off are people who are very likely to be homeless or close to homeless and if they don’t have food stamps they’re going to come to pantries for emergency food,” said Tibbitts. Agency spokesman Curt Stewart said since federal changes prompted the move, local public hearings weren’t necessary. The government now requires all able-bodied adults to be employed or looking for work to be eligible for food stamps. Homeless people and those with limited education or language skills were exempt previously from this requirement. Utahans who lost their food stamps due to these changes need to enroll in the state’s employment and training program to start receiving their benefits again, stated Stewart.

http://www.kcpw.org/article/1720

11. North Carolina Student Wins National Essay Contest on Importance of Eating Breakfast

(“Student Wins Nationwide Essay Contest on Breakfast,” kinston.com, September 9, 2006)

Twelve-year-old Jakel Lovett from Snow Hill in Greene County, S.C., is the winner of a national essay contest on the importance of eating breakfast. For his entry he wrote a poem titled “The Best Meal of the Day.” “When I eat breakfast, I listen to my teachers better and I can think clearer. When I don’t eat breakfast I get sleepy,” the seventh-grader said. Lovett was the only student at the Greene County Middle School who entered the contest announced by the “got breakfast?” campaign and sponsored in part by the Alliance to End Hunger and the National Dairy Council. Lovett received a laptop computer, the opportunity to be featured on a poster that will be distributed to schools around the country, and free breakfast from Breakfast Breaks for his entire school. Former presidential candidate Sen. George McGovern called Lovett to congratulate him on his victory. McGovern, a spokesperson for the “got breakfast?” campaign, says schools do not take advantage of federal funds available to help provide school breakfast.

http://tinyurl.com/ewnmc

12. New York City Is Seeking to Provide Easier Access to Public Benefits

(“New Directions Seen in Aid to City’s Poor,” citylimits.org, Sept. 5, 2006)

New York City officials are considering softening the strictest elements of the city’s poverty policy over the last decade by making it easier for low-income residents to receive government aid. An internal memo from the Mayor’s Commission for Economic Opportunity says that the commission is seeking to ease access to benefits and work supports and that the city “should move beyond the federal poverty threshold to build fuller and stronger measures of poverty in New York City.” This fall the city is planning to start a program that will allow potential applicants to go online and check for which benefits they are eligible. The program eventually will accept online applications. Last spring the city already tested an electronic tool that estimates the amount of aid with public programs like Medicaid and food stamps based on financial and demographic facts such as family size, income and living situation entered by a client. These steps indicate a departure from former mayor Rudolph Giuliani’s hard line approach toward the needy. It also reflects a departure from present practices that have included in-person interviews and separate, multi-page applications for each program. Some Giuliani-era bureaucrats say easy online access to benefits could undercut the work first principle. “That’s not a good thing,” said Jason Turner of the Heritage Foundation, the former city’s welfare head. New York City has a long way to go before people can easily apply online anyway, pointed out Joel Berg of the New York City Coalition Against Hunger. “The concrete, day-to-day way they’re running social services on this, it’s still not that different than the Giuliani years,” said Berg. “It’s great they’re considering these longer-term projects,” he said.

http://www.citylimits.org/content/articles/weeklyView.cfm?articlenumber=1980

13. Op-Ed: New York Mayor Needs to Do More to Fight Poverty

(“The Mayor’s Legacy: Educational Improvements and Poverty Reduction, Or Bold Budgeting and Economic Development?” gothamgazette.com, September 7, 2006)

New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg said that in his second term he would like to be remembered by his actions to address poverty, writes Glenn Pasanen in New York City’s Gotham Gazette. The mayor initiated a Commission on Economic Opportunity to develop innovative ideas to fight poverty in the city. Its initial report should be released some time this month. However, a commission memo that was leaked to the press suggests that the commission will not be providing aid to the elderly, the unemployed, the homeless and those returning from prison. “The implication seems to be that the resources simply are not there to tackle the problems of all those New Yorkers affected by poverty,” Pasanen writes. The commission reportedly will focus on children, young adults and the working poor, and food stamps will be important to all these groups. But “food stamps are fully funded by the federal government, so any expansion of their use is a cost-free reform for the city.” Although food stamp participation has increased from about 800,000 when Bloomberg took office in 2002 to nearly 1.1 million today, it is much lower than 1.5 million New Yorkers receiving them in 1995. Moreover, the number of eligible people today is higher, and the mayor rejected a proposal to allow unemployed adults to receive food stamps.

http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/finance/20060907/8/1964/

14. Colorado: In Denver Public Schools “Smart Start” Stands for Free Nutritious Breakfasts for All

(“Denver Public Schools Offer Free Breakfast to All Students,” thedenverchannel.com, September 7, 2006)

Denver Public Schools are offering free breakfast to all students regardless of their financial status. Students can get breakfast in the cafeteria, in the classroom or as a grab-and-go option. Now 11,000 students are eating the morning meal at district schools. Officials plan to double this number with the new universal breakfast program. The program called Smart Start and is the first of its kind in Colorado. “In a district like ours where about 70 percent of kids are on free or reduced lunch, it’s important to be able to provide more meals and more healthy, nutritious meals,” said Theresa Pena, Board of Education President. School administrators encourage children to eat breakfast. “There’s less tardiness. There are less trips to the student nurse. There’s less rowdiness in class,” said Leo Lesh, Food and Nutrition Director. “So kids are more prepared to learn and for us that’s the bottom line. A hungry child cannot learn.”

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/9807190/detail.html

15. Texas WIC Office Holds Healthy Eating Classes as Part of “Fit Kids Happy Kids” Initiative

(“Classes Teach Moms, Kids to Eat Healthy,” washingtonpost.com, September 6, 2006)

The Dallas County office of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) held nutrition education classes, committing its clients – new and expectant mothers – to healthy eating habits. Low-income parents often face added hurdles to maintaining healthy habits with their children, said WIC dietitian and instructor Cindy Wachtler. Many poorer neighborhoods lack supermarkets that offer fruits and vegetables and other healthy foods, she said, adding that parents who don’t drive, or work long hours, find it harder to shop, cook or find time for a trip to the park with their children. The program is part of an initiative called “Fit Kids Happy Kids,” which will offer classes about healthy eating throughout the Southwest, including Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico and Oklahoma. The program is based on a curriculum developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for use in WIC offices across the southwest, said Sondra Ralph of USDA. The agency also provides classrooms with free bilingual books for children teaching healthy living.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/06/AR2006090601817.html

16. Illinois: 37 Percent of All Public Benefits Used by Low-Wage Workers

(“Study: Low-Paying Jobs Cost State Billions,” suntimes.com, September 6, 2006)

Low-wage jobs cost Illinois $2.2 billion a year through public benefits paid to workers in those jobs, according to a study by the Center for Urban Economic Development at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The study examined census data and state expenditures for Medicaid, food stamps, the Earned Income Tax Credit, KidCare, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families and subsidized child care programs. It found that nearly 37 percent of all public benefits go to 475,000 Illinois working families. Nearly 40 percent of the public benefits go to workers in the retail, health services and arts and entertainment. The findings could contribute to the debate over a proposed city ordinance that would require big stores with more than 90,000 square feet to pay workers $10 an hour and $3 an hour in benefits by 2010. Two-thirds of families using public assistance were headed by a worker earning $10 or less, reported the study, which was started before the ordinance was proposed. “It’s one thing for Illinois’ neediest families to turn to these programs, but it’s another matter when profitable corporations pass these costs on to the public sector and in turn onto taxpayers,” commented study author Nik Theodore. “Some of the richest corporations in the world are accepting subsidies from taxpayers to come to our city, but they are not willing to pay their workers a wage that they can live on,” said Alderman Joe Moore, a supporter of the measure.

http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-poor06.html

17. California Will Get One of Highest Minimum Wage in Nation by 2008

(“California to Boost Minimum Wage to $8,” boston.com, September 12, 2006)

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill that would raise the California minimum wage to $8 by 2008. The law would benefit more than 1.4 million people by increasing their hourly wages by 75 cents in January and another 50 cents the following year, boosting the rate from $6.75 an hour to $8. State Democrats sought annual automatic increases, which Schwarzenegger opposed. The law, which the governor called “a great accomplishment in an election year,” gives California one of the highest minimum wages in the nation. It joins Massachusetts that also has boosted its state minimum wage to $8 an hour by 2008 after legislators overrode Gov. Mitt Romney’s veto.

http://tinyurl.com/fzszo

18. Iowa Wages Remain Low Even as Worker Productivity and Corporate Profits Rise

(“Rising Profits for Companies Does Not Translate to High Worker Pay,” siouxcityjournal.com, September 3, 2006)

Increased worker productivity resulted in soaring corporate profits in the last 15 years, but workers did not share their companies’ windfall, found a study by the Iowa Policy Project. Corporate profits rose 149 percent between 1990 and 2005, an average of about 10 percent a year, while median wages rose less than 1 percent a year, from $13.12 an hour in 1990 to $14.28 in 2005. “Measured against its regional and national peers, Iowa wages remain low. Measured across time, those wages have stagnated for most, and fallen in recent years even as worker productivity has increased,” the group said. Rising credit card debt, a decline in personal savings and fewer workers covered by a company-provided health insurance only adds to their plight. “A slack job market has left workers with little bargaining power to garner wage gains from their higher productivity,” the group pointed out. “The recent experience in Iowa and in the United States stands in stark contrast to most of the postwar period, when rising productivity was accompanied by rising wages.” The study called for an increase in the Iowa minimum wage and for improved access to health care.

http://tinyurl.com/zplx7