Foodlinks America – March 12, 2010
Foodlinks America - March 12, 2010 
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In this issue:
• Administration Stumps for Child Nutrition Changes
• SNAP Shots
• TEFAP Tidbits
• Proposed Legislation
• Child Nutrition News and Notes
• Reports from the Field – San Antonio, TX
• Small Bites
Foodlinks America is published 24 times a year by California Emergency Foodlink in Sacramento, CA and distributed by Weinberg & Vauthier Consulting, 122 South Main Street, No. 9, Burnet, TX 78611; Zy Weinberg and Barbara Vauthier, Editors; email: bvauthier@tefapalliance.org.
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Administration Stumps for Child Nutrition Changes
In the upcoming debate over the reauthorization of child nutrition programs, advocacy efforts will focus on expanding the school breakfast program, augmenting afterschool feeding of snacks and suppers, and growing the summer food service program. Although anti-hunger activists, children’s health advocates, and hundreds of others are involved in promoting such changes, it is the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that has emerged as the principal cheerleader in the child nutrition arena.
Obama Administration officials in USDA have been among the most active and vocal proponents of program expansion. “Sixteen million hungry children in the U.S. should be a call to arms,” USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack told a national Anti-Hunger Policy Conference audience in Washington, D.C. on March 8, 2010. He urged a rapid reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act, including increased spending of at least $1 billion a year over the next decade and was optimistic that the goal could be achieved. “We always find resources for our priorities,” Vilsack noted.
Other child nutrition supporters echoed the Secretary’s sentiments. “For the 31 million children who eat school lunch each day, the upcoming reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act is much more than just another congressional debate,” said Dora Rivas, head of child nutrition services for the Dallas, Texas school district and president of the 55,000-member School Nutrition Association (SNA). “It means nutrition for a hungry child, fuel for a successful school day, a healthy solution for a busy parent and a chance for children to learn about balanced meals and establish lifelong positive eating habits.”
In addition to increasing the federal reimbursement rate for school meals, SNA members are urging Congress to require a consistent, national nutrition standard, based on the Dietary Guidelines and in accordance with recommendations of the Institute of Medicine, to govern the sale of all foods and beverages sold during the school day.
And it is not only the political appointees at USDA who are leading the Administration’s reauthorization battle. Needed improvements in child nutrition are a topic that has drawn the attention of First Lady Michelle Obama, who acknowledged the efforts of school nutrition professionals and the need to increase support for school meals programs in addressing an SNA gathering on March 2, 2010.
“If you asked the average person to do what you have to do every day,” the First Lady told SNA members, “and that is to prepare a meal for hundreds of hungry kids with just $2.68 a child – with only $1.00 to $1.25 of that money going to the food itself – they would look at you like you were crazy,” Michelle Obama told the group. “That’s sad, but that’s less than what many folks spend on a cup of coffee in the morning. So we’re going to have to do everything we can to help you,” she concluded.
SNAP Shots
Another record service level rounds out the year: Nationwide participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps, set nine new monthly participation records in 2009, capping the year with a December total of 38,978,382 people in the U.S. receiving assistance. Participation at the end of the year was 794,714 individuals higher than in November 2009 and 7.2 million people above the December 2008 mark. Approximately one in eight Americans now gets food stamps.
In December 2009, every state in the country reported growth in their SNAP caseload over the previous month. Three states showed a participation increase of more than 40 percent over the prior year – Nevada at 48.8 percent, Idaho at 46.6 percent, and Wisconsin at 40.6 percent.
An economic booster: In last year’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), SNAP benefits nationwide were increased by about 13 percent to help relieve food insecurity among low-income households and to bolster food spending in local communities. Due to increased participation, ARRA raises, and other program improvements, direct SNAP spending in December 2009 topped $5.2 billion, with an estimated total impact of $9.6 billion for the national economy.
Easing access a top priority: A new aid in expanding the SNAP program to potentially eligible individuals has been developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA): a SNAP Program Access Toolkit. Billed as “A Guide for State Agencies on Improving Access,” the 42-page booklet has sections on local office processes, policy and procedural changes, technology improvements, participation grant pilot projects, and demonstration projects in which states can engage to facilitate client participation and lighten administrative burdens. To learn more, go to: http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/whats_new.htm and click on item number 28.
Recognition for SNAP partners invited: USDA has announced opportunities to recognize two key cogs in the SNAP system for their contributions to improving the program for participants – local assistance offices and grocers. Nominations are now being accepted for 2010 Hunger Champions awards as well as 2010 Golden Grocer awards.
Hunger Champions “honors local county assistance offices that provide exemplary service in assisting eligible clients to obtain benefits,” especially through unique and creative service approaches. The Golden Grocer category seeks to recognize “retailers that provide excellence in customer service, outreach, and/or nutrition education.” Nominations are wide open and may be submitted by individuals, agencies, or organizations. For more details on the Hunger Champions, go to: http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/whats_new.htm and click on item number 29. To find out more about Golden Grocers, see: http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/whats_new.htm and select item number 30.
Certification interview policies indexed: To help deal with burgeoning caseload in SNAP, USDA and the states have initiated Community Partner Interviewer Demonstration Projects in which community-based organizations (CBOs) share the responsibility for determining eligibility by conducting client interviews. To help
“ensure that SNAP policies and procedures are properly implemented and that client rights are protected” during these demonstration projects, USDA has issued a chart that summarizes and highlights interview provisions that CBOs need to know, complete with federal regulatory citations. For further information, go to: http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/whats_new.htm and click on item number 27.
TEFAP Tidbits
A record year: Both food and funds for The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) reached all-time record levels in fiscal year 2009, according to statistics just compiled and released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). With a significant boost from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), the economic stimulus legislation passed in early 2009, USDA reported that it provided more than 851 million pounds of food valued at $704 million to TEFAP last year.
Food going into TEFAP in fiscal 2009 included 421.9 million pounds of entitlement commodities, purchased with both regularly appropriated and ARRA funds, and 429.7 million pounds of bonus items – the largest totals ever in both categories.
However, there is no guarantee that similar poundage will be available this year or next. The ARRA authority for an additional $100 million in TEFAP food and $50 million to help cover distribution expenses is expiring, and bonus purchases – always unpredictable – have begun to slow. Moreover, the allocation for TEFAP entitlement foods, set at $250 million per year in the 2008 Farm Bill, but tied to food price levels, will see another small decline, from $248.5 million in fiscal 2010 to $246.5 million next year, according to USDA estimates, as grocery prices continue to drop. Furthermore, surplus dairy products, in plentiful supply last year as TEFAP bonus, have found other markets.
More converts to conversion: Federal authority allows states to transfer up to 10 percent of total food entitlement funds to meet distribution and storage needs, also termed “administration.” Although states are desperate to have more commodities coming from TEFAP to feed the millions needing assistance, they have had to use some of those precious food dollars to deliver the goods. USDA reports that in fiscal year 2009, 40 of 55 SNAP jurisdictions (states, plus D.C. and territories) converted some of their food funds to the administration category, with 25 states transferring the maximum amount allowed. In all, $17.2 million of a possible $24.8 million in food dollars were converted for distribution and storage purposes.
Infrastructure grant information coming soon: The 2008 Farm Bill authorized $6 million for TEFAP infrastructure grants, an initiative that is being funded for the first time in fiscal year 2010. Emergency feeding organizations (EFOs) will be eligible to seek support for such activities as computer tracking of commodities, safe transport considerations, upgrading storage and distribution capacity, and identifying new providers and clients. Half the funds will be awarded to rural EFOs; Indian Tribes are also eligible. A request for applications is expected out next month.
Proposed Legislation
Among bills recently introduced in the 111th session of the U.S. Congress are the following:
House Resolution (H.R.) 4710: Introduced by Representative Rush Holt (D-IL) and 13 co-sponsors, the Farm to School Improvements Act would provide $10 million annually for planning, technical assistance, and implementation of farm to school programs.
H.R. 4734: Introduced by Representatives Lynn Woolsey (D-CA) and Todd Russell Platts (D-PA), the Increased Program Access Act would lower area eligibility of the Summer Food Service Program from 50 percent to 40 percent needy children and offer Summer Food Service Transportation Grants for Underserved Areas.
Senate (S.) 3040: Introduced by Senator Richard Luger (R-IN) and four bi-partisan co-sponsors, this bill would lower area eligibility of the Summer Food Service Program from 50 percent to 40 percent needy children and offer Summer Food Service Transportation Grants for Underserved Areas.
S. 3093: Introduced by Senator Robert Casey (D-PA), this bill would require semiannual indexing of certain child nutrition programs (no further details available yet).
For bill summary and status information, along with the text of legislation, visit: http://thomas.loc.gov/ and enter the bill number.
Child Nutrition News and Notes
Aid targets school meal expansion: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced the award of approximately $1.9 million to five state agencies to increase enrollment in school meal programs through direct certification and verification processes. Direct certification allows States and local educational agencies to automatically certify children enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) Program for free school meals without the need for household applications. Medicaid records also can be matched to simplify verification of eligibility for school meals programs. Grants were made to state agencies in MA, NE, PA, RI, and TX.
“Direct certification and verification are critical tools in ensuring that every eligible child is enrolled in a school meal program and these grants enable the school food authorities to maximize the number of eligible students participating in school nutrition programs,” said USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack. “USDA is actively pursuing opportunities to reduce hunger, promote program access, and improve the overall health and nutrition of children and these grants will help us reach those goals. We look forward to building on our successes with the upcoming Child Nutrition Act reauthorization and we will work with States to expand the use and effectiveness of processes such as this.”
For further information, go to: http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB/.cmd/ad/.ar/sa.retrievecontent/.c/6_2_1UH/.ce/7_2_5JM/.p/5_2_4TQ/.d/3/_th/J_2_9D/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB?PC_7_2_5JM_contentid=2010%2F03%2F0114.xml&PC_7_2_5JM_parentnav=LATEST_RELEASES&PC_7_2_5JM_navid=NEWS_RELEASE#7_2_5JM.
Child care feeding boosts children’s health: Boston-based Children’s HealthWatch has issued a new policy brief attesting to the effectiveness of the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) in improving child health. The group’s analysis of the CACFP found that, “Toddlers in subsidized child care whose meals are supplied by their child care provider are more likely to be in good health than similar toddlers in subsidized child care whose meals are supplied from home.”
Children whose meals were supplied by a provider utilizing the CACFP were 28 percent less likely to be in fair or poor health; 26 percent less likely to be hospitalized (with hospital costs exceeding $6,000 per stay in 2006); and more likely to have a healthy weight and height for their age. However, the brief noted that although participation by child care centers in the CACFP is increasing, fewer than half of the centers in the U.S. offer the program. Moreover, family day care home provider participation in the CACFP has dropped 27 percent since a two-tiered reimbursement system was mandated in 1997. To learn more, go to: http://www.childrenshealthwatch.org/page.php?id=217.
Welfare funds can facilitate summer feeding: Federal officials from USDA and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services are offering states a unique opportunity to increase funding for summer food programs by tapping unused Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds set-aside for emergency contingencies.
The 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) established a $5 billion TANF fund under which states can seek 80 percent reimbursement of certain TANF costs. “Non-recurrent, short-term benefit expenditures” designed to deal with a needy family’s specific crisis and support programs that feed children during the summer months may be eligible for the TANF Emergency category. For more particulars, go to: http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/summer/News.htm and choose TANF Emergency Contingency Funds.
Summer food demonstration projects applications sought: USDA has issued a solicitation to state agencies for applications for 2010 Summer food demonstration projects. Projects will be considered that support outreach activities and that extend the length of time a Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) operates during the year. Under the demonstration authority, even meal reimbursement rates can be supplemented to provide more meals to children. A total of $85 million is available for ten states (AZ, AR, FL, GA, LA, MI, NC, OK, TX, and WY) in the competition. Applications are due April 2, 2010. For details, go to: http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/summer/News.htm and click on: 2010 Summer Demonstration Project Solicitation.
Reports from the Field – San Antonio, TX
Emergency food providers throughout the country spend their days helping all sorts of new and long-time resident Americans get enough to eat. In places like San Antonio, Texas, the new demographics are altering the food lines, as this story filed by Vincent T. Davis in the October 22, 2009 issue of the San Antonio Express-News details:
They walked from apartment complexes in clusters. They wore traditional scarves, sarongs and wraps, some mix-matched with Western attire.
They filed behind 60-year-old Ka Sin of Myanmar (Burma) as he held a sign with the words “start here.” Women, men and children from Iran, Iraq, Bhutan, Myanmar, Burundi and Ethiopia stretched along the wall of the Bombay Hall Indian restaurant into the parking lot on the Northwest Side.
The wind whipped women’s scarves and the voucher slips they held to receive food from San Antonio Food Bank’s mobile pantry.
More than 150 refugees lined up at 9 a.m. Thursday at 8783 Wurzbach Road to receive food and fellowship from humanitarian agencies in their new country. The San Antonio Food Bank, Catholic Charities and Communities in Schools sponsored the food-distribution program with help from more than 40 volunteers from several church outreach ministries.
Food bank director of development Zuani Villarreal said the event was the food bank’s first outreach project for refugees.
“We want to help everybody. That’s our job, to feed people,” Villarreal said. “If families are struggling to put food on the table, then we’re doing what we can to help them do that.”
Paula Walker, the Catholic Charities director of refugee programs, said that while the United States’ economy struggles, the refugee program is booming.
“What we’re faced with is food stamps and Medicaid applications taking longer to process than in years past,” Walker said. “We’re only funded for a full week for a new refugee arriving; initiatives like this make a tremendous difference.”
The food bank truck pulled into the parking lot loaded with 13,000 pounds of rice, beans, chicken, pepperoni, beverages, snacks and crackers. Volunteers set up tables and divided 40 to 70 pounds of food for each family.
Iraqi Mohammed Khuder stopped at the line on his way to St. Matthew’s Catholic Church to pick up food for his family from the church’s donation cabinet. He was one of several refugees who stopped by without a voucher. He didn’t leave empty-handed.
Ria Baker, a clinical caseworker with Communities in Schools, works closely with refugees on a daily basis. She said new people are coming every day, sometimes going without food stamps for 30 to 90 days.
“We’re going through a big crisis, they need to get established and get their basic needs met,” Baker said. “With limited funds, the best thing is we have a lot of volunteers.”
Januka Subedi, 18, from Nepal, stood in line with her mother watching volunteers drive refugees and their groceries to their apartments.
“I’m happy, I’m enjoying it,” Subedi said. “I like my new country. It’s beautiful.”
Small Bites
Births of a nation: Minorities accounted for 48 percent of all births in the U.S. in the 12 months that ended in July 2008.
Shades of the past: As recently as 1990, non-Hispanic whites accounted for nearly two-thirds of all births.
Bearing a majority: The Census Bureau predicts that minority births will exceed 50 percent around 2012.
Children of change: In 2008, 47 percent of the U.S. population under five was minority.
Youth shift the balance: Within 10 years, a majority of Americans under age 18 will be people of color.
Minority becomes a majority: People of color will constitute a majority of the entire U.S. population within 30 years.
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