TEFAP Alliance Blog

Foodlinks America - December 8, 2006

In this issue:

· Federal Funding Decisions Postponed until February
· Hunger Problems Worsening and Hitting Close to Home
· Food Stamp Facts
· New York Takes the Lead on Healthy Food
· Indian Commodity Programs Face Complex Changes
· Disaster Food Assistance Policies Updated
· Reports from the Field
· Small Bites

Foodlinks America is published 24 times a year by California Emergency Foodlink in Sacramento, CA and distributed by Weinberg & Vauthier Consulting, 6412 CR 116, Burnet, TX 78611; Zy Weinberg and Barbara Vauthier, Editors; email: bvauthier@tefapalliance.org.

Foodlinks America is not copyrighted, so the information can be freely shared with colleagues and friends, though attribution for reprinted articles is appreciated. For archived issues of Foodlinks America, go to: www.tefapalliance.org. To request a free subscription to the newsletter or to submit story ideas, contact Barbara Vauthier at: bvauthier@tefapalliance.org.

Federal Funding Decisions Postponed until February

The 109th Congress plans to adjourn on December 8, 2006 without passing nine critical appropriations bills for fiscal year 2007. Instead, the Republican majority in the lame duck session is expected to approve another in a series of continuing resolutions (CRs) that will keep government functioning until mid-February and leave the decision-making to Democrats.

Republicans struggled throughout the session without passing a budget and enacting only two of 11 appropriations bills (for defense and homeland security), caught between fiscal conservatives who wanted to cut spending and more moderate legislators who sought to increase investments in health, education, and other programs. “They cut and run from the troops by not doing their oversight, and now they are cutting and running from the country by not passing the spending bills,” commented Rahm Emanual of Illinois, incoming chairman of the Democratic Caucus.

In the interim, most government programs – including food and nutrition assistance services – are being funded at the lowest of the House-passed, Senate-passed or fiscal year 2006 funding level, effectively cutting some programs for six months.

Although it is not certain whether the Democrats, with thin majorities in both the House and Senate, will be more effective in passing spending bills early next year, the new Congress will be working more hours to try and get the job done. Incoming House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) announced on December 5 that the three-day (Tuesday through Thursday) work weeks of the 109th Congress, which met for a total of only 103 days in 2006, will be a thing of the past. Members will be expected to be in Washington, D.C. from Monday to Friday and the extended holiday recesses will be trimmed down.

Although some Republican legislators, especially those from the West Coast who have to spend more time traveling, have already begun complaining about the longer hours, Democrats generally endorsed the changes. “After 12 years of Republican control of the House, eight-day work weeks wouldn’t be enough to undo all the damage,” said Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-TX).

Hunger Problems Worsening and Hitting Close to Home

More than six in ten Americans believe that hunger problems in the U.S. are worsening and more than one in ten said they or someone in their immediate family has experienced hunger in the past month because they could not afford enough food, according to The Hormel Hunger Survey: A National Perspective, released on November 20, 2006 by Hormel Foods Corporation, a meat processor based in Austin, MN.

The survey, which examined Americans’ views on hunger, found that 61 percent of respondents said the hunger problem is increasing, with 40 percent believing that the problem here at home is greater than in other developed nations. Eleven percent said they or someone in their household had gone to bed hungry in the past month due to a lack of food. A surprising one in five (20 percent) said they personally or someone in their immediate family had received food from a food bank or other charity in the past year.

“These statistics clearly demonstrate broad-based concern among Americans about this issue and underscore the need for government, the private sector, and charitable organizations, such as America’s Second Harvest [which collaborated with Hormel on the survey], to remain focused on delivering short- and long-term solutions,” said Jeff Ettinger, president and chief executive officer of Hormel Foods. “We hope this survey sheds some additional light on this national problem, and that it fuels further work toward a solution.”

The majority of those surveyed felt hunger is an economic problem and that better jobs and education programs can help deliver a solution. Two-thirds (64 percent) also felt that the government should make hunger a higher priority. The survey, conducted over the Internet in August, interviewed 200 Minnesota residents, 800 other U.S. residents, and 131 mid-level managers from Fortune 500 companies. Businesspeople were more optimistic than the general population that hunger can be solved in the future.
Food Stamp Facts

State options detailed: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has published the sixth edition of its State Options Report, providing information on which actions state agencies have taken to alter the Food Stamp Program (FSP) within their jurisdictions. The 2002 Farm Bill offered new opportunities for states to make additional program changes and USDA periodically surveys states to categorize options implemented.

USDA noted that, “Choosing certain options can facilitate program design goals such as removing or reducing barriers to access and sustained participation for low-income families and individuals, providing better support for those working or looking for work, targeting benefits to those most in need, streamlining administration and field operations, and coordinating FSP activities with those of other programs.”

The report – which covers such topics as reporting requirements, transitional benefits, vehicle policies, categorical eligibility, housing costs, utility allowances, nutrition education and outreach, child support income exclusions, employment and training, electronic applications, and more – may be viewed at: http://www.fns.usda.gov/.

Express food stamps offered in Illinois pilot: Emergency food recipients at five food pantries in Northern Illinois can now receive food stamps on the spot. The “Express Stamps” demonstration project offers quick and easy access to food stamps through an on-line process. Volunteers verify the identity of the applicant and provide one or two months of benefits through an electronic benefits transfer (EBT) card issued at the pantry. Under the express mode, benefits can be accessed immediately, whereas normal application processing takes up to 30 days. More than 100 households were registered for food stamps in the first month of the pilot.

Express Stamps is a collaborative effort of USDA, the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS), the Northern Illinois Food Bank, community and faith-based pantries in Aurora, Braidwood, Carpentersville, West Chicago, and Zion, and the national Second Harvest food bank network, which received funds from the UPS Foundation to support the effort.
“Families should not have to wait for the food they need,” said IDHS Secretary Carol Adams. “By giving people who visit food pantries direct access to the Food Stamp Program through the Web, Express Stamps is another step forward as we move to ensure Illinoisans are on-line and not in line when it comes to receiving important services.”
New York Takes the Lead on Healthy Food

The New York City Board of Health took action on December 5, 2006 to make the food in its restaurants healthier by banning trans fatty acids, artificial ingredients often linked to obesity, heart disease, and other ailments. The new policy, approved unanimously by the Board, requires restaurants to stop using oils for frying that contain trans fat in approximately six months and to remove trans fats from all foods by July 2008.

“This is very significant,” said Dr. Walter Willett of the Harvard University School of Public Health. “New York is not just the Big Apple; it’s the big domino as well. Lots of other cities will be following,” he predicted. Chicago is already considering similar restrictions.

Most artificial trans fat is found in partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, in addition to margarine and shortening, and is commonly used in baking and frying. It is also found in many processed foods. The New York City ban, which was backed by more than 95 percent of the public comments received on the issue, does not apply to grocery stores or restaurant foods served in sealed original packaging.

In a separate action the same day, the Board of Health also voted unanimously to require that by March 1, 2007, restaurant chains that make calorie information publicly available provide it on menus or menu boards where consumers can view it when ordering. An estimated one in ten restaurants in the City would be affected by this rule, which was supported by 99 percent of the more than 2,200 public comments received. That, “Might make you think twice about a 1,110 calorie Mickey D’s Vanilla Triple Shake,” commented natural foods author Anna Lappe.

Indian Commodity Programs Face Complex Changes

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is requesting comments on a proposal for a new methodology to allocate federal administrative funds for the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR). The “reengineering” proposal caps an eight-year effort to find an equitable way to revise administrative support for getting foodstuffs to some of the most remote and poorest people in the nation. “The current allocation method involves the distribution of funds to Regional Offices based on fixed percentages that have been used for many years,” according to USDA. But the Department readily admits that, “The basis for these historical percentages is unclear (emphasis in original).”

Changing the formula is a highly complex challenge. The FDPIR reaches about 100,000 low-income Indians and Native Americans in 257 Tribes, served by 97 Indian Tribal Organizations (ITOs) and five state agencies. Programs range in size from 23 participants per month to more than 10,000. Many ITOs run the program out of one location, but others have several offices and warehouses. Some offer self-serve stores where participants can “shop” for commodities of their choosing, but most provide food through tailgate distributions and home delivery. Some programs operate within a single reservation while others are run by a consortium of as many as 20 Tribes.

Unable to find consensus among program operators through the National Association of FDPIRs, USDA convened a work group of 15 ITO, state, and federal representatives. The work group began with guidelines to assure that any formula revision is: fair; clear and easy to explain; efficient to implement; sufficient to fund the smallest ITOs; considerate of operational differences; still negotiable; and implemented gradually. The new methodology contains a base funding amount of $10,000 for each ITO or state agency, a portion of funds based on allocations in the most recent three years, and a factor based on the percentage of national participation. Additional funds would be set aside for USDA Regional Offices to negotiate with ITOs and states.

Comments on the proposed allocation system may be made through March 16, 2007. For additional information, including details of the proposed methodology and a listing of work group members, go to:

http://www.fns.usda.gov/……Letters/RequestComments_Proposal11-21-06.pdf.

Disaster Food Assistance Policies Updated

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has issued updated policies and procedures on access to emergency food in disaster situations, including earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, storms, and civil disturbances. The revised guidance covers food for shelters and mass feeding sites, disaster food stamp benefits, and the distribution of commodity foods directly to needy households. In addition to the Food Stamp Program, the policies affect The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), and The Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR).

For additional details, see: http://www.fns.usda.gov/….about-disasters.htm.

Reports from the Field

· The challenges rural people face in seeking help from federal nutrition assistance programs is capsulized in the following article from Big Bear Grizzly, a local paper in Big Bear Lake, California in the San Bernardino Mountains of San Bernardino County, the largest county in the nation:

Big Bear Valley resident Dawn Crawford gave up. After two months on the WIC program, she was unable to get down the mountain for an appointment because she did not have a car. She was dropped from Women, Infants and Children, the federal grant program that provides nutritious foods and nutrition counseling at no charge to qualifying participants.

To be approved for the program again would have taken another two days, plus subsequent drives for Crawford. “It’s just not worth it with the gas prices to go down the mountain,” Crawford says. “Between gas, finding a babysitter and all the running around it would maybe make the difference of $30, if that.”

Not every person who qualifies for WIC can participate in the program, according to Betsy Cline, director of the WIC program in San Bernardino County. Cline estimates the program is serving 63 percent of eligible women in the county. WIC is not an entitlement program.

“There are a number of pockets in the county that are not being served,” Cline says, adding that San Bernardino County is the largest county in America. The agency looks at the estimated eligible women in an area to maximize its resources, Cline says. Big Bear Lake’s numbers based on census data don’t make the area a priority, Cline says.

Women who participate must prove each month they are keeping up with nutritional requirements, and they are periodically required to reregister, showing tax forms to prove income and showing health records for children. All this is to avoid fraud, as well as to keep tabs on the people the program is intended to benefit.

The WIC situation is something Marilyn Vecchio, educational director for Mothers on Mountain, M.O.M., a First Five-funded health resource center for mothers, calls an “ongoing struggle.”
Big Bear’s Healthy Start director Tanya Perry has tried for 12 years to remedy the problem. Healthy Start and the M.O.M. Project are part of a collaborative in the Valley in which community-based organizations work together to cut through bureaucratic red tape and make things happen. But the WIC tape stays stuck.

Vecchio, who is certified by the International Childbirth Educators Association, offered to acquire additional certification through WIC to provide state-required nutritional counseling. Cline says the training required is three months full time. The challenge with finding funding from agencies like First-Five is that the grants will not sustain the program.

“This has historically been our perpetual dilemma,” Cline says, recognizing the hardships the travel time creates. She says people who cannot make the drive monthly can have checks mailed to them if there is no new paperwork required. “For a lot of people, it has made a difference.” Although Perry and company have offered local resources to get a mobile WIC service in Big Bear Valley a few days a month, that is not enough to get it done, according to Cline.

There would need to be two to three fully-trained staff people. “It’s a huge commitment from a volunteer,” Cline says about Vecchio’s offer. Anyone who the agency were to invest three months of training into would be expected to travel to other underserved communities, as well.
“At times we feel like we’re making progress,” Cline says, “and then it feels like we’ve taken two steps back.” As complex a problem as it is, Cline didn’t rule out possibilities for WIC in Big Bear Valley. She’s just stumped how to get it done. “It’s a true puzzle.”

· Emergency food needs are growing in Lincoln, Nebraska, as evidenced by the following article from the Lincoln Journal Star of November 15, 2006:

One hundred people waited in line an hour before an annual pre-Thanksgiving distribution of food and $10 food certificates began Tuesday at the F Street Recreation Center in Lincoln. By the time volunteers were ready to start handing out the frozen turkeys, chickens and other provisions, the line had grown to more than 200.

Nicole Willis, 37 and mother of two teenage sons, choked back tears as she tried to describe the importance of the food she was carrying away in her plastic sacks. “Whether you’re homeless or just low-income, we can’t afford to feed our own families,” she said.

As young mothers clutching babies and elderly people pushing walkers joined Willis in the procession toward the exit, Jennifer Hernandez of Nebraska Appleseed talked about the disconnect between plenty and not enough. Between 50,000 farmers and 80,000-plus Nebraskans eligible for food stamps. Between annual food-production stockpiles in the state big enough to feed 7 million people and 27,000 Lancaster County residents who live below the federal poverty line.

And she pointed to the importance of strengthening the food stamps portion of the farm bill as Congress gets ready to work on new, multi-year legislation. “Farmers aren’t the only ones who should be paying attention to the farm bill re-authorization,” she said.

Nebraska Appleseed wants pressure put on federal lawmakers, for example, to reverse a pattern in which food stamps spending has been cut by more than $30 billion over the past 10 years, and to raise the ceiling on personal assets set at $2,000. “That has not been raised for decades,” Hernandez said. Willis said a job that pays her about $10 an hour for working four days a week puts her above the income eligibility limit.

In a city known for offering job security and relatively attractive benefit packages to thousands of university and state government workers, Lu-Ann Buffkins provided another poverty contrast at the rec center. Buffkins, 52, an Omaha native and four-year resident of Lincoln, said she spent much of 2006 living in a tent in a local park and in her 1974 Dodge truck. Only recently was she able to find work as a security guard and get off the street.

The truck’s transmission is “really crazy” and slow to engage when she moves the gearshift to reverse. That explains why she had to gun the engine and wait a few seconds to move away from the curb Tuesday. How could she be going hungry in a state that produces so much food? “You tell me,” Buffkins responded. “I don’t know.”

Not far away, Hernandez monitored the Rec Center scene with Scott Young of the Lincoln Food Bank and Beatty Brasch of the local Center for People in Need. Nobody needs to tell any of them how important the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the food stamps program are in confronting hunger. Young said USDA annually provides about 700,000 pounds of food to the Food Bank. “The Agriculture Department is one of the largest feeding entities in the country.”

Despite that, Brasch said, the food supply never seems to catch up with demand. “The need has significantly increased,” she said. “The rate of poverty is up. The number of hungry people is up.”

But Hernandez said taxpayers here and elsewhere shouldn’t regard food stamps as a drain on government resources. In a report released Tuesday and titled “Not Just for Farmers,” the center said that every $1 billion spent on food stamps supports 3,300 farm jobs. Every $5 spent on food stamps returns $10 to a local economy. Food stamps are an often vital option for elderly people on fixed incomes and for keeping younger people in the workforce.

“Food is the elastic part of the budget that gets cut,” Hernandez said. “Whenever they can’t do it, they cut food first. “Nobody should have to stand in line for a Thanksgiving meal,” she said, “or for any meal.”

Small Bites

Full of beans: The U.S. is the world’s largest producer of dry beans, with American farmers planting up to 1.7 million acres annually. Although Americans are the largest consumers of these beans, 40 percent are shipped to other countries.

Excess calories produced: American agriculture supports a food supply that provides 3,900 calories per day per capita, roughly twice the average need.

Producing excess cash for food: Large-scale U.S. food production has reduced household food costs. In 1901, food was the biggest household expense, claiming 42.5 percent of family income. By 2003, the average household spent 13.1 percent of its income on food.

Just a few apples: There are more than 7,000 varieties of apples, but only about 100 are grown commercially in the U.S., with Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, McIntosh, Rome Beauty, Jonathan, York, and Stayman accounting for about 80 percent of total production in the U.S.

Cheddar is better: Americans think so; 90 percent of all cheese sold in the U.S. is a type of cheddar.

America’s breadbasket: Kansas produces nearly 500 million bushels of wheat a year, enough to make 36 billion loaves of bread.

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