Ledes from the Land of Enchantment

Albuquerque Food Bank Joins National Hunger Action Month / Public News Service

ALBUQUERQUE, NM – The number of people struggling to bring food to the table in New Mexico has declined since the pandemic began, but the unemployed and many families with children are still struggling to get back on their feet.

Larrissa Orosco, an Albuquerque social worker and a New Mexico customer of Roadrunner Food Bank, had insufficient billable hours to afford groceries in June and said she reached out to Roadrunner Food Bank for help .

“It’s not just those who are out of work or unemployed, but also the working people in the community,” Orosco said.

September is Hunger Action Month, spearheaded by the Feeding America Network, the country’s largest domestic hunger relief organization. The group encourages donations to your local board, volunteer work there, or run a food drive.

According to Sonya Warwick, director of communications and events for the New Mexico Roadrunner Food Bank, one in three children and one in five people in New Mexico is at risk of starvation. She pointed out that for every dollar donated to hunger relief organizations, five meals can be provided; Meals that help fewer residents avoid them.

“We expect rural communities to be hit by hunger,” observed Warwick. “Of course, children, families with children, are definitely more affected. Seniors, absolutely.”

Supporters for ending hunger wear orange on Hunger Action Day, Friday September 17th. Orosco recommended that each day of this month be a good opportunity to “prepay” it if you have the financial means.

“If you don’t need food, hey this is great, count your blessings,” Orosco remarked. “But if you are able to give back and give to these agencies so that they can take care of those in the community who are unable to take care of themselves, do it.”

Starting October 1, the Biden government approved an increase in benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Participating households are eligible for an additional $ 250 per month in food services or $ 36 per person. The Department of Agriculture estimates the program feeds more than 42 million Americans each month.

Disclosure: Roadrunner Food Bank contributes to our fund for reporting on child issues, community issues and volunteering, hunger / nutrition / nutrition and poverty. If you would like to support news in the public interest, click here.

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MINNEAPOLIS – More school districts in Minnesota are welcoming students again this week. Due to the pandemic, schools are getting federal aid to improve their meals and a new Minnesota law prevents them from using violence over unpaid lunch debts.

The bipartisan provision contained in a new spending law aims to end lunch shaming and calls for government intervention in the event of a violation.

Leah Gardner, policy director of Hunger Solutions Minnesota, said they had worked on the issue for nearly a decade. She pointed out that in the run-up to the pandemic, even if past incidents attracted negative attention, it was still a problem.

“We continued to see some practices, such as throwing the children’s food away before any other student,” Gardner said.

For now, the federal government is reimbursing districts for free meals to all students, and groups like Hunger Solutions continue to push for universal lunches when things return to normal.

Gardner noted that a plan is urging the state to make better use of federal funds available to poor areas to provide meals to all. GOP lawmakers have raised cost concerns in the debate about extending school lunches.

There are also calls for Congress to improve the funding formula to potentially give more schools the opportunity to qualify for what is known as the Community Eligibility Commission if the majority of their students have lower incomes.

Colleen Moriarty, executive director of Hunger Solutions Minnesota, said the ultimate goal is lunch for all students, regardless of their background. She claimed the past year changed the discussion about food insecurity and student needs.

“If you are concerned about behavior, absenteeism, or the ability to focus, there is no better way to emphasize the importance of the ability and willingness to learn than to make sure people are getting the food they need,” said Moriarty.

Some states, such as California and Maine, have introduced their own universal lunch programs. In response to opponents’ cost concerns, proponents argue that such a move could not only reduce stigma, but also lower administrative costs.

Disclosure: Hunger Solutions Minnesota contributes to our fund for hunger / food / nutrition and livable wages / working families reporting. If you would like to support news in the public interest, click here.

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SALT LAKE CITY – Many students in Utah, especially in rural areas, often do not have access to their school’s meal program during school breaks. But a move pending in Congress would extend federal nutrition programs designed to fill those nutritional gaps for families.

Approval of the program, known as the Stop Child Hunger Act of 2021, would make pandemic-era pilot programs permanent to provide funding to replace meals during summer school holidays and unexpected school closings.

Gina Cornia – executive director of Utahns Against Hunger – said funding for these programs will expire at the end of the current school year if lawmakers fail to act.

“It’s expensive to run these programs,” Cornia said. “They are often linked to a summer school program. So if a district doesn’t have a summer school program, there isn’t a summer meal program because the summer school doesn’t last all summer. “

The programs provide families with children entitled to free or discounted school meals an electronic credit transfer or EBT card to cover meals missed outside of school.

Cornia said nearly a third of all public school students in Utah participate in one or more government-funded meal programs.

“According to the latest data we have that has been disrupted by the pandemic, approximately 29% of children in Utah are getting their meals for free or at a discounted price,” Cornia said. “And that means more than 180,000 children.”

Cornia said the EBT program will help students with working parents or those who live in rural areas without transportation to school have nutritious meals during breaks.

“This would really go a long way towards filling not only those gaps,” said Cornia, “but also giving families the freedom and flexibility to buy the food they want.”

The bill is supported by both parties and awaits committee hearings in both the House and Senate.

Utahns Against Hunger does not offer direct food services, but is a non-profit organization that advises on public policy issues and advocates federal nutrition programs.

Disclosure: Utahns Against Hunger contributes to our fund for reporting on hunger / food / nutrition, livable wages / working families, poverty and social justice. If you want to support news in the public interest, click here.

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NASHVILLE, Tennessee – Proponents say the USDA’s recent 25% increase in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, due to go into effect in October, will help more families struggling to stay afloat since unemployment benefits expire and the delta variant continues to complicate economic recovery.

Food insecurity in Tennessee has increased dramatically in the past year and a half, especially among children.

More than 41% of households receiving SNAP benefits have children, according to Feeding America.

Heather Taylor, director of strategic campaigns at the nonprofit Bread for the World, said the amount will make a difference for eligible households.

“What that means in real terms is an increase of about $ 36 per person per month,” said Taylor.

As of July, more than 856,000 people in the state were enrolled with SNAP.

Last month, Tennessee’s Department of Human Services agreed to pay the federal government approximately six point eight million dollars to investigate allegations that they broke the law from 2012 to 2014 by using SNAP quality control data for the financial benefit of the department have manipulated.

Taylor added that over the past 45 years, SNAP benefits have been adjusted for inflation and the cost of living, but not adjusted for changes in dietary guidelines and the higher costs associated with eating a healthy diet.

Taylor noted that the additional monthly cash could increase household purchases of fruit and vegetables.

“The ability to buy healthy foods and not relegate them to high-sodium canned foods or pasta, things that increase diabetes and blood sugar,” Taylor outlined.

She indicated that the increase will also boost the local economy by spending more on grocery stores and helping vulnerable residents such as older adults living on a steady income.

“So that’s what the 42 million Americans currently participating in the SNAP program will feel,” Taylor said.

Around eight million low-income households receiving SNAP benefits include at least one adult aged 50 or older, according to a study by the AARP Public Policy Institute. Studies show that older SNAP recipients often struggle to afford a nutritious diet, which can make chronic illness worse.

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