1. Food Costs Jumped by 5.1 Percent in 2007
2. State Budgets Veer Toward Recession
3. NPR Covers Food Stamp Challenge Organized by Maryland Hunger Solutions
4. Insights from the Maryland Food Stamp Challenge
5. Affluent County Experiencing High Food Stamp Participation
6. School Breakfast Week Sees Push to Expand Program
7. Service-based Economy Brings Many to Brink of Poverty
8. Management Changes Cost Some Seniors Their Food Stamps
9. State's Public Health Providers Warn of Impending Budget Cuts
10. San Diego Food Stamp Program Tough to Access
11. Local Collaborations Effective in Reducing Child Hunger
12. Article Offers Readers Tips on Dealing with Layoffs

Correction:
In our story "FRAC Testifies Before Senate for Seniors" in last week's News Digest, our statement that 86 percent seniors did not participate in the Food Stamp Program was in error. The statistic should have read "86 percent of Food Stamp Directors, surveyed by the U.S. Government Accountability Office, said that a major reason why senior citizens did not participate in the Food Stamp Program was because they felt the 'effort needed to apply outweighed the benefits.' " We regret the error.

Food Costs Jumped by 5.1 Percent in 2007
(The New York Times, March 15, 2008)

Grocery shopping has gotten more and more expensive as food costs rose 5.1 percent over the past year according to the U.S. Labor Department (DOL), which also reports that milk is up 17 percent, cheese 15 percent, rice and pasta 13 percent and bread 12 percent. The nation's worst grocery inflation "since the early 1990s" comes at a time when overall inflation did not rise in February. While gasoline costs dipped in February, AAA reports that gas prices continued to rise in March and set new records every day. According to Joseph Brusuelas, chief U.S. economist for IdeaGlobal, a research firm, the DOL March inflation report "will capture the extraordinary surge in oil, food and commodity prices that we've seen over the last few weeks." Other experts predict food inflation to continue rising over the next year, as farm prices remain "near record levels." Families are feeling the punch to their wallets, reporting food bills of $300 for two weeks, and commenting on astronomical prices for staples like milk, eggs and other perishables. "I've spent $300 in a matter of two weeks," said shopper Roseann Fede. "It used to be like $150. Milk, eggs, nonperishable things, everything has gone up in price."

State Budgets Veer Toward Recession
(The New York Times, March 17, 2008)

25 states expect budget shortfalls in the 2009 fiscal year, a figure confirmed through separate research by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, an informal New York Times phone survey, and other state roundups. These shortfalls are the largest reported by many of the states since the 2001 and 1991-92 recessions. The housing market "implosion" which negatively affected tax revenues is being blamed for a major part of the shortfalls, and some states normally avoiding tax increases are now looking at some sort of increase. Maryland's legislature bumped the state's sales tax up a point to six percent and programs for the elderly are being cut in Maine, while New Jersey government employees face layoffs. Children's Medicaid programs are also getting pinched. Jennifer Davis, Delaware's State Office of Management and Budget director, commented "Good state budget managers…manage their budgets like a household. When gas and milk prices go up, there are only so many ways to solve it."

Some states, however, aren't bracing for billions in lost revenue; oil producing states aren't as beleaguered, as well as agricultural states, like Kansas. But overall, the situation looks bleak, as National Governors Association executive director Ray Scheppach describes how long the problems will last. He said personal income taxes tend to lag behind economic recoveries, and "[t]he major impact on states is the year after a recession stops or the following year. It is really sort of the worst as you begin to recover."

NPR Covers Food Stamp Challenge Organized by Maryland Hunger Solutions
(WYPR Baltimore, March 14, 2008)

National Public Radio accompanied Maryland's Food Stamp Director, Kevin McGuire, as he shopped at an East Baltimore grocery store in preparation for his week on the Food Stamp Challenge. Careful not to exceed the Challenge's financial limit of $21 for a week's worth of food (the average weekly benefit for individuals receiving food stamps), McGuire took the opportunity to speak on raising the dollar amount for recipients. East Baltimore resident Linnette Allen, who depends on food stamps, was also profiled in the story. "I really can't get too much stuff off of food stamps," she said. Reporter Stephanie Marudas took note of the "foods that last" in Allen's kitchen - items such as eggs, bacon, canned vegetables, canned tuna, pasta, and a 25 lb. bag of sugar. She is unable to afford rice, potatoes and macaroni and cheese as she must make her $137 food stamp allotment last the month for herself and her 15-year-old daughter. When the stamps run out at the end of each month, she relies on borrowing money from relatives and cash assistance from disability income to buy food. Food stamps "don't last a whole month," Allen said.

Maryland Food Stamp Challenge
(Maryland Hunger Solutions blog, March 5 - 17, 2008)

Kimberley Chin, Director, Maryland Hunger Solutions and organizer of the Maryland Food Stamp Challenge
"How are working mothers of small children supposed to 'do it all?' How are they supposed to 'do it all' with limited time and on an incredibly limited budget? And with the cost of energy and food going up, the budgets will get even tighter. Food Stamps are the first line of defense against hunger and with the rising costs of food, they need to be adjusted to adequately help people feed their families a nutritious meal."

Father Joe Muth of St. Matthew's Catholic Church, Baltimore City
"Yesterday was also the day I really started feeling hungry in the afternoon. I also have begun to wonder if I run out of food before Sunday do I have the guts or courage or humility (or whatever it takes) to go to a soup kitchen to supplement my food for the week. If I have to do something I think I would prefer a soup kitchen to getting a bag of food from a food pantry because I'd feel like I was taking food from someone else.

"I have also been touched by waiting for my next meal and trying to time it so that I will feel 'full' until the next meal. I put the word 'full' in quotation marks because I don't think I ever felt full this whole week.

"So I learned a lot this week. Thanks for asking me to join the challenge."

Kevin McGuire, Executive Director, Family Investment Administration, Maryland Department of Human Resources
"[T]he challenge of having enough to eat will not end for over three hundred fifty thousand of my fellow Marylanders tomorrow. For them, the struggle continues to plan meals and eat healthy for not much while we live literally in a land of plenty.

Yolanda Dockery, Executive Assistant to the Executive Director, Family Investment Administration, Maryland Department of Human Resources
"I truly hope that after this that policy makers are "challenged" to seriously consider increasing the food stamp grants. I believe that everyone should have an opportunity to purchase healthy food and drinks for themselves and their families."

Read their complete stories, as well as updates from other Food Stamp Challenge participants, on the Maryland Hunger Solutions blog.

Affluent County Experiencing High Food Stamp Participation
(Al.com, March 9, 2008)

Alabama's Shelby County, the richest in the state, also has the state's highest percentage of food stamp recipients. "We don't have that many poor people," said the county's Department of Human Resources (DHR) director Chris Monceret. "We have…a lot of elderly and working people who qualify." According to the DHR, close to 13,000 people in Shelby County live in poverty, while less than half of them were enrolled in the Food Stamp Program in 2007. The county's DHR office is working to increase those numbers, and as of January 2008, 6,407 residents living in poverty are now receiving the assistance. There's an initiative to increase participation statewide by concentrating on the elderly and working poor populations. In Shelby County, only 22 percent of eligible senior citizens receive food stamps; outreach efforts will enable seniors to apply via phone as the state focuses on making the food stamp application process simpler.

School Breakfast Week Sees Push to Expand Program
(Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, March 8, 2008)

In time for National School Breakfast Week, Wisconsin Senators Herb Kohl (D) and Russ Feingold (D) introduced a measure on Capitol Hill last week encouraging states to increase school breakfast programs, and Representatives Gwen Moore (D) and Ron Kind (D) also offered an amendment to increase participation in the program. "Kids do better in school when they've had a decent breakfast," said Rep. Moore, recognizing the importance of the meal. She went on to say that all children need to start each day with breakfast, as it's an "essential component of academic success," helping them pay attention in class, make it to school on time, and improve their behavior. The House and Senate measures aim to increase federal support for the program nationwide.

Service-based Economy Brings Many to Brink of Poverty
(San Luis Obispo Tribune, March 9, 2008)

California's San Luis Obispo County is watching as more and more residents are struggling with the slow economy and low wages from their service sector jobs. Lee Collins, director of the county's Social Services Department, is concerned that a looming recession and possible government cuts to welfare and health programs will make matters worse, "at a time when more families may need a boost to keep food on the table at the end of the month." The percentage of the county's students qualifying for free or reduced lunch has risen 17 percent over the past seven years; now one out of every three students qualifies. And the number of food stamp recipients has doubled. High home prices and affordable housing shortages add to the dismal economic climate for many of the county's working poor.

Management Changes Cost Some Seniors Their Food Stamps
(WFIE Indianapolis, March 11, 2008)

Advocates are stepping in to ensure senior citizens receive their food stamps as the new privatized welfare system in 12 Indiana counties is failing to deliver on elderly nutrition assistance and other programs. Residents are finding long wait times when trying to contact the new call center, and are having difficulty applying for programs on the Internet. Investigators for senior groups are calling on the Governor and General Assembly to address and investigate the problems immediately.

(Gadsden Times, March 2, 2008)

Senior meal programs may be one of a number of public health programs that will suffer under Alabama's forthcoming budget cuts. Children will also suffer, as the state public health office has capped SCHIP enrollment at 72,000, and will reduce enrollment to fewer than 60,000 in 2009. Those slots, once lost, will not be able to be refilled. The lack of state and federal funding will also affect AIDS drug assistance, prescriptions for 400 patients, and preventive screenings and health care in the Black Belt. Experts say the "already minimalist" care will "regress," also affecting foster care and the community mental health system.

San Diego Food Stamp Program Tough to Access
(La Prensa San Diego, March 14, 2008)

A number of significant barriers exist which are keeping 250,000 San Diego residents from receiving food stamps:

- many who are qualified under new rules aren't aware they can and should apply;
- many erroneously believe they can only receive food stamps if they have children;
- applicants must attend four separate 60-minute visits to the enrollment office in order to apply;
- offices aren't open at convenient times for the needy, who can't afford child care and may not have leave to take off work;
- twenty pages of paperwork are required for each application;
- mandatory fingerprinting of applicants may strike fear in potential recipients, as the offices focus on fraud prevention over client service.

The city has the lowest food stamp participation rate of all cities nationwide. The low percentage - 31 percent of qualified residents - hurts the local economy, denying an influx of $144 million that could be spent on food. And according to Jennifer Tracy, the San Diego Hunger Coalition's Food Stamp Outreach Coordinator, it also hurts "children, seniors, working people, families and singles," denying them the ability to free up money to purchase "shoes, clothing and medications."

Local Collaborations Effective in Reducing Child Hunger
(Montpelier Times-Argus, March 17, 2008)

Increasing community awareness and developing strategic partnerships are helping raise the numbers of children with daily access to breakfast and lunch, as the Vermont Campaign to End Childhood Hunger works with The Hunger Council of Washington County and their corporate partner, Northfield Savings Bank, to collaborate with community organizations in a broad initiative to combat childhood hunger. Some of the county's statistics recognized by Montpelier's Mayor, Mary Hooper, in her commentary include:

- 15,000 more school breakfasts served in the past year;
- 154 more children enrolled in free and reduced price school meals;
- 7 percent increase in children participating in food stamps;
- 5 child care centers starting to serve meals;
- 2 new summer food programs planned.

Mayor Hooper also outlines the scope of work spread out among the community:

- school superintendents working together to address child hunger and nutrition;
- citizen groups forming to oversee summer food programs;
- training by The Hunger Council in Washington County schools;
- bi-monthly panels on topics such as child-care center meals;
- individual town hunger and food resource reports for Town Meetings;
- recommendations for state and federal elected officials;
- media campaigns including letters to editors of local newspapers.

Mayor Hooper is confident that the work begun by The Hunger Council will continue after the Council ends its formal work in the coming year.

Article Offers Readers Tips on Dealing with Layoffs
(Rutland Herald, March 9, 2008)

"Don't Panic, Cut Back, Use Available Resources," and "Prepare as a Family" are four tactics offered in this article for helping families cope with job loss. The tips combine setting in place a healthy frame of mind, trimming expenses and taking advantage of federal assistance like food stamps, unemployment insurance, and heating assistance. Open lines of family communication as well as planning ahead for possible layoffs are also important and can help manage overwhelming emotions in the event of sudden unemployment.

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