In January, our California-transplanted intern, Taylor Reno, recounted her run-in with the words “EBT Machine Accepted Here” outside a Los Angeles Burger King. The Campus Kitchens Project Staff watched in awe as she produced this picture and blog post detailing exactly which restaurants accepted food stamps in Los Angeles, including Pizza Hut and Jack in the Box.

“These eateries have menus that offer a wealth of food high in fat and sugar and low in nutritional value,” Reno wrote. So why are these restaurant programs for SNAP benefits expanding?

USA Today reported that from 2005 to 2010, businesses approved to accept food stamps grew by one-third, and Yum! Brands – owner of Taco Bell, KFC, Long John Silvers, and more – are on board to shell out those benefits. Currently, states that allow food stamp recipients to redeem at multiple restaurants include: Florida, California, Arizona, and Michigan.

The Providence Journal also reported that in Rhode Island, Subway restaurants will begin accepting food stamps at four Subways as part of the Food Access Project, which is available to 33,000 homeless, elderly, or disabled individuals enrolled in SNAP.

This is perhaps the point critics of these restaurant programs don’t want to miss: SNAP restaurant programs are in place for populations that are otherwise not able to cook meals from scratch at home. Elderly hands aren’t stable enough to peel potatoes. And it’s certainly hard to get a hot meal if you don’t have a cutting board or stove to call your own.

Regardless of purpose, it is still hard to champion sending those in need (among an already obese nation) to get calories at nutrient-lacking food hubs simply because we can’t find a better way to fix the immediate need.

Or at least that’s what critics might think before reading this post from an intern with St. Anthony’s advocacy program in San Francisco. The intern’s job: create an advocacy video interviewing Restaurant Meals Program recipients in response to the proposed elimination of the program.

The intern (a Micah Fellow from St. Mary’s College) wrote: “There was also an elderly Caucasian woman who told me how she gets hungry at night waiting in line for a shelter bed, but using her EBT card at McDonalds allows her to get a hot meal after she’s checked in for a bed.”
Read more of her testimony here.

What are your thoughts on food stamp access at fast food restaurants? What are some alternatives for getting regular, hot meals to those who cannot cook for themselves?

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 While panels covered topics like fighting childhood obesity and health disparities, speakers continually returned to the subject of SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and outreach to Latinos about the program.

With only 56 percent of SNAP-eligible Latinos participating in the program, the U.S. Department of Agriculture along with food banks and other non-profits are looking to boost participation. The message among all of the panelists: there is hope.

Liz Gomez from Almaeda County Food Bank shared with the group three myths surrounding SNAP, which new radio PSA’s in California try to combat.

Myths:

1. You have to be on welfare to get food stamps
2. If I’m not eligible, either are my children
3. You’ll be embarrassed using food stamps at the register

Knowing what’s being said about food stamps helped California put together advertisements airing on Spanish-language radio stations to further inform Latinos in the state (California is the second worst state when it comes to utilizing the SNAP program) about the nutrition assistance available to them.

The audience offered other ideas for increasing SNAP enrollment, including: community-based outreach (rather than sending everyone to crowded county offices), partnering with the local department of aging to reach seniors, and conducting SNAP outreach right at the register of the grocery store.

Campus Kitchens like Gettysburg College and its partnership with Lincoln Intermediate Migrant Education Program help make healthy foods available to Latino communities regardless of SNAP enrollment.

As the network continues to expand its service to Latino communities across the nation, look into SNAP outreach materials, and consider making that resource available to your community partners.

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EBT Sign in Los Angeles, California

Think food stamps and envision lines at the local grocery store with people buying fresh produce items and ingredients for healthy, affordable, family-style meals. The last place we expect to see food stamps used is down the street at the local fast food chain.  I was shocked when I first noticed the sign reading “EBT Welcomed” in the window of a Los Angeles Burger King.

Recently, in many U.S. counties, that’s exactly what you’ll see.

Since 2005, participating fast food restaurants have accepted Food Stamps  (termed SNAP benefits) in Los Angeles County for the disabled, homeless and elderly.

SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) provides benefits to those that qualify via EBT electronic benefits transfer. SNAP allows recipients to buy groceries from participating stores. Recipients must only purchase food items that are authorized by SNAP.

Typically, EBT users cannot swipe their cards for pre-made hot meals. But now, many counties in California, Arizona, Florida, and Michigan, are now allowing SNAP benefits to be used towards the purchasing meals in restaurants.

Many attribute this shift to lack of access to kitchens by homeless individuals. Some argue the elderly and disabled may have trouble cooking from fresh ingredients typically allowed by SNAP. This change in rules in Los Angeles County takes these individuals’ needs into consideration, but may do more harm then good.

Restaurants that now accept EBT in Los Angeles include:

• Subway
• El Pollo Loco
• Kentucky Fried Chicken
• Jack in the Box
• Burger King
• Pizza Hut

These eateries have menus that offer a wealth of food high in fat and sugar and low in nutritional value.

The elderly and homeless need options that are nutritious and easily accessible. People deserve hot meals, which is why all of the Campus Kitchens provide meals for those that are most at risk, including: the homeless, elderly, and disabled.  The Campus Kitchens Project is helping those with no access to a kitchen or with physical or mental handicaps. Student leaders recognize these volunteers may not benefit from groceries alone.

In addition, the Campus Kitchen at Gettysburg College has made is possible to use EBT cards at their local farmers market with help from the food council in Adams County. Their oversight of the machine allows those who qualify for EBT and have access to kitchens the ability to buy fresh and healthy produce and food.

Ask at your local farmers market if they accept EBT. If they don’t, see what you can do to bring them there, so that lawmakers can start promoting SNAP benefits used on fresh and local product rather than nutrient-lacking fast food.

To read more about the work that the Campus Kitchen at Gettysburg College and all of the other Campus Kitchens are doing read our Annual Report.  http://www.campuskitchens.org/national/images/files/financials/ckp_2009ar.pdf

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The costs associated with these daily activities are rising faster than food providers can absorb prices according to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, “Food Sellers Grit Teeth, Raise Prices.”

The article suggests that as costs rise, many food makers and retailers will get consumers to take on higher costs for ingredients by raising prices.

Authors Julie Gargon and Ilan Brat explain: “Costs are being driven by growing demand for meat in China, India, and other emerging markets. That’s driven up grain prices, which in turn boost the cost of chicken, steak, bread, and pasta.”

While the results give more purpose to the work of the network of 27 Campus Kitchens across the country to drive hunger relief in their local communities, the findings also prove less manageable with reports that money for SNAP benefits might decline for America’s poor.

Today, the Food Research and Action Center(FRAC) reported that in September, 18 percent of Americans said they struggled to afford enough food to feed themselves and their families over the past 12 months.

While this number dropped from an average of 18.5 percent in 2009, repurposing of SNAP benefit funds could leave more Americans searching for food at agencies like those served by Campus Kitchens.

FRAC’s report states that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which took effect April 2009, increased monthly SNAP benefits, and with that increase, food hardship rates steadily declined.

Over the summer, however, FRAC reported that Congress took nearly $12 billion from SNAP benefits. Now, the child nutrition bill under consideration by the Senate could cut another $2.2 billion.

The report states: “FRAC, along with many other organizations is urging Congress to fix the SNAP cut and pass a strong child nutrition bill.” In other words: FRAC doesn’t want the poor stealing from the poor; there must be money out there for both.

As food prices continue to rise and proposed SNAP cuts loom closer, the work of feeding organizations like Campus Kitchens becomes even more pertinent for giving families that extra bit they need to stay on their feet.

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More than ever, the hunger relief work Campus Kitchens engage in over the summer – whether its delivering blast-chilled meals to the Salvation Army, or adding new fresh produce to meals from garden harvests – will provide necessary nutrition to families hungering for assistance.

Many of those families await food stamp benefits, according to a recent report, “Millions Forced to Endure Long Waits for Food Stamps” that ran in The Washington Post.

Federal Law requires local administrators to review applications for food stamps within 30 days, but according to the Associated Press, about half of states processed less than 90 percent of applications from fiscal year 2009 in the allotted time.

Florida, Colorado and Nevada processed one fifth of applications late. Rhode Island processed one quarter late. And Texas, the worst among the states AP examined, left a third of its applicants waiting for assistance beyond 30 days.

A record 40 million people (one in eight Americans) are on the Supplemental Nutritian Assistance Program,  which means families are relying  on SNAP’s debit card to buy food they need to survive at grocery stores and farmers markets more than ever.

What does it take for a family of four’s application to process? Beyond meeting the requirement of earning less than $2,389 a month, state and local governments are allowed to add extra requirements, like fingerprints and notarized documents, to prevent fraud.  The decision could be what slows the process.

The next time you report to a Campus Kitchen cooking or meal shift in the hot, thick heat of summer, think of this: when a family’s SNAP card does not arrive for months, meals from community agencies like a Campus Kitchen might be all the sustenance received.

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An article recently posted on the blog, Salon.com, begs to differ. The article entitled “Hipsters on Food Stamps” highlights a group of 20 to 30 somethings who are popularizing a ‘new’ way to use food stamps. This group, containing many self-proclaimed ‘foodies’, have broken the long standing stereotypes that food stamps can only be used for government commodities and are instead using them to buy things like organic veggies and fresh baked bread at places like farmers markets and food co-ops.

Despite the fact that probably none of the clients you serve would fall into the ‘hipster’ category, this article brings up a great point for discussion about what you can and cannot buy with food stamps. The USDA Food and Nutrition Service website provides helpful information about the program, including what foods are eligible for purchase with Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards:

So the next time you are talking with your clients about food choices and healthful eating, remind them that they are not limited to packaged, processed, and frozen foods. Maybe even point out how they can stretch their food stamp dollars by buying fresh foods and cooking from scratch when they have time (and freezing meals for the week).

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Last night marked the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Passover. I observed the holiday by participating in a Seder, a festive meal and retelling of the story of the ancient Israelites’ exodus from Egypt.

However, last night’s Seder was not the first Seder I attended this year. Last Wednesday, I had the privilege of attending “Let All Who Are Hungry Come and Eat: A Seder Dedicated to Child Nutrition and Hunger Awareness” at the United States Capitol. This incredible event, co-sponsored by the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA) and Mazon: A Jewish Response to Hunger, was just one of over forty such Seders that will be taking place all over the country in the coming days.

The Child Nutrition Seder uses the story of Passover and the ritual practices associated with this Jewish holiday as a means to raise consciousness about the continued presence of childhood hunger and malnutrition in the United States.

For example, at a traditional Passover Seder, participants read about four fictitious children: the wise son, the wicked son, the simple son, and the son who does not know how to ask questions. For each son, the Hagaddah, the Seder’s guidebook, reveals how one should explain the proceedings of the Seder to address each child’s distinctive personality.

At the Child Nutrition Seder, we read about four very different children…four “faces of child hunger”: “the child who receives free school lunch,” “the child who receives free school breakfast,” “the child who should be able to participate in a summer feeding program,” and “the mother and her child who participate in WIC [Women, Infants, and Children Program].” We learn how each child fares in different government nutrition programs and how we can better meet that child’s nutritional needs.

Rather than recounting the ten plagues brought to bear on the ancient Egyptians by God to encourage them to free the Israelite slaves, we acknowledged ten different prototypes of Americans plagued by hunger.

The purpose of the Child Nutrition Seder was not just to educate, but also to empower and advocate for change. The Seder’s impetus was the impending reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Bill, as well as President Obama’s campaign pledge to end childhood hunger by 2015. The Seders are an opportunity for individuals and communities, Jews and non-Jews alike, to lobby the federal government for sufficient funds to combat child hunger and malnutrition.

At local Child Nutrition Seders, participants are provided with resources to advocate for child nutrition programs, and are encouraged to pursue specific action steps to continue to work for change. At last Wednesday’s National Child Nutrition Seder, Senator Harkin (IA), Representatives Emerson (MO), Clyburn (SC), DeLauro (CT), and the presidents of the JCPA and Mazon co-signed a letter to Congress, asking for at least $4 billion in new funding for child nutrition programs.

Ultimately, this week’s Child Nutrition Seders seek to demonstrate that just as the ancient Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt, with proper governmental support, so too can hungry children be freed from the bondage of hunger and malnutrition.

As Campus Kitchen volunteers, you are constantly made aware of the dire need for greater governmental funding for nutrition programs. In the spirit of the Child Nutrition Seder, I urge you write a letter to Congress in support of a strong Child Nutrition Reauthorization. While you are munching on that delicious, complimentary matzo in the dining hall, visit: https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml to find contact information for your congressperson, or http://www.senate.gov/to find contact information for your senator.

For more information on the JCPA and the Child Nutrition Seder, as well as a sample letter to Congress, visit: http://engage.jewishpublicaffairs.org/t/1686/content.jsp?content_KEY=853

For more information on Mazon: A Jewish Response to Hunger, visit: http://www.mazon.org/

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Build the Strong Bones of a City Food System: This article not only provides a strong argument for expanding and increasing food stamp benefits (also known as SNAP benefits), but also a helpful overview of initiatives to increase access to sustainable food in urban areas.  It’s focused on NYC, but folks here in DC are working on similar increases in food stamp benefits and programs to water those food deserts.

Human hunger trumps politics and hassle : An LA Times columnists argues in favor of a law that would require caterers to donate leftover food. (Found this one through the LA Homeless Blog, one of my new favorites.)

Homeless in Sacramento’s Tent City to Move to Fairground: Since our post last week that included news of the homeless encampment in Sacramento, the place has become the new face of homelessness in America, attracting the attention of folks like Gov. Schwarzenegger and Oprah.

The Schoolyard Foodie: Why our kids are fighting over fruit: A teacher from a school in Oakland where 100% of students get free lunch connects the lack of nutritious food in the cafeteria to their classroom experience. He writes:

For the next ninety minutes, it’s my job to convince this malnourished kid (who, by the way, has orange fingers from a bag of Cheetos being passed around surreptitiously) to sit still and be an active participant for an afternoon of middle school prison training.

Word to my mom: My family is notorious for haphazardly sending along bits of interesting/tangentially relevant news. Just last week, my Gma Joan sent me this piece about what sounds like a rad food pantry in Austin, TX. Then yesterday,  Mom sent me the link to this forum post to let me know that even corporate meeting planners are thinking about food waste these days. I think doing news digests must be in my genes.

Oh and check me out on the Organic on the Green blog! I guest blogged this week about food, community and CKP.

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Desperate tent city revival for America’s homeless

Food bank uses food stamps to help economy: Elsewhere in California, an organization called Food for People has started a campaign called  “Bring a Million to Humboldt County,” which intends to educate the community about how their food stamp dollars can stimulate their local economy.  Their aim is both to enroll more people in the program (in Humboldt County, only 46% of those eligible for food stamps actually use them) and to educate them about the benefits of buying locally.

Expand the WIC Program: More encouraging news comes from Delaware, which just became the second state in the U.S. to include fresh produce and whole grains in the WIC (Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants and Children) program. Greg Plotkin reports on change.org Poverty in America blog that believe it or not,

A program that is, at its core, designed to help low-income mothers with young children purchase healthy food to increase the nutritional value of their diets didn’t include fresh fruits and vegetables as an edible option until now.

Senate votes to triple AmeriCorps, bolster service: In other legislative news, the SERVE Act, which promises to signficantly expand national service, passed yesterday. Check out what some of CKP’s own Americorps members had to say about their service last month.

Students craft their own cafeteria offerings: In an effort to balance better nutrition with taste that will appeal to teenagers, schools from in cities from Oakland to Baltimore are sponsoring cooking competitions for their students. Maybe CKP should be recruiting from the ranks of these young chefs…

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