Improving child nutrition when school's out
Although thousands of children depend on nutritious free and reduced-price meals and snacks at school for nine months out of the year, only a fraction of eligible children in Ohio last year participated in a Summer Food Service Program, the federal program that helps children get the nutrition they need throughout the summer months. A lack of adequate nutrition at any time can be extraordinarily damaging to a child’s health, growth, development and their ability to succeed during the school year.
OASHF recently hosted a summit with SFSP providers and partners. More details about the Summit are in our news release, or check out the articles and video below for coverage of the event.
Officials look for ways to boost student use of free summer meal plans
Kids get hungry in the summer, too. But when school lets out, the number of youngsters taking advantage of government-paid free-meal programs drops by about 80 percent. (Click here to read the story in the Columbus Dispatch.)
State Looks to Help More Kids with Food Programs
A summit held on Monday brought Ohio leaders together to talk about how to make sure low income children get nutritional help all year, not just when school is open. (Click here to watch the video from the Ohio News Network.)
OASHF recently hosted a summit with SFSP providers and partners. More details about the Summit are in our news release, or check out the articles and video below for coverage of the event.
Officials look for ways to boost student use of free summer meal plans
Kids get hungry in the summer, too. But when school lets out, the number of youngsters taking advantage of government-paid free-meal programs drops by about 80 percent. (Click here to read the story in the Columbus Dispatch.)
State Looks to Help More Kids with Food Programs
A summit held on Monday brought Ohio leaders together to talk about how to make sure low income children get nutritional help all year, not just when school is open. (Click here to watch the video from the Ohio News Network.)
Ohio Benefit Bank Tax Clinic Map
Tax season is upon us! Ohioans with household incomes under $60,000 can get help filing income taxes through The Ohio Benefit Bank, a program of the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks. To find free tax assistance near you, use this map to search for the nearest Ohio Benefit Bank site or tax clinic event, or call 1-800-648-1176 or visit www.ohiobenefits.org for more information.
View http://batchgeo.com/map/7f9d8bb52b7658fe78b5235e5c4cc2c6">TaxTax"> referrals 2012 in a full screen map
View http://batchgeo.com/map/7f9d8bb52b7658fe78b5235e5c4cc2c6">TaxTax"> referrals 2012 in a full screen map
Ohioans Can File Taxes for Free Using The Ohio Benefit Bank
To file your taxes online, or to locate an Ohio Benefit Bank counselor in your area to assist you for free, visit www.ohiobenefits.org or call 1-800-648-1176.
The Ohio Benefit Bank also helps taxpayers claim tax credits like the Earned Income Tax Credit.
“At least one in every four taxpayers eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit fails to claim the credit,” said Jason Elchert, OASHF deputy director. “The EITC could put more than $5,800 into the pockets of eligible Ohio taxpayers. This is money that taxpayers can use now to make their lives a little easier or money they can put away for a rainy day.”
Read more: http://admin.oashf.org/uploads/news/2012_Opening_of_Tax_Season_Release.pdf
RSVP TODAY FOR THE OHIO SUMMER FOOD SERVICE PROGRAM SUMMIT!
It's never too early to get
ready for Summer! Right now is a great time to learn more about the Summer Food
Service Program (SFSP), a federally funded nutrition program for children over
the summer months, when school meals are not available.
The Ohio Association of
Second Harvest Foodbanks and the Ohio Department of Education invite you to
join us at the upcoming SFSP Summit this month!
The event will be held on
Monday, January 30, 2012 at the Mid-Ohio
Foodbank in Grove City from 10:30 am to 3:30 pm.
RSVP
today by clicking here.
The Summit is for SFSP
Sponsors and organizations that are interested in learning more about the SFSP
and how to participate in their community. The summit will provide a great
opportunity to network, share best practices and hear from the experts, including
United States Department of Agriculture Under Secretary Kevin Concannon on how
to start or expand your program!
While child nutrition programs are
available during the school year, many children go hungry during the summer
months. The Summer Food Service Program, which was established to provide
children ages 1-18 breakfast, lunch, or a snack during the summer months,
operates out of schools, summer camps, park and recreation centers, and
churches and community centers in Ohio.
Join us on January 30th to learn more
about how you can become involved in the Summer Food Service Program in your
community!
Food Stamps: the safety net that deserves its name
A recent article written by Lizzy Ratner appeared in The Nation early this month and it explores "the food stamp system: decaying, inundated and one of the most unexpectedly effective safety net programs still standing." Read the article here: http://www.thenation.com/article/165169/food-stamps-safety-net-deserves-its-name
We Are Ohio provides OASHF with $10,000 to help fight hunger
At a time when the number of Ohioans turning to Ohio's emergency
food assistance network continues to rise, charitable contributions,
such as the $10,000 received from We Are Ohio, have a huge impact in the
fight against hunger. Read more about this in our press release on the OASHF website: http://admin.oashf.org/uploads/news/We_are_Ohio_Press_Statement.pdf
We can't afford hunger in Ohio
Hunger cost Ohio more than $6.97 billion in 2010. But Ohio can make a difference in the debate on how we prevent hunger-related health care costs, lost educational achievement and worker productivity.
We need YOUR VOICE today to make an impact. The Super Committee's deadline to come up with $1.2 trillion in cuts or revenues is this Monday, November 21st.
Call Senator Portman and your congressperson TODAY if you care about the cost of hunger and the National Service members who give a year of their life to end hunger and poverty in your community.
Tell them to protect National Service programs and the nutrition safety net including SNAP/food stamps, CSFP, TEFAP in Super Committee deliberations.
Any cuts to these programs would be devastating, at a time when a record one in six Ohioans are facing hunger and millions of workers have lost their jobs, their homes, and have seen their families' economic security slip away.
Private charity plays a critical role, but Ohio's hunger relief network is stretched dangerously thin meeting relentless demand. We need our federal partners to remain strong.
Action: Call Senator Portman at (800) 205-6446 NOW and urge him to fully fund nutrition assistance and National Service programs during debt ceiling negotiations. Call your Congressperson (find your representative's number here) and tell them to protect the nutrition safety net and National Service programs.
Your calls are making a difference, but continued pressure is needed if we hope to protect these critical programs! Share this alert with your colleagues, supporters and friends. Thank you for caring! Thank you for calling!
We need YOUR VOICE today to make an impact. The Super Committee's deadline to come up with $1.2 trillion in cuts or revenues is this Monday, November 21st.
Call Senator Portman and your congressperson TODAY if you care about the cost of hunger and the National Service members who give a year of their life to end hunger and poverty in your community.
Tell them to protect National Service programs and the nutrition safety net including SNAP/food stamps, CSFP, TEFAP in Super Committee deliberations.
Any cuts to these programs would be devastating, at a time when a record one in six Ohioans are facing hunger and millions of workers have lost their jobs, their homes, and have seen their families' economic security slip away.
Private charity plays a critical role, but Ohio's hunger relief network is stretched dangerously thin meeting relentless demand. We need our federal partners to remain strong.
Action: Call Senator Portman at (800) 205-6446 NOW and urge him to fully fund nutrition assistance and National Service programs during debt ceiling negotiations. Call your Congressperson (find your representative's number here) and tell them to protect the nutrition safety net and National Service programs.
Your calls are making a difference, but continued pressure is needed if we hope to protect these critical programs! Share this alert with your colleagues, supporters and friends. Thank you for caring! Thank you for calling!
Fighting hunger in Adams, Brown and Highland counties
More than 40 people gathered for a Local Hunger Summit on Friday, October 7th at the South Campus of Southern State Community College. Elected officials and staff members from local, state and federal governments, who were in the audience, heard from a panel of service providers and residents from Adams, Brown and Highland Counties.
Pastor Don Young from Christians Across America spoke of the need for food assistance, telling a story of an elderly couple sharing a can of dog food because they were out of food and out of money.
“There are so many families that are just one or two weeks away from being out of food,” said Chuck Aurigema from Area 937 Ministries, echoing how hunger can be hidden but still exist in local communities. “Government, community and business must come together to meet the need”
One example of how the community has responded is Hope Christian Alliance, an alliance of all of the food pantries and soup kitchens in Highland County.
“We are just trying to hold on until we get some jobs down here,” said Curtis Pegram, a founding member of the Alliance. Pegram described how the community is doing everything it can, including planting acres of land with produce to distribute to hungry families.
But it is not enough, he said.
“The food pantry is not meant to be the only source of food” for hungry families, said Pat Mawhinney, Rural Agency Representative for Freestore Foodbank. Mawhinney described increased demand and need in the area, and raised concerns about threats to federal nutrition programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formally known as Food Stamps.
Other residents shared stories of struggle in the area.
Dee Wright works for Bright Local Schools. The school is seeing more children misbehaving because of economic issues hitting home, including more children stealing food from the lunch line for hungry siblings at home. While the school tries to have programs for needy families, demand often is larger than supply.
“How do we choose which children get help?” asked Wright.
Kathy Grooms operates a Head Start program in Adams County, where she witnesses children eating on Friday afternoon. “They stuff their tummies, knowing that there will be no food” for the weekend, she said.
Julie Wise from the Highland County Community Action Program spoke of seniors who were not eating over the weekend when congregate meals were not served. Wise raised concerns about cuts to the Community Service Block Grant (CSBG), which funds programs for senior nutrition in Highland county. Cuts to CSBG would mean that fewer older Ohioans in Highland County would be able to get meals.
Rhonda Holbrook from the Adams Brown Counties Economic Opportunities spoke of a man who had asked for food assistance and admitted that he had not had the insulin that he needed to manage his diabetes for two weeks.
“This is what is happening,” stated Jennifer Howland from the Highland District hospital. She shared a story of a patient who was on chemotherapy, but was living in a trailer without running water or electricity.
These are just a few examples of the costs of hunger that we are already paying for, said Nora Nees, Director of Child and Senior Nutrition at the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks. She referred to a recent study that quantified the costs of hunger. On average, each household pays $1,548 for the costs of hunger including increased medical costs, decreased worker productivity and the cost of private charity, each year.
Lisa Tumbleson-Davis from the Adams Brown Counties Economic Opportunities spoke about the need for free tax services and application assistance for individuals in the local community. “People do not want to have to ask for help,” Tumbleson-Davis stated, but with The Ohio Benefit Bank™, Tumbleson-Davis and other community members can assist families in free tax filing and private benefits applications.
Teresa Carr from the Adams County Senior Citizen’s Council spoke about her concern for her local community, “I thought this would be a great place to raise my kids,” she stated. Carr was concerned about the number of older adults who need utility assistance through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program or LiHEAP, and the vulnerability of those programs in the federal budget. Carr also spoke of older Ohioans who were at risk of losing their homes to pay for medical bills, “they have to give up so much just to survive.”
Ralph Jennings, Brown County Commissioner thanked the audience for attending and speaking out – stating that the summit was an example of how to communicate with elected officials. Representative Danny Bubp from Ohio’s 88th House district recognized the need and challenges facing the local community, including unemployment and declining incomes. Danielle Nameth, a representative from Senator Sherrod Brown’s office was appreciative of the work of the individuals and agencies at the summit and spoke of the Senator’s support for emergency food programs, “It’s not spending, it’s an investment” stated Nameth. Also present to listen to the local community was Stephen Carraway, from Congresswoman Jean Schmidt’s office.
Will Petrik from Advocates for Ohio’s Future ended the event with several ways for participants to get involved, including signing a Joint Memorandum, participating in a Story Banking project, Ohio Speaks, or joining Advocates for Ohio’s Future, a broad based coalition of health and human services providers.
The event was previewed in the Highland County Press: http://highlandcountypress.com/Main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=74&ArticleID=9842
Pastor Don Young from Christians Across America spoke of the need for food assistance, telling a story of an elderly couple sharing a can of dog food because they were out of food and out of money.
“There are so many families that are just one or two weeks away from being out of food,” said Chuck Aurigema from Area 937 Ministries, echoing how hunger can be hidden but still exist in local communities. “Government, community and business must come together to meet the need”
One example of how the community has responded is Hope Christian Alliance, an alliance of all of the food pantries and soup kitchens in Highland County.
“We are just trying to hold on until we get some jobs down here,” said Curtis Pegram, a founding member of the Alliance. Pegram described how the community is doing everything it can, including planting acres of land with produce to distribute to hungry families.
But it is not enough, he said.
“The food pantry is not meant to be the only source of food” for hungry families, said Pat Mawhinney, Rural Agency Representative for Freestore Foodbank. Mawhinney described increased demand and need in the area, and raised concerns about threats to federal nutrition programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formally known as Food Stamps.
Other residents shared stories of struggle in the area.
Dee Wright works for Bright Local Schools. The school is seeing more children misbehaving because of economic issues hitting home, including more children stealing food from the lunch line for hungry siblings at home. While the school tries to have programs for needy families, demand often is larger than supply.
“How do we choose which children get help?” asked Wright.
Kathy Grooms operates a Head Start program in Adams County, where she witnesses children eating on Friday afternoon. “They stuff their tummies, knowing that there will be no food” for the weekend, she said.
Julie Wise from the Highland County Community Action Program spoke of seniors who were not eating over the weekend when congregate meals were not served. Wise raised concerns about cuts to the Community Service Block Grant (CSBG), which funds programs for senior nutrition in Highland county. Cuts to CSBG would mean that fewer older Ohioans in Highland County would be able to get meals.
Rhonda Holbrook from the Adams Brown Counties Economic Opportunities spoke of a man who had asked for food assistance and admitted that he had not had the insulin that he needed to manage his diabetes for two weeks.
“This is what is happening,” stated Jennifer Howland from the Highland District hospital. She shared a story of a patient who was on chemotherapy, but was living in a trailer without running water or electricity.
These are just a few examples of the costs of hunger that we are already paying for, said Nora Nees, Director of Child and Senior Nutrition at the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks. She referred to a recent study that quantified the costs of hunger. On average, each household pays $1,548 for the costs of hunger including increased medical costs, decreased worker productivity and the cost of private charity, each year.
Lisa Tumbleson-Davis from the Adams Brown Counties Economic Opportunities spoke about the need for free tax services and application assistance for individuals in the local community. “People do not want to have to ask for help,” Tumbleson-Davis stated, but with The Ohio Benefit Bank™, Tumbleson-Davis and other community members can assist families in free tax filing and private benefits applications.
Teresa Carr from the Adams County Senior Citizen’s Council spoke about her concern for her local community, “I thought this would be a great place to raise my kids,” she stated. Carr was concerned about the number of older adults who need utility assistance through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program or LiHEAP, and the vulnerability of those programs in the federal budget. Carr also spoke of older Ohioans who were at risk of losing their homes to pay for medical bills, “they have to give up so much just to survive.”
Ralph Jennings, Brown County Commissioner thanked the audience for attending and speaking out – stating that the summit was an example of how to communicate with elected officials. Representative Danny Bubp from Ohio’s 88th House district recognized the need and challenges facing the local community, including unemployment and declining incomes. Danielle Nameth, a representative from Senator Sherrod Brown’s office was appreciative of the work of the individuals and agencies at the summit and spoke of the Senator’s support for emergency food programs, “It’s not spending, it’s an investment” stated Nameth. Also present to listen to the local community was Stephen Carraway, from Congresswoman Jean Schmidt’s office.
Will Petrik from Advocates for Ohio’s Future ended the event with several ways for participants to get involved, including signing a Joint Memorandum, participating in a Story Banking project, Ohio Speaks, or joining Advocates for Ohio’s Future, a broad based coalition of health and human services providers.
The event was previewed in the Highland County Press: http://highlandcountypress.com/Main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=74&ArticleID=9842
Couple Organizes Distribution for Huron County Residents
When the Ohio Benefit Bank Mobile Express team was in Huron County last month, they met a wonderful couple, Dennis and Rose Jaeckin, from the Plymouth-Shiloh food pantry. The couple organized a food distribution for Huron County residents.
Read the story here: http://obbmobileexpress.blogspot.com/2011/08/couple-organizes-distribution-for-huron.html
Read the story here: http://obbmobileexpress.blogspot.com/2011/08/couple-organizes-distribution-for-huron.html
Tell your congressperson to protect anti-hunger programs!
October 14 is the deadline for Committees to provide recommendations to the Joint Committee on Deficit Reduction (the Supercommittee), but right now the political threats and opportunities are multiple and ongoing, and so we must continue our steady drumbeat about protecting anti-hunger programs at every possible opportunity.
Because the Senate Agriculture Appropriations bill was significantly better than the House version, it is important we continue to register our support right now to get the best possible outcome.
Use our toll free number to help us track our impact. Just dial 1-877-698-8228 to be connected directly to both of your senators.
- The Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks urges Senator Brown and Senator Portman to vote for passage of the Senate's FY2012 Agriculture Appropriations legislation when it comes to the Senate floor in the coming weeks and to oppose any amendments that would strip funding from valuable food assistance programs.
- Our foodbank and food pantries ability to serve our community is at stake. This bill funds programs such as the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) which are critical to addressing hunger in low-income families all across the state.
- Hunger is a real problem in Ohio. With unemployment stuck above 9% nationally and millions of families struggling to find work or working for reduced wages, the need for food assistance in our community remains incredibly high. Protecting anti-hunger programs throughout the budget process is critical to reducing hunger in our state.
- One out of every four children in Ohio are hungry - They cannot wait while politicians debate.
Join OASHF in signing this federal sign-on letter
The Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks has signed on to a Federal Sign-On Letter and we are helping to circulate the letter and build support across Ohio.
Will you help us send a message to Ohio's Congressional delegation about the federal budget by signing on here?
The goal of the letter is to strengthen the resolve of Senator Portman and other key members of Ohio's Congressional delegation to advocate for a deficit-reduction plan that does not increase poverty or income inequality.
Please sign on now.
Advocates for Ohio's Future will deliver the letter to Senator Portman and the rest of Ohio's Congressional delegation. It is important that they hear from organizations in Ohio that cutting major health, human service, and early care & education programs that serve the most vulnerable is not the answer to the nation's budget problems.
If you are not in a position to speak on behalf of your organization, you can help by sharing this with your Executive Director and encouraging your organization to act now.
You can also help by forwarding this opportunity to agencies and organizations you work with locally and across Ohio.
Thank you for lending your name to build our strength and our voice.
Will you help us send a message to Ohio's Congressional delegation about the federal budget by signing on here?
The goal of the letter is to strengthen the resolve of Senator Portman and other key members of Ohio's Congressional delegation to advocate for a deficit-reduction plan that does not increase poverty or income inequality.
Please sign on now.
Advocates for Ohio's Future will deliver the letter to Senator Portman and the rest of Ohio's Congressional delegation. It is important that they hear from organizations in Ohio that cutting major health, human service, and early care & education programs that serve the most vulnerable is not the answer to the nation's budget problems.
If you are not in a position to speak on behalf of your organization, you can help by sharing this with your Executive Director and encouraging your organization to act now.
You can also help by forwarding this opportunity to agencies and organizations you work with locally and across Ohio.
Thank you for lending your name to build our strength and our voice.
Second Harvest Food Bank of Clark, Champaign and Logan Counties Launch Mobile Food Pantry
The Second Harvest Food Bank of Clark, Champaign and Logan Counties on Tuesday launched a mobile food pantry. Check out this story and photo on the Ohio Benefit Bank central region blog:
OBBservations in Central Ohio: Second Harvest Food Bank of Clark, Champaign and Logan Counties Launch Mobile Food Pantry
OBBservations in Central Ohio: Second Harvest Food Bank of Clark, Champaign and Logan Counties Launch Mobile Food Pantry
New data show 16.4 percent of Ohio households struggling with hunger
OASHF Urges Congress to Protect Federal Nutrition Programs during Deficit Negotiations
COLUMBUS-- One in six households in Ohio struggled with hunger on average in the years 2008-2010, according to new data released today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in its annual report on food insecurity. Nationally, more than 48.8 million people (16.1%) lived in households that were food insecure in 2010 –up from 36.2 million in 2007. In 2010, nationally, 32.6 million adults and 16.2 million children faced a daily risk of hunger.
The Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks (OASHF) noted that the Ohio number released today covers the three years during the heart of the recession. The rate is well above the 12.6 percent for the years 2003 to 2005, demonstrating the downturn’s depth and impact on Ohio.
Among the 16.4 percent of households in Ohio considered to be food insecure during the 2008-2010 period, 6.6 percent were considered to have “very low food security.” People that fall into this USDA category had more severe problems, experiencing deeper hunger and cutting back or skipping meals on a more frequent basis for both adults and children. From 2003 to 2005 the percentage of Ohioans considered to have “very low food security” was 3.8 percent.
“We continue to see evidence of the struggles facing too many people in our state. Congress must support job creation while protecting the federal nutrition programs and other parts of our nation’s safety net against deficit cutting measures,” said OASHF executive director, Lisa Hamler-Fugitt. “Weakening these programs would cause irreparable harm to low-income people in Ohio and across the nation.”
The number of Ohioans in need of help and turning to Ohio’s emergency food assistance network, comprised of Ohio’s 12 Feeding America foodbanks and their more than 3,300 member agencies is viewed as a sign of the pain being felt throughout Ohio by slow turnaround of our nation’s economy. Over the last three months, nearly two million Ohioans were served throughout the emergency food pantries, with 35 percent of those being children and 14 percent being adults over the age of 60, members of our greatest generation.
At the same time, as of June 2011, 15.3 percent of all Ohioans were in receipt of SNAP/Food Assistance formally known as Food Stamps, a 64.5 percent increase since June 2006. Over the course of the last five years, Ohioans have been left to cope with the loss of employment, increasing wage stagnation and a slow economic recovery, felt both in Ohio and across the nation.
“With more than 1.767 million of Ohio’s total population of 11.542 million residents in receipt of SNAP/ Food Assistance as of June 2011, programs that are available to help in a person’s time of need are working and need to continue. Millions of Americans continue to struggle to put food on the table. It is time to strengthen, not weaken the nation’s safety net,” said Hamler-Fugitt. “There’s a reason that every bipartisan deficit reduction plan proposed over the past year – including those from Simpson-Bowles Commission and the Gang of Six – has made sure to keep these programs intact and protected from cuts.”
About the USDA Report
Since 1995, the United States Department of Agriculture, using data from surveys conducted annually by the Census Bureau, has released estimates of the number of people in households that are food insecure. Food insecure households are those that are not able to afford an adequate diet at all times in the past 12 months. The report also includes food insecurity rates for each state, but for states it uses three-year averages to give a better estimate of the number of households experiencing food insecurity. Experts agree that the Census/USDA measure of food insecurity is a conservative one, with the result that only households experiencing substantial food insecurity are so classified.
COLUMBUS-- One in six households in Ohio struggled with hunger on average in the years 2008-2010, according to new data released today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in its annual report on food insecurity. Nationally, more than 48.8 million people (16.1%) lived in households that were food insecure in 2010 –up from 36.2 million in 2007. In 2010, nationally, 32.6 million adults and 16.2 million children faced a daily risk of hunger.
The Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks (OASHF) noted that the Ohio number released today covers the three years during the heart of the recession. The rate is well above the 12.6 percent for the years 2003 to 2005, demonstrating the downturn’s depth and impact on Ohio.
Among the 16.4 percent of households in Ohio considered to be food insecure during the 2008-2010 period, 6.6 percent were considered to have “very low food security.” People that fall into this USDA category had more severe problems, experiencing deeper hunger and cutting back or skipping meals on a more frequent basis for both adults and children. From 2003 to 2005 the percentage of Ohioans considered to have “very low food security” was 3.8 percent.
“We continue to see evidence of the struggles facing too many people in our state. Congress must support job creation while protecting the federal nutrition programs and other parts of our nation’s safety net against deficit cutting measures,” said OASHF executive director, Lisa Hamler-Fugitt. “Weakening these programs would cause irreparable harm to low-income people in Ohio and across the nation.”
The number of Ohioans in need of help and turning to Ohio’s emergency food assistance network, comprised of Ohio’s 12 Feeding America foodbanks and their more than 3,300 member agencies is viewed as a sign of the pain being felt throughout Ohio by slow turnaround of our nation’s economy. Over the last three months, nearly two million Ohioans were served throughout the emergency food pantries, with 35 percent of those being children and 14 percent being adults over the age of 60, members of our greatest generation.
At the same time, as of June 2011, 15.3 percent of all Ohioans were in receipt of SNAP/Food Assistance formally known as Food Stamps, a 64.5 percent increase since June 2006. Over the course of the last five years, Ohioans have been left to cope with the loss of employment, increasing wage stagnation and a slow economic recovery, felt both in Ohio and across the nation.
“With more than 1.767 million of Ohio’s total population of 11.542 million residents in receipt of SNAP/ Food Assistance as of June 2011, programs that are available to help in a person’s time of need are working and need to continue. Millions of Americans continue to struggle to put food on the table. It is time to strengthen, not weaken the nation’s safety net,” said Hamler-Fugitt. “There’s a reason that every bipartisan deficit reduction plan proposed over the past year – including those from Simpson-Bowles Commission and the Gang of Six – has made sure to keep these programs intact and protected from cuts.”
About the USDA Report
Since 1995, the United States Department of Agriculture, using data from surveys conducted annually by the Census Bureau, has released estimates of the number of people in households that are food insecure. Food insecure households are those that are not able to afford an adequate diet at all times in the past 12 months. The report also includes food insecurity rates for each state, but for states it uses three-year averages to give a better estimate of the number of households experiencing food insecurity. Experts agree that the Census/USDA measure of food insecurity is a conservative one, with the result that only households experiencing substantial food insecurity are so classified.
A year you won't forget
OASHF is currently accepting applications for AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteers In Service To America) members to start in November. VISTAs, who are the domestic counterparts to overseas Peace Corps volunteers, are passionate and enthusiastic individuals who dedicate a year of their lives to fighting poverty here at home.
Our SHARECorps program will be placing up to 30 VISTA members across Ohio, focusing on alleviating hunger and poverty by building the capacity of local nonprofit organizations. To search for our available positions and to apply, visit www.americorps.gov, but first, go to http://www.oashf.org/docs/programs/AmeriCorps_Application_Instructions.pdf and check out the instructions for finding OASHF positions on the AmeriCorps website.
One lucky VISTA will be based here, in the OASHF office downtown Columbus. We are seeking a Community Organizer, who will work with the Ohio Benefit Bank sites in central Ohio to increase the financial security of low-income community members by assisting them in accessing public benefits and tax credits and by increasing financial literacy. A complete description is here:
Central Ohio AmeriCorps VISTA
For questions about the VISTA positions, contact VISTA Leader Alesha Rademan at 614-221-4336 x253 or arademan@oashf.org.
Our SHARECorps program will be placing up to 30 VISTA members across Ohio, focusing on alleviating hunger and poverty by building the capacity of local nonprofit organizations. To search for our available positions and to apply, visit www.americorps.gov, but first, go to http://www.oashf.org/docs/programs/AmeriCorps_Application_Instructions.pdf and check out the instructions for finding OASHF positions on the AmeriCorps website.
One lucky VISTA will be based here, in the OASHF office downtown Columbus. We are seeking a Community Organizer, who will work with the Ohio Benefit Bank sites in central Ohio to increase the financial security of low-income community members by assisting them in accessing public benefits and tax credits and by increasing financial literacy. A complete description is here:
Central Ohio AmeriCorps VISTA
For questions about the VISTA positions, contact VISTA Leader Alesha Rademan at 614-221-4336 x253 or arademan@oashf.org.
Older Ohioans struggle with hunger at alarming rate
A new report, “Food Insecurity Among Older Adults, released this week by the AARP Foundation in partnership with the University Kentucky, examines hunger risk for older adults.
According to the study, hunger for this population - jumped almost 80 percent since 2001, with more than 9 percent of older Americans considered at risk for hunger in 2009. Ohio ranks 10th in the nation for the percentage of those ages 50 to 59 at risk of hunger (10.41 percent).
"Food Insecurity Among Older Adults" is the first report to examine the youngest of the baby boomers -- those between the ages of 50 and 59. This group faces the unusual challenge of being too young for Social Security and Medicare and too old for aid that's allotted for people with children. The slumping economy has played a major role in the spike, as employment for this population is harder to secure. In 2009, 4.9 million in this age group were at risk for hunger, a 38 percent increase from two years earlier. The report also found that food insecurity has a negative impact on broader health outcomes, limiting this group’s ability to function independently by increasing the aging process an average of 14 years.
“Older Ohioans are facing unprecedented barriers in their lives,” said Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, OASHF executive director.
“At a time when older Ohioans should be able to contribute to the workforce or enjoy the rewards of a long life of work, they are instead struggling to find where their next meal is coming from. We must do all that we can to ensure programs, like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program/Food Stamps (SNAP), Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), and the Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) are strengthened as more and more Ohioans, of all ages and widening income brackets, find themselves in need.”
Programs that provide emergency food for older Ohioans, like many other safety net programs, are at risk of reduced funding as the federal budget is examined and the Special Joint Committee to Congress looks at reshaping the nation’s spending.
“We cannot afford to let our hungry go without. The cost on our society if we do not invest money today in emergency food programs such as TEFAP, CSFP, and EFSP will be measured in skyrocketing future healthcare costs,” said Hamler-Fugitt.
Though the risk is on the rise, this is the first year in his administration that President Obama failed to propose additional funding for nutrition programs for older Americans.
Learn more and view the entire “Food Insecurity Among Older Americans” study: www.aarp.org/content/dam/aarp/aarp_foundation/pdf_2011/AARPFoundation_HungerReport_2011.pdf
According to the study, hunger for this population - jumped almost 80 percent since 2001, with more than 9 percent of older Americans considered at risk for hunger in 2009. Ohio ranks 10th in the nation for the percentage of those ages 50 to 59 at risk of hunger (10.41 percent).
"Food Insecurity Among Older Adults" is the first report to examine the youngest of the baby boomers -- those between the ages of 50 and 59. This group faces the unusual challenge of being too young for Social Security and Medicare and too old for aid that's allotted for people with children. The slumping economy has played a major role in the spike, as employment for this population is harder to secure. In 2009, 4.9 million in this age group were at risk for hunger, a 38 percent increase from two years earlier. The report also found that food insecurity has a negative impact on broader health outcomes, limiting this group’s ability to function independently by increasing the aging process an average of 14 years.
“Older Ohioans are facing unprecedented barriers in their lives,” said Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, OASHF executive director.
“At a time when older Ohioans should be able to contribute to the workforce or enjoy the rewards of a long life of work, they are instead struggling to find where their next meal is coming from. We must do all that we can to ensure programs, like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program/Food Stamps (SNAP), Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), and the Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) are strengthened as more and more Ohioans, of all ages and widening income brackets, find themselves in need.”
Programs that provide emergency food for older Ohioans, like many other safety net programs, are at risk of reduced funding as the federal budget is examined and the Special Joint Committee to Congress looks at reshaping the nation’s spending.
“We cannot afford to let our hungry go without. The cost on our society if we do not invest money today in emergency food programs such as TEFAP, CSFP, and EFSP will be measured in skyrocketing future healthcare costs,” said Hamler-Fugitt.
Though the risk is on the rise, this is the first year in his administration that President Obama failed to propose additional funding for nutrition programs for older Americans.
Learn more and view the entire “Food Insecurity Among Older Americans” study: www.aarp.org/content/dam/aarp/aarp_foundation/pdf_2011/AARPFoundation_HungerReport_2011.pdf
30 Days in September, 30 ways to fight hunger in Ohio
September is Hunger Action Month!
Ohio's foodbanks have organized events, volunteer opportunities, and ways for you to help and get involved in fighting hunger in our communities. You can get ideas for how to help fight hunger every day this month with your foodbank's Hunger Action Month calendar.
To find out which of Ohio's foodbanks serves your county, check out this map on the OASHF website.
Ohio's foodbanks have organized events, volunteer opportunities, and ways for you to help and get involved in fighting hunger in our communities. You can get ideas for how to help fight hunger every day this month with your foodbank's Hunger Action Month calendar.
To find out which of Ohio's foodbanks serves your county, check out this map on the OASHF website.
New study shows 26.5% of Ohio children live at risk of hunger
Map the Meal Gap Child Food Insecurity 2011: Data Available for the First Time by County
COLUMBUS – The Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks, Ohio’s largest charitable response to hunger and Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger relief organization, released a new study this week which reveals in Ohio 26.5 percent of children under the age of 18 are struggling with hunger (some 731,040 children).
The study, “Map the Meal Gap: Child Food Insecurity 2011,” also reveals that there are children struggling with hunger in every county in America. Nationally, while one in six Americans overall is food insecure, the rate for children is much higher: nearly one in four children is food insecure.
“The number of children who are at risk of hunger is startling to many individuals, but this number comes as no surprise to those involved in Ohio’s emergency food assistance network. At a time when more and more parents are finding themselves out of work and stretching what little resources they have left to make ends meet, children are feeling the effects of our state’s depleted economy. We must stand up for our state’s most vulnerable populations, especially Ohio’s children, and ensure that the resources necessary to feed our future are available," said Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, OASHF executive director.
The following data for Ohio is reported in the study and can be viewed on an interactive map on Feeding America's website:
- 26.5 percent of children in Ohio are food insecure.
- 60 percent of food insecure children in Ohio live in a household with incomes below 185 percent of the federal poverty level, meaning that they and their families could be eligible for help, including federal child nutrition programs.
- 40 percent of food insecure children in Ohio live in a household with incomes above 185 percent of the federal poverty level, meaning that they are not eligible for assistance from federal child nutrition programs. The only programs available to serve these children and their families are the emergency food assistance network and state funded food programs, operated by OASHF and Ohio’s 12 Feeding America foodbanks.
An executive summary of the report can be found at: http://feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/hunger-studies/map-the-meal-gap/map-executive-summary.aspx
The study is an important tool because it provides critical information for developing strategies to alleviate child hunger. Throughout Ohio, the percentage of food insecurity among children ranges from below one in five in Delaware County (19.4 percent) to more than one in three in Pike County (38.5 percent)
By providing additional details about the face of child food insecurity at the county level, the study will enable food banks, the community based agencies they serve and policy makers to redefine approaches in addressing needs of hungry children and their families and develop more effective policy solutions.
This research is supported by ConAgra Foods Foundation. The Foundation funded this research with the goal of advancing the collective understanding of child hunger in America, so that resources at the local and national level could be better leveraged to help children and families in need.
The research is based on “Map the Meal Gap 2011: Food Insecurity Estimates at the County Level,” supported by the Howard G. Buffett Foundation and Nielsen.
COLUMBUS – The Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks, Ohio’s largest charitable response to hunger and Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger relief organization, released a new study this week which reveals in Ohio 26.5 percent of children under the age of 18 are struggling with hunger (some 731,040 children).
The study, “Map the Meal Gap: Child Food Insecurity 2011,” also reveals that there are children struggling with hunger in every county in America. Nationally, while one in six Americans overall is food insecure, the rate for children is much higher: nearly one in four children is food insecure.
“The number of children who are at risk of hunger is startling to many individuals, but this number comes as no surprise to those involved in Ohio’s emergency food assistance network. At a time when more and more parents are finding themselves out of work and stretching what little resources they have left to make ends meet, children are feeling the effects of our state’s depleted economy. We must stand up for our state’s most vulnerable populations, especially Ohio’s children, and ensure that the resources necessary to feed our future are available," said Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, OASHF executive director.
The following data for Ohio is reported in the study and can be viewed on an interactive map on Feeding America's website:
- 26.5 percent of children in Ohio are food insecure.
- 60 percent of food insecure children in Ohio live in a household with incomes below 185 percent of the federal poverty level, meaning that they and their families could be eligible for help, including federal child nutrition programs.
- 40 percent of food insecure children in Ohio live in a household with incomes above 185 percent of the federal poverty level, meaning that they are not eligible for assistance from federal child nutrition programs. The only programs available to serve these children and their families are the emergency food assistance network and state funded food programs, operated by OASHF and Ohio’s 12 Feeding America foodbanks.
An executive summary of the report can be found at: http://feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/hunger-studies/map-the-meal-gap/map-executive-summary.aspx
The study is an important tool because it provides critical information for developing strategies to alleviate child hunger. Throughout Ohio, the percentage of food insecurity among children ranges from below one in five in Delaware County (19.4 percent) to more than one in three in Pike County (38.5 percent)
By providing additional details about the face of child food insecurity at the county level, the study will enable food banks, the community based agencies they serve and policy makers to redefine approaches in addressing needs of hungry children and their families and develop more effective policy solutions.
This research is supported by ConAgra Foods Foundation. The Foundation funded this research with the goal of advancing the collective understanding of child hunger in America, so that resources at the local and national level could be better leveraged to help children and families in need.
The research is based on “Map the Meal Gap 2011: Food Insecurity Estimates at the County Level,” supported by the Howard G. Buffett Foundation and Nielsen.
For seniors, box of food makes a big difference in staying healthy
At the West Ohio Food Bank in Lima, we had the pleasure of meeting Kitty Rolston this week, a senior who relies on the box of food she gets each month through the Commodities Supplemental Food Program (CSFP). Kitty spoke to Lima news station WLIO on Tuesday about the program.
"I know it doesn't look like it's a whole whole bunch, but it gives you enough meals that I can put that (money) forth to buy my prescriptions," Rolston said, adding that without the box she would struggle to pay for insulin and might not have enough money for prescriptions she needs.
The news story focused on the local impact of proposed federal budget cuts. According to West Ohio Food Bank CEO Bambi Markham, 1,600 seniors receive a monthly box of food from the foodbank, which serves 11 counties. Proposed cuts would immediately eliminate 322 seniors from the program, which already has a long waiting list of income-eligible seniors.
To learn more about how the proposed cuts will affect food programs in Ohio, check out this report: Ohio Impact of H.R. 2112. Visit the Senior Nutrition Programs page on OASHF's website to learn more about the work Ohio's foodbanks are doing to fight senior hunger and how you can get involved.
"I know it doesn't look like it's a whole whole bunch, but it gives you enough meals that I can put that (money) forth to buy my prescriptions," Rolston said, adding that without the box she would struggle to pay for insulin and might not have enough money for prescriptions she needs.
The news story focused on the local impact of proposed federal budget cuts. According to West Ohio Food Bank CEO Bambi Markham, 1,600 seniors receive a monthly box of food from the foodbank, which serves 11 counties. Proposed cuts would immediately eliminate 322 seniors from the program, which already has a long waiting list of income-eligible seniors.
To learn more about how the proposed cuts will affect food programs in Ohio, check out this report: Ohio Impact of H.R. 2112. Visit the Senior Nutrition Programs page on OASHF's website to learn more about the work Ohio's foodbanks are doing to fight senior hunger and how you can get involved.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)