July 3, 2008

Hunger

2008 Farm Bill Nutrition Title Fact Sheet, prepared by the House Committee on Agriculture

Hunger Task Force Newsletter, May 2008

Missouri Hunger Atlas - 2008 report highlighting county by county hunger statistics in Missouri

Senate Bill 764 is an Economic Benefit to the State

The Lifetime Ban and the Missouri Food Stamp Program (James Frost, Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, January 2008)

The MASW Criminal Justice Task Force and Hunger Task Force are advocating in support of SB 764, which would modify eligibility for the Food Stamp Program.

What would passing SB 764 do?
MASW Economic Impact paper on SB 764
How to advocate for this bill

On Thursday November 8, 2007, our executive director, Bob Quinn, did a interview with Mid-Missouri’s News station KWMO regarding the Farm Bill. The Farm Bill is being debated in the Senate this week. We hope that the Senators work to ensure a strong nutrition title. Read more...

2007 Food Stamp Press Release 2007 Missouri Food Stamp Program Report

Food Stamps Erosion Report 2006 Missouri Food Stamps Program Report

The goal of the Hunger Task Force is to reduce hunger in Missouri and dependence on emergency food supplies.

TASK FORCE GOALS FOR 2008

Work in conjunction with the MASW Criminal Justice task force for the passage of a bill that would allow Missouri to opt out of the lifetime ban on ex- drug offenders from receiving food stamps.
Work in conjunction with Legal Services of Eastern Missouri to educate area community members on the Food Stamps program and ways to improve the program, and work with them and the Missouri Budget Project to create the 2007 Missouri Food Stamps program report.
Work in conjunction with other Missouri anti-hunger organizations to inquire into why Missouri does not have the Seniors Farmers Market program and to work to get the State to take advantage of the program in 2008, and to re-file and work for the passage of a Supplemental Food Stamps for Seniors bill.
Work in conjunction with the Missouri Food Bank Association to educate legislators on Hunger in Missouri by organizing a Hunger Advocacy Day and by providing them with information regarding hunger in Missouri.

View an updated list of legislation MASW is following on Hunger

2007 is an important year for Federal Nutrition programs with the Reauthorization of the Farm Bill.

The Food Stamp Program is the largest of all Federally funded nutrition programs. MASW is advocating for the passage of a fair, just and adequately updated Food Stamps program. Our hope for the 2007 Food Stamp Program reauthorization includes:

The Food Stamp Program’s basic entitlement structure must be maintained.
Adequacy of Benefits Must Be Improved:

The first step to reducing hunger in the U.S. is to ensure that everyone in the Food Stamp Program has the resources to assist them in purchasing and preparing a nutritionally adequate diet. Neither the average food stamp benefit level of $1 per person per meal, nor the $10 per household monthly minimum benefit is sufficient to help families purchase an adequate diet. This dietary shortfall negatively impacts recipients’ health and nutrition and impedes the ability of children to learn and adults to work.

Access to the Program Must Be Expanded:

Too many people in our communities are in need of food stamps but cannot get them. Only 33 percent of the people in food bank lines are enrolled in food stamps. Only 84% of eligible Missourians are receiving the benefit (and that is the highest percentage in the country). More people need to be educated about the program. Also the application process needs to be made easier for food stamp recipients.

Eligibility Guidelines need to be Expanded:

More people are in need of food but are excluded from the Food Stamp Program. They include working poor families with savings slightly above decades-old and outdated resource limits, many legal immigrants, and numerous indigent jobless people seeking employment, ex-drug felons.

Program Simplification and Streamlining for Caseworkers and Clients Must Continue:

While food stamp outreach and nutrition education are achieving important advances, these efforts need more resources, and enrollments are hampered by shortfalls in state technology and supports. Too many eligible people—especially working poor and elderly persons—are missing out on benefits.

Change the Name of the Program:

Food Stamps do not adequately describe the program as it exists today. No one uses stamps to buy their food anymore; they use debit like cards that link to their benefits. A new name is needed to better describe the program.

More information on the Farm Bill can be found at FRAC

To learn what you can do to help in the reauthorization process contact Christine Woody or 573-690-7662.

More information

For more information on hunger in Missouri and across the United States please visit these websites:

Bread for the World
Food Research and Action Center
Share our Strength
MAZON, a Jewish Response to Hunger
United States Department of Agriculture

A list of upcoming meetings is available on the MASW Calendar page. A list of related web sites is available on the MASW Links page.

If you are interested in participating in the Hunger Task Force, please contact Ben DeFeo .

Staffed by Christine Woody .

Updated: 06/11/2008