Summer Kids Pack Program Fully Funded Through Grant

Grand Rapids, MN – This summer, Second Harvest North Central Food Bank is working to end hunger in a way that they have never been able to do before. Thanks to a grant funded by Hunger Solutions Minnesota, Second Harvest is able to provide weekly Summer Kids Packs to food insecure children in the region. 

 “This grant couldn’t have come at a better time,” says Susan Estee, Executive Director of Second Harvest. “Just last week the updated Map the Meal Gap study results were released and it showed that there has been improvement, but we still have almost 9,000 food insecure children in our region. That is unacceptable and illustrates that our services are more important than ever. ”

During the school year, approximately 303,000 Minnesota children receive free or reduced-price meals through the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs. However, when the school year ends, only about 20 percent of these kids continue to access similar meal programs over the summer. That means that for nearly three months out of every year, children in Minnesota are not getting the nourishment they need.

Second Harvest has been operating the Kids Packs to Go BackPack Program since 2005, when they distributed 35 packs to one school, once a month. The Kids Packs program continues to grow every year, and with each pack costly roughly $2.75, the program comes with a hefty price. During the 2012/2013 school year, Second Harvest distributed 2,200 packs to 23 schools, once per month. With the funding from this grant, Second Harvest is providing 11,400 Kids Packs to children in need, throughout the summer months, when school meals are not available. The Summer Kids Packs will be delivered once a month to the participating sites and distributed weekly by the site coordinator.

Sue says, “This was a last minute opportunity, but certainly one we could not pass up. The community is rallying to help us get the Summer Kids Packs ready for distribution to ten organizations throughout our region. Providing food to children in need is always a priority.”

This grant was made available to the Feeding America Food Banks in Minnesota by Hunger Solutions Minnesota. The funds were provided by the Minnesota Department of Human Services. Communities in participating in the summer kids pack grant are: International Falls, Cass Lake, Longville, Grand Rapids, Coleraine/Bovey, Hill City, Bigfork, Brainerd, and Crosby.

The Hidden Problem of Senior Hunger

It could be happening to an important person in your life and you may not even know it. Grandmothers choosing between their medication or buying groceries. Grandfathers passing up meals to pay the mortgage. Senior hunger is a serious problem, but often hidden. So, for Older Americans Month, we’re working hard to expose it.

Take our short quiz on senior hunger now and find out the shocking facts for yourself. The reality is startling. After a lifetime of contributing to our society, too many seniors are spending their golden years worrying about where to find their next meal.

Lots of older Americans live on fixed incomes that force them to make tough choices about how to spend their money--and filling their pantries can sometimes be at the end of the list.

Unfortunately, Congress is talking about cutting programs, like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), that provide food for seniors struggling with hunger. I bet if members of Congress knew the jaw-dropping facts about senior hunger, they’d think twice about these mean-spirited cuts.

We can’t allow senior hunger to hide in the shadows any longer. In honor of Older Americans Month, we are shining a light on senior hunger. How much do you know about senior hunger? Take this quiz now, spread the word, and join us in working to stop it.

Stop Eight Billion Meals from Being Lost

Despite our best efforts to convince Congress to balance the budget in a way that doesn’t hurt families struggling with hunger, the House Agriculture Committee is poised to vote on a Farm Bill that will cut SNAP, or food stamps, by $21 billion. That amounts to eight billion meals that will be lost over the next 10 years. That may not mean much to Congress, but for the people who might not know where their next meal will come from, it could be the difference between a hot meal or an empty stomach.

This is a crisis in the making and we need you to take action. Your representative is a member of the Agriculture Committee and is in a position to stop these mean-spirited cuts from happening, and to do that, they need to hear from you today.

Call your representative by dialing 866-527-1087 and listen to the pre-recorded message. We will connect you directly to their office and ask you to deliver this simple message:

As my representative, I urge you to vote against the House Agriculture Committee’s proposal to cut $21 billion from SNAP in the Farm Bill and to support Representative McGovern's amendment to restore the cuts. SNAP is important to ensuring the health and well-being of our nation’s future. Do not hurt people who truly need help by taking food off of their tables. Please vote “No” on the Farm Bill.

Because of advocates like you, we have fought off cuts to these important programs for more than two years. The stakes are high and we need your help. Will you call your representative at 866-527-1087 today?

Thank you for your important work in helping to feed hungry Americans.

New Research Shows Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Supports Healthy Diet Choices among Participants

WASHINGTON, April 24, 2013 – The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) increases the likelihood that recipients will eat whole fruit, and leads to a modest decrease in the consumption of dark green and orange vegetables. Overall, the diets of participants and low-income non-participants are similar, according to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Participation Leads to Modest Changes in Diet Quality  , a report released today by USDA’s Economic Research Service.

Program participants were 23 percentage points more likely to consume whole fruit when they receive SNAP benefits than when they do not. The study’s finding on SNAP participants’ modest declines in consumption of dark green and orange vegetables may be related to time constraints of the working poor, and the preparation time required to consume those foods. While the study found that the diets of SNAP participants are similar overall to those of low-income non-participants, it found that the participants are more likely to consume less sodium and saturated fat.

“All Americans, SNAP participants and non-participants alike, have work to do when it comes to eating a healthy diet,” said Agriculture Undersecretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services Kevin Concannon. “The results of this study reinforce the critical role of USDA programs designed to increase access to healthy foods and nutrition education among low-income children and families to help make the healthy choice, an easy choice.”

USDA is focused on improving nutrition and empowering low-income families to make healthier food choices by providing science-based information and advice, while expanding the availability of healthy food through its nutrition assistance programs.
 ■USDA provides shopping strategies and meal planning advice to help families serve more nutritious meals affordably through its 10-Tips Nutrition Series and the Thrifty Food Plan.
 ■USDA is making fresh fruits and vegetables more accessible for low-income families. More than 3,200 farmers markets and farm stands are now authorized to accept payment through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), an increase of nearly 100 percent since 2010.
 ■USDA recently expanded the scope of SNAP-Ed to include targeted nutrition education and obesity prevention activities for SNAP recipients and other low-income individuals.
 ■USDA is conducting pilot projects to identify effective strategies for encouraging healthy food consumption among SNAP recipients.
 ■USDA's MyPlate symbol and the resources at ChooseMyPlate.gov provide quick, easy reference tools for parents, teachers, healthcare professionals and communities.
 ■USDA also created SuperTracker, a free online planning and tracking tool used by over two million Americans daily to help them improve food choices, maintain a healthy weight, and track physical activity.

Improving the diets of participants is a key focus of USDA’s 15 nutrition assistance programs that touch the lives of one in four Americans over the course of a year.  Together these programs make up the federal nutrition safety net. Visit www.fns.usda.gov for information about FNS and nutrition assistance programs.

http://www.fns.usda.gov/pressrelease/2013/fns-000713

Thank You Thursday - Kids Packs to Go Program Packing Volunteers

This collection of volunteers is comprised of two different groups. This collection of volunteers is comprised of two different groups. The first group originated from two volunteers, Connie and Vicki, who were the drivers of the Kids Pack program. They called upon a few friends to help pack the 30 to 50 Kids Packs. Since then the Kids Pack Program has grown exponentially and a second group has stepped up to help pack the 2,200 Kids Packs each month. The Northern Lights Charter School students come full of energy and are glad to give their time to help other children need. We are so thankful for our Kids Pack packing volunteers!