Help End Finger Imaging for Food Stamp Recipients in NYS

On Monday (6/28), the Senate passed a bill which would end finger imaging requirements for food stamp-only applicants and recipients in New York State.

For more information on Senate Bill S6291 click here.

The Assembly is now moving their version of the finger imaging bill (A01681).

These bills represent an effective way to:

• simplify access to food stamp/SNAP benefits while still satisfying USDA requirements;


• eliminate a potential barrier and/or deterrent to otherwise eligible applicants;


• eliminate a policy that is inconsistently and sometimes inaccurately applied;


• save the State money by removing the finger imaging requirement;


• and maximize the amount of federally-funded food stamp benefits coming into New York State’s economy.

Because finger-imaging is a deterrent and/or barrier to participation, New York State is losing out on millions in federal food stamp benefits that would be coming into the State if every eligible person applied for benefits. These benefits could then be assisting households to alleviate hunger and be creating jobs in the community.

ACTION:Please help to end finger imaging in NYS by calling your Assembly member today and ask them to pass Assembly Bill A01681 and end the practice of finger imaging food stamp applicants and recipients in NYS.

To find your local Assemblymember click here.

AARP Foundation Commits to Help Alleviate Hunger

Earlier this month, the AARP Foundation announced a commitment to help alleviate hunger among older adults during Poverty and Aging: The Growing Problem of Hunger and Older Adults, a forum it hosted to raise awareness of the unique issues faced by older adults and to encourage innovative strategies and solutions to address them.

In the coming months, the AARP Foundation will launch an anti-hunger initiative that includes distributing outreach and planning toolkits on helping older Americans who are food insecure; working to simplify and eliminate barriers to enrollment in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP); and encouraging and helping older adults apply for SNAP benefits. While more than 7 million older Americans are eligible for SNAP, less than one-third – approximately 2.4 million individuals – are actually receiving benefits.

Event materials may be found at www.aarp.org/povertyandaging.

Calls Needed Today to Tell Senate: Don't Cut Food Stamp Program

From the Food Research and Action Center

SNAP Cut Proposed as Offset for Senate "Extender"Bill

Last night, seeking ways to pay for the pending American Jobs, Closing Tax Loopholes and Preventing Outsourcing Act (H.R. 4213) ("extenders bill"), Senate leaders included a proposal to cut billions from future SNAP benefits.

The "extenders" bill provides important support to continue extended unemployment insurance and enhanced Medicaid matching funds to the states, but it is unacceptable to pay for such benefits by raiding desperately needed SNAP/Food Stamp dollars. The SNAP/Food Stamp cut would take the form of ending (current proposal as of June 1, 2014) the boost in benefits that Congress included in the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). This would return millions of families to the situation where SNAP/Food Stamp benefits typically ran out in the third or early in the fourth week of the month. It would increase hunger just when the President's 2015 end-childhood-hunger deadline is coming, and it would increase obesity by making it even harder for struggling families to purchase healthy food.

The cut is estimated to total $9.56 billion, nearly one half of all the SNAP/Food Stamp investments in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

Message/Action: Call your Senators today and tell them to oppose the SNAP offset in the American Jobs, Closing Tax Loopholes and Preventing Outsourcing Act (H.R. 4213), and to fix the package immediately so needed Medicaid and Unemployment benefits can pass without harming SNAP/Food Stamp beneficiaries. Your Senators need to weigh in with leadership today. Making more people hungry is not an acceptable way to pay for other benefits.

Capitol switchboard: 202-224-3121, or to access the Senate directory, click here (pdf).

Free Summer Meals in NYC!

Free breakfast and lunch this summer from NYC Department of Education's Office of SchoolFood!

Meal site locations, dates, and times now listed online!

Most sites serve free breakfast and lunch served weekdays, June 29th - August 27th. Please check the website for details of official dates and times of each meal site.

No application or sign-up needed.

Click here to locate your nearest meal site.

For a list of your nearest meal site in upstate NY, please call: 1-800-522-5006

House Education and Labor Committee's "Improving Nutrition for America's Children Act"

This past week, the House Education and Labor Committee introduced their Child Nutrition Reauthorization bill entitled, "Improving Nutrition for America’s Children Act"!

Click here for analysis of investments.
Click here for bill language and factsheet here.
Click here for Child Nutrition Reauthorization-related resources.

Food Help NY: Connecting Your Clients to Nutrition Programs

Are you seeing more families in need of food assistance than ever before? Is your organization struggling to find ways to help these families? The Nutrition Consortium of NYS can help your organization with connecting children, families, and older adults to nutrition assistance programs.

By joining this free webinar you will:

• Learn about nutrition assistance programs for people of all ages
• Get helpful tips and free resources for promoting these programs
• Find out about our program that offers expert help to thousands applying for food stamp benefits
• Learn more about the link between hunger and obesity
• Hear about an upcoming funding opportunity
• Participate in a question and answer session

Who Should Join this Webinar? Those looking for ways to help low to moderate-income families and individuals become more food secure. This includes people who work in the following settings who are concerned about, or work directly with, people who are hungry: afterschool settings, businesses, child care settings, community-based organizations, emergency food programs, faith-based groups, health care services, schools and senior services.

You are invited to send your questions in advance to help ensure that the webinar addresses your concerns. Please send questions to connie.mcintyre@nutritionconsortium.org. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions during the webinar.

Space is limited. Please note the same webinar will occur on two different dates. Please register for one date only.

Register for a session now by clicking a date below:

Wed, Jun 30, 2010 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM EDT

Thu, Jul 1, 2010 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM EDT

Once registered you will receive an email confirming your registration with information you need to join the Webinar.

Please feel free to forward this invitation to all who might be interested! Thank you and hope you can join us! In the meantime we invite you to visit our website.

Please note that in order to participate in the webinar, you may need to download additional software besides having these basic system requirements:

PC-based attendees require: Windows® 7, Vista, XP, 2003 Server or 2000

Macintosh®-based attendees require: Mac OS® X 10.4.11 (Tiger®) or newer