Why Targeting Food Programs for Low-Income Americans is the Wrong Answer
From the Center For American Progress
By Sarah Sherman July 28, 2011
Many of the programs that provide vital services to low-income Americans are at risk during this current climate of budget battles and debt limit deadlocks. In particular, the nutrition programs administered by the Department of Agriculture are under increased scrutiny as Congress debates debt deals and holds hearings in preparation for next year’s Farm Bill reauthorization. At the center of these discussions and attacks is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, formerly known as food stamps.
Nearly one in seven Americans, more than half of whom are children or seniors, receive help from SNAP in stretching their food budgets to last through the end of the month. Recent increases in program enrollment reflect both the growing need among American households and the success of outreach efforts to families who are eligible to receive these benefits.
“One of the most important aspects of SNAP is that it is structured to respond quickly to the needs of the hardest-hit households,” the administrator of the Food and Nutrition Service testified at last week’s House hearing. “Benefits flow into communities as economic conditions worsen, providing an economic boost even as they meet the nutrition needs of low-income people.”
Increased poverty and high unemployment rates in the wake of the Great Recession have certainly played a part in this rising need. At a time when so many families are struggling, it is troubling that the largest program to help low-income families buy nutritious food is being characterized as “a magnet for abuses and absurdities” that “could easily permit Trust Fund Babies driving Rolls Royces to get free food courtesy of Uncle Sam.”
Critics who claim that SNAP is wasteful are misguided for two reasons. First, SNAP has greatly improved program efficiency while maintaining record-low rates of error and fraud. And second, those who are truly worried about trimming the budget would do well to concentrate on the much greater waste found in other areas of spending, such as overpayments in defense contracts.Any instance of fraud or abuse of government funds is unacceptable and should be addressed, and the USDA has been improving its efforts to do just that. Despite this progress, The Wall Street Journal recently attacked SNAP, using infrequent cases of fraud to dismiss the entire program as problematic.
The USDA set the record straight in their “fact vs. fiction” blog post about SNAP, arguing that program fraud is at an all-time low of 1 percent. Stores and individuals involved in SNAP trafficking—selling benefits or using them to pay for nonfood items—face increased punishments under the most recent Farm Bill.
more...
Friday, July 29, 2011
Thursday, July 21, 2011
USDA Launches Contest: SFSP Success Stories
From the USDA:
WASHINGTON, July 20, 2011 - USDA's Food and Nutrition Service today launched a photo contest to look for and promote best practices in the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). The competition, Food, Fun and Sun! The Summer Food Service Program Story and Photo Contest, is open to sponsors and sites participating in the SFSP, which provides free, healthy meals to children in low-income areas during the summer.
Check out the contest website
WASHINGTON, July 20, 2011 - USDA's Food and Nutrition Service today launched a photo contest to look for and promote best practices in the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). The competition, Food, Fun and Sun! The Summer Food Service Program Story and Photo Contest, is open to sponsors and sites participating in the SFSP, which provides free, healthy meals to children in low-income areas during the summer.
Food, Fun and Sun! will highlight successful programs in four categories to share with SFSP sponsors and sites across the country. Contest winners will be recognized nationally.
Photo contest categories include:
- Volunteers: Examples of programs that use volunteers to support their work.
- Older Children: Examples of successful programs that address hunger among older kids, aged 12-18.
- Rural: Examples of successful programs in rural areas.
- Creative: Examples of the best creative programs that "think outside the box" to serve kids and teens.
Check out the contest website
Monday, July 18, 2011
U.S. Needs Food Stamps As Much As Ever
Hunger Solutions New York executive director Linda Bopp wrote a featured opinion piece in the Albany Times Union this Sunday. The piece highlights key concerns over Congressional proposals to significantly alter the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program/Food Stamp Program and the proposals' possible impact on hungry New Yorkers.
If you are looking for key arguments in defense of the Food Stamp Program, here is where to find them. For more information regarding the Congressional Proposal and what you can do about it, visit the Food Research and Action Center.
If you are looking for key arguments in defense of the Food Stamp Program, here is where to find them. For more information regarding the Congressional Proposal and what you can do about it, visit the Food Research and Action Center.
Friday, July 15, 2011
New Video Urges Government Not to Cut Solutions That Help Millions of Seniors
Current Programs Offer a Vital Lifeline to Health and Independence for Older Adults in Need
WASHINGTON, July 12, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire
As Congress debates dramatic cuts to senior programs— including Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, food stamps, Home Delivered Meals and congregate meals — a new video by the One Away campaign for elder economic security urges policymakers to protect and strengthen current programs that provide real solutions for older adults who are struggling financially.
More than 13 million older adults live in or on the edge of poverty, often on less than $22,000 each year. In New York, a million older adults are income eligible for nutrition assistance programs. These seniors have to decide every day whether to pay for food, medicine, or a place to live. They live one bad break, one accident, or one layoff away from economic disaster.
The new video is part of One Away, an advocacy campaign that allows vulnerable and disadvantaged seniors tell their stories of struggle in their own words. The latest video highlights programs that are a lifeline for millions of older adults, including food and nutrition programs – Right now, 5 million seniors are hungry in the United States. Yet proposals in Congress would reduce funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as Food Stamps) by $127 billion, and could cut funding for Older Americans Act meals programs, including Meals on Wheels and congregate meals.
In addition to the main video, there are 10 other One Away videos spotlighting older adults across the country who have had to stop taking their medicine, eat less, or live in their car due to financial setbacks. Click on the "Watch Videos" tab to see them all. Visitors also can share their own stories of struggle, send an email to Congress, and discuss solutions to help seniors in need.
A national poll, commissioned by NCOA, indicated that almost two-thirds (63%) of adults aged 18+ said they or an older adult they know is struggling to make ends meet in today's economy. A majority (62%) also knows that one out of three older adults relies on Social Security for over 90% of their income. Find out more at www.oneaway.org/Press.
Hunger Solutions New York has a variety of outreach materials for your use among older adults in your community.
WASHINGTON, July 12, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire
As Congress debates dramatic cuts to senior programs— including Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, food stamps, Home Delivered Meals and congregate meals — a new video by the One Away campaign for elder economic security urges policymakers to protect and strengthen current programs that provide real solutions for older adults who are struggling financially.
More than 13 million older adults live in or on the edge of poverty, often on less than $22,000 each year. In New York, a million older adults are income eligible for nutrition assistance programs. These seniors have to decide every day whether to pay for food, medicine, or a place to live. They live one bad break, one accident, or one layoff away from economic disaster.
The new video is part of One Away, an advocacy campaign that allows vulnerable and disadvantaged seniors tell their stories of struggle in their own words. The latest video highlights programs that are a lifeline for millions of older adults, including food and nutrition programs – Right now, 5 million seniors are hungry in the United States. Yet proposals in Congress would reduce funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as Food Stamps) by $127 billion, and could cut funding for Older Americans Act meals programs, including Meals on Wheels and congregate meals.
In addition to the main video, there are 10 other One Away videos spotlighting older adults across the country who have had to stop taking their medicine, eat less, or live in their car due to financial setbacks. Click on the "Watch Videos" tab to see them all. Visitors also can share their own stories of struggle, send an email to Congress, and discuss solutions to help seniors in need.
A national poll, commissioned by NCOA, indicated that almost two-thirds (63%) of adults aged 18+ said they or an older adult they know is struggling to make ends meet in today's economy. A majority (62%) also knows that one out of three older adults relies on Social Security for over 90% of their income. Find out more at www.oneaway.org/Press.
Hunger Solutions New York has a variety of outreach materials for your use among older adults in your community.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Nutrition assistance feeds families, economy
Program working to weed out bad apples
By Kevin Concannon
Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services in the U.S. Department of Agriculture
First published in the Liberty Tribune Opinion Page
July, 2011 St. Joseph MO
As someone with decades of experience working in and around anti-poverty programs, I have witnessed firsthand the important role that government can play in helping families that are literally living from paycheck to paycheck. I have seen how the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps, helps millions of responsible, hardworking Americans put food on the table for their families.
But that is not all SNAP does. It helps support jobs and provides a boost to the economy. And SNAP has a good story to tell when it comes to using taxpayer funds responsibly and wisely, one that unfortunately does not get told enough.
That is why it is so disappointing when sporadic abuses of the program by a select few are used as a political football in the media. Given most media coverage in recent weeks, you would think that lottery winners and criminals are the only Americans receiving SNAP benefits. This couldn’t be further from the truth.
In fact, abuses are the exception, not the norm. They overshadow the record achievements in SNAP for payment accuracy and program integrity, and do a disservice to the overwhelming majority that truly need the program and are playing by the rules.
For starters, people should understand that the record 44 million of our fellow Americans — more than half of whom are children, elderly and the disabled — participating in SNAP is due primarily to the fact that we are still recovering from the worst economic collapse since the Great Depression. We know it is right, and it is in the interest of all of us, to help them until they can get back on their feet.
SNAP benefits also provide an economic stimulus that strengthens communities. Research shows that every $5 in new SNAP benefits generates as much as $9 in economic activity. SNAP benefits move quickly into local economies, supporting and creating jobs for the Americans who grow, process, pack, ship, shelve and sell us food.
At the same time, USDA works very hard, in partnership with the state agencies that operate the program, to be a responsible steward of trusted taxpayer resources. Rooting out waste, fraud and abuse is a top priority for this administration. We do not tolerate fraud in SNAP at USDA, and prosecute those who attempt to game the system.
Due to increased oversight and improvements to program management by USDA, the prevalence of selling SNAP benefits for cash — a fraudulent activity known as “trafficking” — has fallen significantly over the last two decades to roughly 1 cent on the dollar today. Additionally, payment accuracy in SNAP is at an all-time high — over the last decade participation among eligibles has gone from 57 percent to 66 percent, while payment errors have gone from 8.91 percent to 3.81 percent. Simply put, participation is up, and errors are down — hallmarks of an efficient and effective program.
While these are positive trends, any trafficking or error is too much, and USDA continues to be aggressive in our efforts to improve integrity in SNAP. We use state-of-the-art technology to help target criminals. We receive ongoing risk assessments, using data down to the zip code level, of all stores that accept SNAP benefits based on their likelihood of committing program violations.
But we are not content to stop there. We are currently redesigning our fraud detection system with newer, more advanced data mining technology and analytical tools available in the private sector. These efforts will make us even better at getting rid of those who break the law and abuse the program.
Beyond pursuing fraud, USDA is also deeply committed to ensuring that benefits are targeted to those Americans who need them the most. That is why we have proactively urged states to use their current authority to change their state policies so that millionaires — or those receiving substantial windfalls — do not receive SNAP benefits.
These are just a few of the things we are doing at USDA every day to perform the job that America’s taxpayers have entrusted to us. And we are committed to doing even more. As our nation continues down its path of economic recovery we know that our work is cut out for us. But our sense of dignity and morality tells us that we must support hard-working Americans who are still struggling to meet their most basic nutritional needs. SNAP is an integral part of those efforts, which will stimulate the economy and help us grow a stronger nation for all Americans.
By Kevin Concannon
Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services in the U.S. Department of Agriculture
First published in the Liberty Tribune Opinion Page
July, 2011 St. Joseph MO
As someone with decades of experience working in and around anti-poverty programs, I have witnessed firsthand the important role that government can play in helping families that are literally living from paycheck to paycheck. I have seen how the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps, helps millions of responsible, hardworking Americans put food on the table for their families.
But that is not all SNAP does. It helps support jobs and provides a boost to the economy. And SNAP has a good story to tell when it comes to using taxpayer funds responsibly and wisely, one that unfortunately does not get told enough.
That is why it is so disappointing when sporadic abuses of the program by a select few are used as a political football in the media. Given most media coverage in recent weeks, you would think that lottery winners and criminals are the only Americans receiving SNAP benefits. This couldn’t be further from the truth.
In fact, abuses are the exception, not the norm. They overshadow the record achievements in SNAP for payment accuracy and program integrity, and do a disservice to the overwhelming majority that truly need the program and are playing by the rules.
For starters, people should understand that the record 44 million of our fellow Americans — more than half of whom are children, elderly and the disabled — participating in SNAP is due primarily to the fact that we are still recovering from the worst economic collapse since the Great Depression. We know it is right, and it is in the interest of all of us, to help them until they can get back on their feet.
SNAP benefits also provide an economic stimulus that strengthens communities. Research shows that every $5 in new SNAP benefits generates as much as $9 in economic activity. SNAP benefits move quickly into local economies, supporting and creating jobs for the Americans who grow, process, pack, ship, shelve and sell us food.
At the same time, USDA works very hard, in partnership with the state agencies that operate the program, to be a responsible steward of trusted taxpayer resources. Rooting out waste, fraud and abuse is a top priority for this administration. We do not tolerate fraud in SNAP at USDA, and prosecute those who attempt to game the system.
Due to increased oversight and improvements to program management by USDA, the prevalence of selling SNAP benefits for cash — a fraudulent activity known as “trafficking” — has fallen significantly over the last two decades to roughly 1 cent on the dollar today. Additionally, payment accuracy in SNAP is at an all-time high — over the last decade participation among eligibles has gone from 57 percent to 66 percent, while payment errors have gone from 8.91 percent to 3.81 percent. Simply put, participation is up, and errors are down — hallmarks of an efficient and effective program.
While these are positive trends, any trafficking or error is too much, and USDA continues to be aggressive in our efforts to improve integrity in SNAP. We use state-of-the-art technology to help target criminals. We receive ongoing risk assessments, using data down to the zip code level, of all stores that accept SNAP benefits based on their likelihood of committing program violations.
But we are not content to stop there. We are currently redesigning our fraud detection system with newer, more advanced data mining technology and analytical tools available in the private sector. These efforts will make us even better at getting rid of those who break the law and abuse the program.
Beyond pursuing fraud, USDA is also deeply committed to ensuring that benefits are targeted to those Americans who need them the most. That is why we have proactively urged states to use their current authority to change their state policies so that millionaires — or those receiving substantial windfalls — do not receive SNAP benefits.
These are just a few of the things we are doing at USDA every day to perform the job that America’s taxpayers have entrusted to us. And we are committed to doing even more. As our nation continues down its path of economic recovery we know that our work is cut out for us. But our sense of dignity and morality tells us that we must support hard-working Americans who are still struggling to meet their most basic nutritional needs. SNAP is an integral part of those efforts, which will stimulate the economy and help us grow a stronger nation for all Americans.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Food Stamp Program/SNAP FACTS from USDA
FACT vs. FICTION: USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
Below is a reprint of a June 24th posting to USDA’s Blog by Aaron Lavallee of USDA’s Office of Communications.
Over the last 15 years, the USDA has made great strides in our efforts to reduce fraud and abuse in its programs. Payment accuracy has never been higher: in FY 2010, 96.19 percent of all benefits were issued correctly, the fourth consecutive year the program has achieved a historically high rate. Without this improvement, the cost of improper payments would have been $356 million higher. Trafficking in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has also declined, from four percent of benefits to its current level of one percent. While these are positive trends, any trafficking or error is too much, and we will continue to be aggressive in efforts to improve integrity and maintain public confidence that benefits are being used responsibly. But we know that misinformation and confusion about SNAP exists and so we have highlighted some of the most common misconceptions and presented the facts below.
Most SNAP benefits are going to people who could be working.
This is FICTION.
Most SNAP recipients were children or elderly. Nearly half (48 percent) were children and another 8 percent were age 60 or older. Working-age women represented 28 percent of the caseload, while working-age men represented 16 percent.
People on SNAP benefits are not employed.
This is FICTION.
Many SNAP recipients are currently employed but they still need some assistance so that they can put nutritious food on the table for their families. More than 29 percent of SNAP households had earnings in 2009, and 40 percent of all SNAP participants lived in a household with earnings. For these households, earnings were the primary source of income.
The majority of SNAP households do not receive cash welfare benefits.
This is FACT.
Less than 10 percent of all SNAP households received Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits and another 5 percent received State General Assistance (GA) benefits. About 24 percent of SNAP households received Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits and over 22 percent received Social Security.
Most SNAP recipients are also on cash welfare and that trend is getting worse.
This is FICTION.
The primary source of income among SNAP participants shifted from welfare to work. In 1989, 42 percent of all SNAP households received cash welfare benefits and only 20 percent had earnings. In 2009, less than 10 percent received cash welfare, while 29 percent had earnings.
The SNAP program is full of errors and people are getting more benefits than they qualify for.
This is FICTION.
USDA and state partners are working diligently to improve payment accuracy and program integrity in SNAP. This year we announced that SNAP achieved the highest accuracy rate in history of the program. The FY 2010 national payment error rate of 3.81 percent represents the lowest rate in the history of the program and includes both overpayments and underpayments. Payment accuracy is providing the correct amount of SNAP benefits to eligible households and making sure that no one gets too little or too much in benefits—a shared goal of USDA and partner states.
Source and for more info here.
SNAP is full of fraud and trafficking is rampant.
This is FICTION.
Due to increased oversight and improvements to program management by USDA, the trafficking rate has fallen significantly over the last two decades, from about 4 cents on the dollar in 1993 to about 1 cent in 2006-08.
Source & for more info here.
more facts...
Below is a reprint of a June 24th posting to USDA’s Blog by Aaron Lavallee of USDA’s Office of Communications.
Over the last 15 years, the USDA has made great strides in our efforts to reduce fraud and abuse in its programs. Payment accuracy has never been higher: in FY 2010, 96.19 percent of all benefits were issued correctly, the fourth consecutive year the program has achieved a historically high rate. Without this improvement, the cost of improper payments would have been $356 million higher. Trafficking in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has also declined, from four percent of benefits to its current level of one percent. While these are positive trends, any trafficking or error is too much, and we will continue to be aggressive in efforts to improve integrity and maintain public confidence that benefits are being used responsibly. But we know that misinformation and confusion about SNAP exists and so we have highlighted some of the most common misconceptions and presented the facts below.
Most SNAP benefits are going to people who could be working.
This is FICTION.
Most SNAP recipients were children or elderly. Nearly half (48 percent) were children and another 8 percent were age 60 or older. Working-age women represented 28 percent of the caseload, while working-age men represented 16 percent.
People on SNAP benefits are not employed.
This is FICTION.
Many SNAP recipients are currently employed but they still need some assistance so that they can put nutritious food on the table for their families. More than 29 percent of SNAP households had earnings in 2009, and 40 percent of all SNAP participants lived in a household with earnings. For these households, earnings were the primary source of income.
The majority of SNAP households do not receive cash welfare benefits.
This is FACT.
Less than 10 percent of all SNAP households received Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits and another 5 percent received State General Assistance (GA) benefits. About 24 percent of SNAP households received Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits and over 22 percent received Social Security.
Most SNAP recipients are also on cash welfare and that trend is getting worse.
This is FICTION.
The primary source of income among SNAP participants shifted from welfare to work. In 1989, 42 percent of all SNAP households received cash welfare benefits and only 20 percent had earnings. In 2009, less than 10 percent received cash welfare, while 29 percent had earnings.
The SNAP program is full of errors and people are getting more benefits than they qualify for.
This is FICTION.
USDA and state partners are working diligently to improve payment accuracy and program integrity in SNAP. This year we announced that SNAP achieved the highest accuracy rate in history of the program. The FY 2010 national payment error rate of 3.81 percent represents the lowest rate in the history of the program and includes both overpayments and underpayments. Payment accuracy is providing the correct amount of SNAP benefits to eligible households and making sure that no one gets too little or too much in benefits—a shared goal of USDA and partner states.
Source and for more info here.
SNAP is full of fraud and trafficking is rampant.
This is FICTION.
Due to increased oversight and improvements to program management by USDA, the trafficking rate has fallen significantly over the last two decades, from about 4 cents on the dollar in 1993 to about 1 cent in 2006-08.
Source & for more info here.
more facts...
Friday, July 8, 2011
Focus on Seniors, Not Swindlers
Hunger impacts millions of people. In fact, nearly 1 in 5 New Yorkers struggle to feed themselves or their family.
In the Wall Street Journal, opinion writer James Bovard recently suggested there’s rampant fraud and abuse in the Food Stamp Program (federally named SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). The National Council on Aging replied to Bovard’s accusations by pointing to the real problem: people, especially seniors, who need the benefit are not getting it.
The Food Stamp Program is our nation’s first line of defense against hunger; stretching the monthly food budgets of all who meet program guidelines. Participants use an electronic benefits transfer (EBT) card to buy food from local stores, bodegas and farmers’ markets.
Often, vulnerable New Yorkers are unaware of, or hesitant to apply for, nutrition assistance programs which can help them through tough times. Many others need help to successfully complete applications. This spring, Hunger Solutions New York raised awareness of this issue along with the "Tea and Toast" syndrome among vulnerable older adults.
In New York, about half of the million older adults who are income eligible for monthly food stamp benefits are enrolled. Hunger Solutions New York has a variety of outreach materials for your use among older adults in your community.
Hunger Solutions New York also manages the Nutrition Outreach and Education Program (NOEP). This unique model offers free and confidential services to connect hungry New Yorkers with nutrition assistance programs. NOEP is available in many counties across the state and throughout the boroughs of New York City.
NOEP’s primary focus is increasing participation in the Food Stamp Program. NOEP’s nationally recognized model is one of the largest food stamp outreach programs in the nation. Through community-based work, tens of thousands of new households each year apply for, and receive, benefits. Hunger Solutions New York trains NOEP outreach workers in the Food Stamp Program guidelines to provide confidential and accurate pre-screenings and help individuals and households through the application process.
NOEP outreach workers:
• Promote the Food Stamp Program across the state;
• Help applicants gather and copy the necessary documents;
• Offer translation services, home visits, in-person or over-the-phone assistance for applicants who need individualized help;
• Work closely with local government offices to ensure that each application is processed correctly;
• Identify and remedy barriers to Food Stamp Program participation;
• Refer households to other nutrition assistance programs and community resources; and
• Collaborate with an array of local service providers.
Connect with your local Nutrition Outreach and Education Program: www.FoodHelpNY.org.
Census data reports that of New York State's 3.6 million older adults, over a million of them were were born outside of the United States. Written language barriers may prevent many older New Yorkers from applying for benefits. Click here to find NY's food stamp applications in multiple languages, including Arabic, Chinese, Haitian/Creole, Korean, Russian, and Spanish.
In the Wall Street Journal, opinion writer James Bovard recently suggested there’s rampant fraud and abuse in the Food Stamp Program (federally named SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). The National Council on Aging replied to Bovard’s accusations by pointing to the real problem: people, especially seniors, who need the benefit are not getting it.
The Food Stamp Program is our nation’s first line of defense against hunger; stretching the monthly food budgets of all who meet program guidelines. Participants use an electronic benefits transfer (EBT) card to buy food from local stores, bodegas and farmers’ markets.
Often, vulnerable New Yorkers are unaware of, or hesitant to apply for, nutrition assistance programs which can help them through tough times. Many others need help to successfully complete applications. This spring, Hunger Solutions New York raised awareness of this issue along with the "Tea and Toast" syndrome among vulnerable older adults.
In New York, about half of the million older adults who are income eligible for monthly food stamp benefits are enrolled. Hunger Solutions New York has a variety of outreach materials for your use among older adults in your community.
Hunger Solutions New York also manages the Nutrition Outreach and Education Program (NOEP). This unique model offers free and confidential services to connect hungry New Yorkers with nutrition assistance programs. NOEP is available in many counties across the state and throughout the boroughs of New York City.
NOEP’s primary focus is increasing participation in the Food Stamp Program. NOEP’s nationally recognized model is one of the largest food stamp outreach programs in the nation. Through community-based work, tens of thousands of new households each year apply for, and receive, benefits. Hunger Solutions New York trains NOEP outreach workers in the Food Stamp Program guidelines to provide confidential and accurate pre-screenings and help individuals and households through the application process.
NOEP outreach workers:
• Promote the Food Stamp Program across the state;
• Help applicants gather and copy the necessary documents;
• Offer translation services, home visits, in-person or over-the-phone assistance for applicants who need individualized help;
• Work closely with local government offices to ensure that each application is processed correctly;
• Identify and remedy barriers to Food Stamp Program participation;
• Refer households to other nutrition assistance programs and community resources; and
• Collaborate with an array of local service providers.
Connect with your local Nutrition Outreach and Education Program: www.FoodHelpNY.org.
Census data reports that of New York State's 3.6 million older adults, over a million of them were were born outside of the United States. Written language barriers may prevent many older New Yorkers from applying for benefits. Click here to find NY's food stamp applications in multiple languages, including Arabic, Chinese, Haitian/Creole, Korean, Russian, and Spanish.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Senior Hunger and the Older Americans Act
Older Americans Act nutrition services programs have been one of the core elements of our national strategy for reducing food insecurity among older Americans for nearly 40 years.
Watch the recorded Senate Subcommittee on Primary Health and Aging's Hearing telecast from June 21, 2011.
Testimony includes witnesses from the Administration on Aging, National Association of Nutrition and Aging Services Programs, an Area Agency on Aging, The Commonwealth Fund, and the Government and Accountability Office.
Congregate Meals are served up to five days a week to older adults (and their spouses of any age) at more than 1,000 sites across New York State, including senior centers or clubs, senior housing complexes, and town halls. A person’s income is not considered.
Home Delivered Meals are nutritious meals delivered to a person’s home one to two times daily, five or more times a week. There are no income guidelines; the target population is nutritionally at-risk adults who may be disabled, living alone, have very low-income and/or are over 75 years of age.
Connect with resources and tools in our Senior Nutrition Center to help older adults in your community.
Watch the recorded Senate Subcommittee on Primary Health and Aging's Hearing telecast from June 21, 2011.
Testimony includes witnesses from the Administration on Aging, National Association of Nutrition and Aging Services Programs, an Area Agency on Aging, The Commonwealth Fund, and the Government and Accountability Office.
Congregate Meals are served up to five days a week to older adults (and their spouses of any age) at more than 1,000 sites across New York State, including senior centers or clubs, senior housing complexes, and town halls. A person’s income is not considered.
Home Delivered Meals are nutritious meals delivered to a person’s home one to two times daily, five or more times a week. There are no income guidelines; the target population is nutritionally at-risk adults who may be disabled, living alone, have very low-income and/or are over 75 years of age.
Connect with resources and tools in our Senior Nutrition Center to help older adults in your community.
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