Replacement Food Stamp benefits extended for victims of both Irene and Lee

OTDA has instructed food stamp offices in the counties affected by both Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee to continue to accept requests for replacement of food stamp benefits even though the ten day window to report the loss has passed. The affected counties are the following:

Albany, Broome, Bronx, Chemung, Chenango, Clinton, Columbia, Delaware, Dutchess, Essex, Greene, Herkimer, Kings, Montgomery, Nassau, Orange, Otsego, Putnam, Queens, Rensselaer, Richmond, Rockland, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Suffolk, Sullivan, Tioga, Ulster, Warren, Washington, and Westchester Counties.

• Food Stamp Offices in the counties listed above have been instructed to continue accepting requests for replacement of food stamp benefits due to loss of food until September 30.
• Current food stamp recipients, in the counties listed above, who lost food due to flooding or power outages during Hurricane Irene or Tropical Storm Lee are eligible to apply for replacement food stamp benefits.
• You should encourage folks to report their loss to their food stamp office ASAP.

For more information on Replacement Food Stamp Benefits see our memo on Flooding, Power Outages and Replacement Food Stamp Benefits.

A flyer is available for you to share with your clients about this important assistance available to any current food stamp recipient who has lost food due to power outages or flooding during Tropical Storm Lee. This flyer is also available in Spanish.

The form for requesting Replacement Food Stamp Benefits is available for you to download.

For More Informtion: There are Nutrition Outreach and Education Program (NOEP) coordiantors in many communities across NYS. NOEP coordinators are available to help potentially eligible individuals and families apply for food stamp benefits.

NOEP coordinators can help families and individuals who may be eligible for Replacement Food Stamp Benefits by:

• Providing families with the form needed to request replacement food stamp benefits.
• Helping families complete this form, and
• Answering any questions families or community agencies may have.

Find out if there is a NOEP coordinator in your community!

Questions about replacement food stamp benefits call Hunger Solutions New York at 1-800-865-5542.

DISASTER FOOD STAMP PROGRAM AVAILABLE IN COUNTIES HIT BY HURRICANE IRENE AND TROPICAL STORM LEE

There is a Disaster Food Stamp Program (DFSP) designated for the following counties:

Albany, Broome, Chemung, Chenango, Delaware, Dutchess, Essex, Greene, Montgomery, Orange, Otsego, Schenectady, Schoharie, Tioga, Ulster, and Westchester.

Households needing help with food should apply for disaster food stamps at either their local disaster assistance service center or local food stamp office.

Applications deadlines for this program depend on the county and the program is available for a limited time. Households are encouraged to apply for disaster food stamp benefits as soon as possible.

Click here for more information and to download a detailed flyer with basic program guidelines.

Replacement Food Stamp Benefit Extension for Tropical Strom Lee

OTDA has instructed food stamp offices in the counties affected by Tropical Storm Lee to continue to accept requests for replacement of food stamp benefits even though the ten day window to report the loss has passed. The affected counties are the following:

• Broome, Chenango, Delaware, Otsego, Schenectady, and Tioga.



• Food Stamp Offices in the counties listed above have been instructed to continue accepting requests for replacement of food stamp benefits due to loss of food until further notice.



• Current food stamp recipients, in the counties listed above, who lost food due to flooding or power outages during Tropical Storm Lee are eligible to apply for replacement food stamp benefits.



• You should encourage folks to report their loss to their food stamp office ASAP.

For more information on Replacement Food Stamp Benefits see our memo on Flooding, Power Outages and Replacement Food Stamp Benefits.

A flyer is available for you to share with your clients about this important assistance available to any current food stamp recipient who has lost food due to power outages or flooding during Tropical Storm Lee. This flyer is also available in Spanish.

The form for requesting Replacement Food Stamp Benefits is available for you to download.

For More Informtion: There are Nutrition Outreach and Education Program (NOEP) coordiantors in many communities across NYS. NOEP coordinators are available to help potentially eligible individuals and families apply for food stamp benefits.

NOEP coordinators can help families and individuals who may be eligible for Replacement Food Stamp Benefits by:

• Providing families with the form needed to request replacment food stamp benefits.



• Helping families complete this form, and



• Answering any questions families or community agencies may have.

Find out if there is a NOEP coordinator in your community!

Questions about replacement food stamp benefits call Hunger Solutions New York at 1-800-865-5542.

Census Bureau Releases New Poverty Data SNAP Lifting 3.9 Million People Above Poverty Line

From our friends at FRAC:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jennifer Adach, 202.986.2200 x3018

Washington, D.C. – September 13, 2011 – The Census Bureau reported today that 46.2 million people (15.1 percent) were living in poverty in 2010, up from 43.6 million in 2009. This is the largest number of Americans living in poverty since the Census Bureau started publishing these estimates in 1959.

For struggling families, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, or food stamps) is making a huge difference. According to the Census Bureau, 3.9 million people – 1.7 million children – were lifted above the poverty line in 2010 under the alternative computation that counts SNAP benefits. In 2009, SNAP lifted 3.6 million people out of poverty.

Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s annual report on food insecurity showed levels of hunger and food insecurity for 2010 that were the same as 2009, although still about one-third higher than in 2007 before the recession wreaked havoc with America’s low-income and working families. The flat food insecurity rates are generally attributed to the growth in SNAP participation and the important boost in SNAP benefits that the President and Congress put in place beginning in 2009.

“SNAP lifted people out of poverty, and it helped keep hunger rates from rising. Both the poverty and hunger rates tell us that, while too many people continue to struggle, SNAP is a program that’s extremely important in helping people weather challenging times,” said FRAC President Jim Weill.

Other findings from the Census Bureau report include:
• Since 2007, the poverty rate has grown by 2.6 percentage points, from 12.5 percent in 2007 to 15.1 percent in 2010.
• Deep poverty (people living on incomes below 50 percent of the poverty line) grew from 6.3 percent (19 million people) in 2009 to 6.7 percent (20.5 million) in 2010.
• Even more telling is the increase in the number of families living below 125 percent of the poverty line, which means they are income-eligible for most federal nutrition programs. This number grew from 18.7 percent (56.8 million) in 2009 to 19.8 percent (60.4 million) in 2010.
The data further underscore the need for the President and Congress to pursue policies that spur job and economic growth and protect and improve safety net programs.

For further analysis, visit FRAC’s website.

Replacement Food Stamp Benefit Extension for Hurricane Irene

Food Stamp Offices have been instructed by NYS to continue to take requests for replacement food stamp benefits from current food stamp recipients who lost power or experienced flooding due to Hurricane Irene and therefore lost food.

The new deadline for reporting their food loss is Friday, September 23.

You should still encourage people to report the loss to their food stamp office ASAP.

See our newest memo concerning the extension and highlighting clarifications on the Replacement Food Stamp policy.

All other power outages, and flooding due to storms last Sunday 9/4, and the rain this past week are not considered part of Hurricane Irene. People experiencing flooding or power outages due to these misfortunes are also eligible to request replacement food stamp benefits under the normal processing rules (report loss within 10 days of misfortune).

For more information on Replacement Food Stamp Benefits see our memo on Flooding, Power Outages and Replacement Food Stamp Benefits.

A flyer is available for your use to help spread the word about this important assistance available to any current food stamp recipient who has lost food due to power outages or flooding.

For More Information: There are Nutrition Outreach and Education Program (NOEP) Coordinators in many communities across NYS. NOEP coordinators are available to help potentially eligible individuals and families apply for food stamp benefits.

NOEP coordinators can help families and individuals who may be eligible for Replacement Food Stamp Benefits by:

• Providing the form for households to request Replacement Food Stamps



• Helping households complete this form, and



• Answering any questions households may have.

Find out if there is a NOEP in your community.

If you have any questions about this memo, or any other food-stamp related question, please contact me at (518) 436-8757, ext. 112, or by e-mailing Dawn.Secor@HungerSolutionsNY.org

Hurricane Irene/Flooding, Homeless Children, and School Meals

Because of the rain from Hurricane Irene and continuous flooding throughout our state, many families with school-aged children have lost their homes, are displaced, are living in temporary shelters, and/or are experiencing changes in their households.

Children from these homes may be counted as homeless under the McKinney-Vento Act and therefore automatically eligible for free school meals.

Read our latest memo about homeless/displaced children and school meals.

Use our outreach flyer to let families know.

Check our website for updates about The Food Stamp Program and Replacement Food Stamps.

New Data Show 1 in 8 New York State Households Struggling with Hunger

Nearly 13 percent of New York households struggled with hunger on average in the years 2008-2010, according to new data released yesterday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in its annual report on food insecurity.

The report covers the three years during the heart of the recession. The rate for the three-year period prior to the recession (2005-2007) was 9.9 percent. The current rate, an increase of 30 percent since 2007, highlights the deep impact the recession has had on a vast number of households.

Read our press release about the report.

Latest CN e-News: Back to School Resources

Check out our latest Child Nutrition e-News with information about the free and reduced-price school meal application, hunger-related funding opportunities, MyPlate resources, and more!

To join the Child Nutrition Network and receive future e-News, please sign-up on our website. Go to the right sidebar of our homepage.

In addition, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act makes it easier for school districts to connect youth in foster care to free school meals. Read the latest report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and check out strategies your school can start adopting.