A Note from the Executive Director of the Nutrition Consortium of New York State
As our nation faces the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, the need for government nutrition assistance programs is greater than ever. Participation in the federally-funded Food Stamp Program, our nation’s first line of defense against hunger, is reaching record numbers. Sadly however, food insecurity and hunger persist among people of all ages. As the Nutrition Consortium of New York State, Inc. pursues its mission of alleviating hunger for all New Yorkers, we are committed to achieving the greatest possible impact on behalf of all hungry New Yorkers.
The Food Stamp Program, the nation’s largest and most far-reaching nutrition assistance program, has proven to be a fast and effective responder for people in times of crisis. This was the case in disaster situations such as Hurricane Katrina and the flooding which ravaged areas of New York State in 2006. The most recent statistics reveal that more than 2.3 million New Yorkers are receiving food stamps. Nationally, 1 in 9 people are enrolled. While the economic factors contributing to this increase are real, unfortunate and must be dealt with, our immediate focus must be on ensuring that people do not go hungry; getting people food stamps in times of need is essential.
In addition to the health and workforce productivity advantages gained from helping people put food on the table, the positive economic returns of the Food Stamp Program are significant, and being more widely acknowledged. More retailers are accepting food stamps as a means to keep their businesses afloat in the midst of a recession. The federal government, recognizing the impact of food stamps as an economic stimulus, increased benefit amounts in April as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
New York State continues to recognize the importance of enrolling eligible individuals in the federally-funded Food Stamp Program, which brings billions of federal dollars into New York’s local economies and communities every year. Implementation of the Working Families Food Stamp Initiative, the new electronic application, and expanded “categorical eligibility” are streamlining the food stamp application process and increasing the number of people who are eligible for benefits. Other new statewide initiatives are raising benefit amounts for certain populations. The Nutrition Consortium is proud of the role it has played in assisting New York’s Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance to develop and implement these initiatives.
In addition, by maintaining $1.8 million in state funding for the Nutrition Outreach and Education Program (NOEP), a statewide program which operates through community-based organizations to promote the Food Stamp Program and assist eligible people complete the application process, more than 27,000 households enrolled in the Food Stamp Program last year. This brought more than $65 million in federal food stamp dollars into the state.
Still, there is ample work to be done to address the issue of hunger in New York State. A recent study by Feeding America found that 1 in 6 children under the age of 18 are food insecure in New York State—meaning that they lack consistent access to food on a regular basis. People “on the ground” at food pantries, soup kitchens, and community based-organizations are reporting huge increases in demand, with resources that aren’t keeping up. The high demand for food stamps means that clients must often wait a long period of time before their application is processed and benefits are received. There are still many things that must be done to improve access to, and participation in, the Food Stamp Program as well as the other nutrition assistance programs. Currently, large numbers of eligible people are not receiving the assistance they need. For those who do receive assistance, benefit amounts are often inadequate to keep up with increasing food prices. School and afterschool meal programs for children are underfunded, which doesn’t allow for enough healthy foods to be part of the meals. And the list goes on.
The Food Stamp Program, and other nutrition assistance programs, must be strengthened to provide a sufficient response to hunger. In the Nutrition Consortium’s newly-released “Campaign for a Hunger-Free New York” public policy priorities, we outline specific goals and recommendations for public policy changes that will reduce hunger in New York State. The state and federal government, advocates, community based organizations, and community members need to work together to meet the nutritional needs of vulnerable people so that no one faces the despair of hunger, ever. Despite these challenging economic times, our nation and state still possess the resources to ensure that no one goes hungry.
As an organization that supports those who are working “on the ground” to assist people with meeting their food needs, the Nutrition Consortium is doing everything we can to ensure that our work is as efficient and effective as possible. We are updating all systems and processes, and increasing our technology and web-based presence, to better serve our colleagues, partners, and friends. This new e-newsletter is one way we are moving forward to better serve the anti-hunger effort in NYS. We will soon be introducing topic specific “news digests” for more in-depth information about the Food Stamp Program, child nutrition programs, and senior nutrition assistance programs. Additionally, our website and blog, launched at the beginning of the year, are frequently updated with the latest information about hunger, nutrition assistance programs, outreach, legislation, and advocacy opportunities.
On the topic of advocacy, the Nutrition Consortium is currently working with the NYS congressional delegation and partners across the state to support the upcoming Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2009. This is an opportunity to strengthen the nutrition assistance safety net for children. Part of the solution to hunger is ensuring that children have the ability to access three nutritious meals a day, in the places where they learn and play. Through the upcoming Reauthorization, the Nutrition Consortium is advocating for funding increases, uniform nutritional standards, measures that will increase the number of low-income children who receive meals, and administrative simplification for the programs. We hope that you will join our Child Nutrition Reauthorization Coalition and support this important legislation, with a focus on addressing the needs of low-income children and supporting their ability to learn and grow to their fullest potential.
Lastly, we would like to invite those who hail from the greater Capital Region and Hudson Valley to join the Nutrition Consortium of New York State at our first fundraising event at Mexican Radio restaurant in Hudson, NY. On September 24th, 2009, Mexican Radio restaurant will donate 25% of your bill to support the Nutrition Consortium’s “Campaign for a Hunger-Free New York.” Please join us for some delicious Mexican fare at a beautiful venue, to support a very worthy cause.
Thank you for your support and contributions to the anti-hunger effort in New York State. We look forward to continuing this very important work together.
Sincerely,
Linda P. Bopp, Executive Director
Nutrition Consortium of NYS
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