healthy food - BRING A LEGISLATOR TO THE TABLE - SIBEJO

State legislators are in a unique position to tackle hunger and increase access to healthy food. Legislators simultaneously wear the hats of policymaker and community leader. They can direct and provide incentives for state agencies to implement new programs, catalyze coordination among agencies, give start-up or expansion funding to promising initiatives, and establish an award to recognize an organization fighting hunger in their communities.  As community leaders, they can bring together the public, nonprofit, corporate, and foundation sectors to inspire meaningful change and imagine innovative solutions for low-income communities. A new publication from the National Conference of State Legislatures offers nine examples of innovative programs that involve partnerships among multiple organizations and state-level support to support SNAP, food distribution, child nutrition, and access to healthy food.

Source: NCSL, 8/16, Legislative Outreach

healthy food - FOOD SAFETY NET SHREDS IN SUMMER; DISAPPEARS AFTER GRADUATION - SIBEJO

Summer marks a serious gap in the nation�s food safety net for children. Of the 22 million students who receive free or reduced�-price lunch in U.S. public schools, all but 3.9 million of them lose access to those meals over the summer, according FeedingAmerica. Whether it is because they can�t get to community summer meal sites or don�t know about them, more than 18 million children go hungry over the summer. A bipartisan group of senators introduced the Hunger �Free Summer For Kids Act last August to give communities more flexibility for summer meals programs.Their proposal would allow communities to deliver packaged meals to families or distribute electronic benefit transfer cards to eligible children over the summer, allowing their families to buy extra food from retail stores.

Yet, while students in K�12 schools lose access to reliable food sources during the summer, high school students lose access completely when they graduate and go to college. Graduates lose access to the School Lunch Program, and SNAP work requirements make it difficult to go to college. Campus surveys have found nearly 40% of undergraduate students in the City University of New York system are food insecure as well as 21% of students in the California State University and University of Hawaii systems. Colleges and states are starting to pay attention. As of July 5, 2016, there were 339 active member institutions of the College and University Food Bank Alliance. And the California legislature is considering a bill to help local food banks coordinate with college food pantries and require both public and private colleges to participate in restaurant meals programs in their counties.

Source: Education Dive, 7/28/16, Food Safety Net for Students

healthy food - SNAP ASSET LIMITS HAVE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES - SIBEJO

SNAP asset limits aim to target government resources and program benefits to people with the greatest need. But they may discourage low�income households from building a savings cushion that would help them weather economic shocks, such as a job loss or an unexpected car repair or medical bill. A new study finds that relaxing SNAP asset limits increases low�-income households� savings (8% more likely to have at least $500) and participation in mainstream financial markets (5% more likely to have a bank account). It also reduces SNAP churn (households cycling on and off SNAP due to fluctuations in their income) by 26%. Taken together, relaxed asset limits increase households� financial security and stability by increasing savings and reducing benefit fluctuations, and they can decrease government administrative program costs when fewer people cycle on and off the program.

Source: Urban Institute, 7/26/16, SNAP Asset Limits

healthy food - WELFARE RULES THWART MOVING UP - SIBEJO

The welfare reform law of 1996 required Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) recipients to meet �stringent work requirements.� TANF is delivered to states through block grants, which require that states place a certain percentage of people into the workforce. However, many of these jobs are low-wage, and states discourage people from acquiring skills for better jobs, pushing them to find a job as soon as possible. Lacking training or education, these low-wage workers find it nearly impossible to advance into higher paying jobs.The number of TANF recipients has decreased from 13 million in 1995 to three million today. And those who could not find even low-skill jobs in the allowed amount of time lost all government help, which thrust them into deep poverty. Today, about 1.5 million households, including about three million children, are living on $2.00 per person or less per day.

Source: The Atlantic, 7/11/16, Failing Welfare Reform

healthy food - DINE OR DUMP? - SIBEJO

Americans toss billions of dollars worth of food every year. A good portion of that is still safe to eat, but we don't because of confusion over expiration labels. Licensed dieticians say those dates are often mistaken as the deadline to toss. But many of the items are still safe to eat, far past what's labeled. Cheese typically lasts for a couple weeks; condiments can last a couple months; eggs are good three to five weeks after the expiration date. Congress is now considering the Food Date Labeling act of 2016,  which aims to clear up the food date dilemma with by adding a quality date and a safety date to let consumers know when the food is past its peak and when it becomes unsafe to eat. Currently the dates listed are merely guidelines for the manufacturer:

• "Sell by" dates are meant to let stores know when to pull the product from their shelves. Just make sure you purchase the product before the date passes.
• "Use by" dates mark when the item is at its peak quality.
• "Best by" dates are recommended for best flavor.

Source: KPMI, 7/19/16, Expiration Labels