healthy food - Power up with summer meals in schools - SIBEJO

USDA and Department of Education are pleased to invite you to the iForum: Power Up with Summer Meals in Schools!! � co-hosted by the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Wednesday, May 11th, from 1:00 to 2:00 PM ET.

This online webinar will discuss proven strategies for community stakeholders to develop and expand USDA Summer Meals Programs in partnership with local schools.  Please sign up HERE, and forward the invitation to peers who might benefit from this information.

USDA Summer Meals Programs help close the nutrition gap children face over the summer months�a time when children no longer receive school meals they relied on throughout the school year. USDA reports that 22 million children and teens receive free and reduced-priced meals through the National School Lunch Program, yet only about 1 in 5 of those (around 3.8 million) participate in summer meal programs.

Participants of this iForum will gain clarity about how USDA Summer Meals Programs operate, and learn from school districts that have overcome obstacles to administer the programs effectively. We will be joined by the Port Huron Area School District in Michigan, and Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland, who will share their inspiring success stories.

During this exciting session, we will:

• Introduce USDA Summer Meals Programs and provide an overview on how the program operates;
• Hear how the school districts have overcome challenges in their journey to operating successful summer meals programsAnswer your questions

Again, please RSVP HERE, and forward the invitation to others who might benefit from this information. We will send an iForum log-in and call-in number prior to Wednesday, May 11th. We hope you will join us for this extraordinary convening. Thank you for all you do on behalf of children, youth, and families. 

healthy food - Film: Food Frontiers - SIBEJO

Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future has released a short film that tells a half-dozen stories about projects around the country that are aimed at increasing access to healthy food. 

healthy food - EVERY COUNTY IN AMERICA FACES HUNGER - SIBEJO

Despite an improved economy and lower national jobless rate since the recession, every single county in America is facing hunger, according to a new report. Americans living in the most remote and rural areas suffer many of the highest rates of food insecurity � and also pay more for groceries, according to the research. More than half the counties with the highest rates of overall food insecurity are rural, and people living in rural communities also face some of the highest average costs per meal.

Food insecurity is cropping up in many U.S. households that are not living below the poverty level. In 167 counties the majority of food insecure children don't qualify for federal nutrition programs such as the SNAP. But these children are far from well-off or well-fed, and instead rely on churches, food banks and charities that sometimes are the sole source of food.

Source: CNBC, 5/5/16, Pervasive Hunger

healthy food - One intern's experience at GardenShare - SIBEJO

Lanika Sanders, a rising Senior at St. Lawrence University has been interning at GardenShare this semester.  Tomorrow is her last official day with us and we will miss her quiet and friendly competence in the office.  She had this to share about her experience:

Photo courtesy of  Tara Freeman, St. Lawrence University

"As an Environmental  - Sociology major, my classes at St. Lawrence have largely revolved around issues of unequal resource access. However, sitting in a chair and hearing about these theoretical concepts is entirely different than applying them in an impactful way. At GardenShare, I have been able to put my awareness to work, taking an active role in thinking up and enacting solutions to North Country food insecurity. 

"Despite having only been with the organization for a semester, the GardenShare staff have given me substantial opportunity to voice my opinions and ideas at weekly meetings, where I feel these thoughts to be valued and significant. Specifically, I have worked to promote and update the CSA Bonus Bucks program, which reduces the price of purchasing a community supported agriculture (CSA) share for those who feel this investment to be outside their budget. 

"I gained experience in writing blogs, contacting community members, using Excel, and other such skills. I saw firsthand the common obstacles to achieving goals in a small non-profit, most of which revolve around a lack of funding. For this reason, I have also realized how critical it is to be an efficient grant writer. 

"Although my time at Gardenshare is coming to a close, I see the connections and skills I have gained here serving me well into the future, and I certainly plan to remain an active participant in Gardenshare�s various events and initiatives throughout my time in the North Country."

For more information about internships at GardenShare, go here or get in touch with us.

healthy food - Survey Results: Farm to School in Early Care and Education Builds Healthy Kids with Bright Futures - SIBEJO

In 2015, the National Farm to School Network surveyed early care and education providers across the country. Nearly 1,500 providers serving 183,369 young children in 49 states and Washington, D.C., responded and shared fascinating insight into the important work that they are doing to connect young children to healthy, local foods and food related educational opportunities. The results show that farm to school in early care and education is on the rise across the country. 54% of respondents are already doing farm to school activities and another 28% plan to start in the near future. A new infographic and factsheet are available with more survey results. To see the results and learn how the National Farm to School Network is working to expand farm to school in early care and education, visit farmtoschool.org/earlychildhood. 

healthy food - ADVANCING HEALTH THROUGH FOOD SECURITY - SIBEJO

A recent report considers policy and economic assumptions regarding the short- and long-term impacts of food insecurity on healthcare costs. The report explores the relationship between food insecurity, healthcare costs, poverty, and health outcomes (including obesity), and opportunities for the public and private sectors to address food insecurity. The report finds that food insecurity is a risk factor for poor nutrition, many diet-related diseases, and poor health in the short-term and long-term. For example, food insecurity among children is associated with birth defects, low birth weight, anxiety, and learning difficulties. Despite current research limitations, the data that are available provide strong evidence that food insecurity is associated with significant healthcare costs. For example, one anti-hunger organization estimates the health-related costs of hunger and food insecurity at approximately $160 billion.

The report�s authors call for policymakers to sustain and strengthen support for food safety net programs like SNAP. They want the food industry to be more actively engaged in food security strategies, such as improving food affordability and addressing food insecurity. In addition, health organizations should develop protocols to identify and address food insecurity in clinical settings. Nonprofit organizations should continue to make connections between food insecurity and health, set priorities, and support federal nutrition program implementation. Finally, they call for more investments in food security research that examines the impacts of food insecurity on healthcare costs.

Source: Food Research Action Council, 4/16, Food Security & Health

healthy food - 10 FACTS ABOUT FOOD INSECURITY & SNAP - SIBEJO

1. One in seven households was food insecure in 2014�meaning that at some time during the year they had difficulty providing enough food for all of their members. 
2. 15 million children live in food-insecure households. 
3. Even more troubling, in 2014 almost 7 million households suffered one or more periods during which food intake of household members was reduced and normal eating patterns were disrupted because the household lacked money and other resources for food. 
4. Food insecurity is distinct from poverty. 
5. In 30 states and the District of Columbia the rate of food insecurity is higher than the rate of poverty. 
6. Two-thirds of food-insecure households have annual incomes above the federal poverty level. 
7. And because many households may be food secure one year but not the next, an even larger share of households has had some experience with food insecurity than any single-year snapshot suggests.
8. SNAP is highly effective, lifting millions of people out of poverty and increasing the resources they have available to purchase food. 
9. Furthermore, several studies have found that SNAP reduces the likelihood that a household will experience food insecurity or very low food security. 
10. Recent studies have shown that SNAP improves health outcomes and households� financial well-being, and even improves the later-life outcomes of individuals who had access to the program as children.

Source:  Brookings Institution, 4/21/16, SNAP & Food Insecurity