Summer Meals That Matter: A campaign to raise 500,000 nutritious meals.

May 15th, 2012 § 0 comments § permalink

Summer Meals that Matter: A campaign to raise 500,000 nutritious meals.

In Central Texas, summertime means hot days spent cooling off at our favorite swimming holes, family vacations, and backyard cookouts.  For too many families, summer time is a financially difficult time of year, with rising gasoline prices and soaring electricity bills stretching budgets to their limits. Worse, many young children will not have access to free and reduced price lunches through the public schools, leaving their parents to struggle to meet that nutritional gap when their household budgets are already so fragile.

At the Capital Area Food Bank, we believe no child should go hungry. That is why we are launching our Summer Meals That Matter campaign.  Join us by helping us meet our goal of raising 500,000 nutritious meals to ensure that children, families and older adults have the food they need all summer long.

Please help us spread the word and donate today.

 

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Top 3 Ways to Make Your Mamma Proud

May 11th, 2012 § 0 comments § permalink

Mother’s Day is this Sunday.  There’s no better way to make your mamma proud than by heeding the advice she’s drilled into you all of these years.  Here are our top three ways to make mom smile.

Help others eat their vegetables.   If you’ve grown to love corn, beets, or spinach as an adult, your mom may have had something to do with it.  Spread the love by filling your Stamp Out Hunger Bag with healthy foods, including canned vegetables.  Mom always said to eat a balanced meal, so  we’re sure she would approve if you threw in some tuna, beans, rice or soup to the mix.   Leave a bag or two of food at your mailbox on Saturday morning , and letter carriers will ensure the food gets into the hands of hungry Central Texans.  You can also drop off your donation at these Austin Area H-E-B stores:

Westlake 701 South Capital of Texas Highway, West Lake Hills, TX
Brodie 6900 Brodie Lane, Austin, TX
Pleasant Valley 1820 Pleasant Valley, Austin, TX
Braker 10710 Research Blvd, Austin, TX 78759

Give a gift that won’t make her smile through gritted teeth. Avoid the bad gift syndrome this year by getting your online gift through shopCAFB.com.  So, even if mom doesn’t love that  “Cougar Mom” coffee mug, she will appreciate that you used shopCAFB.com, which supports the Capital Area Food Bank’s efforts to provide meals for families in need.

Help other moms in need. Mother’s Day is not just about thanking your mom, but also honoring the often difficult and thankless role of motherhood.  Our four-part series  “A Mother’s Hunger”  highlights the struggles low-income mothers face in Central Texas and around the nation.  What better way to acknowledge the sacrifices your mom has made, than by making an online gift in honor or memory of your mother.   With your gift, we can provide mothers who come to us in their time of need with nutrition support, education, and access to vital social service programs like SNAP and the Summer Meals program.

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A Mother’s Hunger Part 4: Social and Public Policy Recommendations

May 10th, 2012 § 0 comments § permalink

Tiffany, Gwendolyn and Cheri’s stories show that the millions of low-income mothers just like them have huge barriers to overcome. But there is hope.  With strong public policy and social change, we can begin to address and reverse the long-term effects of hunger and poverty.  Below are our recommendations.

Support WIC and keep it funded for the health and nutrition and health benefits.  WIC was created in 1972 and permanently authorized in 1974 to enhance the nutritional status of low-income mothers and their children.  More than half of all U.S. infants and a quarter of all U.S. children ages one to five receive WIC benefit which accounts for a mere seven percent of U.S. Food and Nutrition Program expenditures. The program is a proven success in improving birth outcomes, diet and diet-related outcomes, among other improved outcomes translating into cost savings on health care. However there is still room for improvement such as increased support for breastfeeding, expanded nutrition education and improved coordination of medical service referrals for mothers who may be depressed, have health issues, or need domestic violence support.

Support federal nutrition programs targeting children.  In addition to WIC,  there are several nutrition assistance programs specifically designed to provide children with access to healthy food.   For mothers, these programs make it possible to afford healthy food at home, access quality child care, and ensure their children are well nourished, healthy and ready for life-long learning.  You can learn more about Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (food stamps), Farmers Market Nutrition Program, School Meals,  Summer Food Service Program, and Child and Adult Care Feeding Program on the USDA website.

Support social policies that improve economic security while taking into account the responsibilities and challenges of motherhood.  Job security for mothers, especially single mothers is at risk when they are the primary caretaker of their children.   Policy  improvement at could include higher minimum wage, paid sick leave/dependent care, flexible work schedules, affordable child care,  paid maternity leave, and expanding the benefits under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).

Support programs that provide nutrition intervention and support for low-income mothers.  After-school enrichment programs, nutrition education classes for children and parents, and other early intervention programs can provide mothers with the knowledge and social support they need to make better decisions for their families.

Reform social service programs and policy to support coordinated care.   Studies have shown that WIC, while primarily a nutrition program, has helped to screen and reference women who may need domestic violence assistance. This study calls for a national task force that includes representation from the USDA, Department of Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban development, and Labor to address food insecurity among children.  By support an umbrella approach to screening low-income women for other services, we can begin to support the household instead of simply treating the symptoms.

What would you change?
What policies or reforms have we left out?  What is your vision of a well-nourished and cared for single mother household?

 

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A Mother’s Hunger Part 3: The Hunger/Trauma Ripple Effect

May 9th, 2012 § 0 comments § permalink

We met Cheri at First United Methodist Church Pflugerville food pantry. Cheri and her fourteen-year-old son had been living with her best friend and roommate (who also owns the home) when her mother, escaping an abusive relationship, moved in, along with a couple who had been living with them.

Right about the time that this happened, her roommate lost his job. Cheri and her son relied on her roommate’s income to get by, but with three newcomers without any additional income things got tough really fast. “With six people in the house, it made it difficult to eat,” Cheri said.

She eventually moved out.

Cheri has been unable to work since a car accident left her disabled more than ten years ago. She has lung disease. Her son recently suffered a serious injury after being hit by a car as he was riding his bike to school.   The concussion and hospitalization has left her son traumatized.  “One thing after another keeps happening, ” she said.

Cheri has reached her breaking point and knows that she needs the help of others to get by right now.

“I’m a perfect example of someone who needed help. I’m the face of a family who had a bad situation, but I had someone to help hold my hand.”

Fact: Food insecurity has psychological and physiological effects for mothers including higher levels of stress, eating disorders, depression and reduced breastfeeding.

Studies show that hunger and household food insecurity can negatively affect the mental health of low-income women and their children. While mothers may choose to forgo food to protect their children from hunger, the unfortunate consequence is that the children, while nourished with food, may experience other hardships because the mother is not mentally or physically well enough to care for her children.  Children may become anxious, depressed, aggressive, or display other behavioral problems that may leave them susceptible to mental health problems as they reach adulthood.

Low-income mothers are less likely to breastfeed than those in higher-income households. The stress of food insecurity, coupled with social barriers to breastfeeding (i.e. no access to lactation consultants and breast pumps, lack of maternity leave, lack of workplace support for breastfeeding, lack of social acceptance) makes it difficult for poor mothers to adhere to the Surgeon General’s recommendation to breastfeed exclusively for the first six months. These mothers then need to rely on the additional expense of formula to nourish their infants – further limiting the food budget and adding to household food insecurity.  Even for mothers receiving support from the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program, social barriers to breastfeeding prove to be a powerful force and rates of breastfeeding are lower than of non-WIC women.

In part four, we’ll conclude with public policy recommendations to support the unique challenges mothers face and how we could improve the health and well-being of single-mother headed households.

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A Mother’s Hunger Part 2: Mothers More Likely to Struggle with Hunger and Obesity

May 8th, 2012 § 0 comments § permalink

Gwendolyn Smith, a single mother with three of seven kids still living at home, struggles with both obesity and being able to afford healthy meals for herself and her family. (Credit: MPR Photo/Jennifer Simonson)

“If you don’t have a lot of food, whatever you get, you gonna try to eat enough so that you can be filled up, because you might not know when you’ll get your next meal,” says Gwendolyn Smith of Minneapolis Minnesota.  

Fact:  Mothers are more vulnerable to the paradox of hunger and obesity.

While it may not seem intuitive, it is possible for hunger and obesity to exist in the same person or household. Several studies have shown that there is a strong relationship between hunger and obesity particularly among food insecure women.  The financial and emotional stress of raising children on a poverty budget, coupled with repeated cycles of food deprivation and overeating, make mothers and women at greater risk of obesity.

Dr. Dianna Cutts from Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis shares how she began to understand the struggles of hunger and obesity.  “For families who have very little, this becomes a reward that really has meaning and is yet affordable at some times,” Cutts said. “And I think just in general, the meaning of food becomes so loaded when access is restricted.”  Read the full story here.

Poor and pregnant mothers are additionally at greater risk for pregnancy complications, particularly gestational diabetes and obesity.  Research related to food insecurity and birth defects is still in its infancy and requires further exploration.

In part 3, we’ll learn how hunger leaves women and their children vulnerable to other mental and physical trauma.

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A Mother’s Hunger: A Four-Part Discussion

May 7th, 2012 § 0 comments § permalink

Mother’s day is Sunday, May 13 – a time to celebrate the sacrifices and joys mothers have brought to our lives.  In today’s hungry America, the challenges poor mothers face is not very well known. In fact, the face of hunger is very much a woman’s face. Social factors including unequal opportunity for education and employment, domestic violence, inequitable wage compensation, insufficient child support, and lack of access to affordable healthcare and housing make it difficult for mothers to put and keep food on the table.

There is finally more research available to understand the unique circumstances mothers face, and provide policy solutions to address the situation. In this four-part series, we’ll look at three stories about real mothers, the facts surrounding their struggles, and our recommendations for supporting hungry women and their families.

A Mother’s Hunger Part 1: The Female-Headed Hungry Household

Tiffany regularly feels the physical pain of hunger. “I frequently go without food. I feed my children first and go without,” says Tiffany from here in Austin, Texas. “My children understand the sacrifice I make. They thank me every day.” Her children are between the ages of 12 and 18, she continued, “it’s extremely difficult being a single mother. It’s a struggle living every day.”

Fact:  Gender and single motherhood play a big role in hunger.

Single motherhood is very common here in the U.S. and above average in comparison to other high-income countries. Half of all mothers will spend some time as the only parent, while one in four mothers are exclusively the only parent.  The Women’s Legal Defense and Education fund has a great fact sheet on the state of single motherhood in the U.S.

Of these single mother households, more than a third in America were at risk of hunger or food insecure, the highest rate of food insecurity for household types tracked by the census.

Not surprisingly, single mother poverty rates are high, even when SNAP and Earned Income Tax Credits are counted.

When we look at statistics at the local level, things get worse.  The Community Action Network’s Community Dashboard for 2012 shows that women and children are most likely to be low-income (making less than $44,100 annually for a family of four).   48 percent of single mothers in Travis County with children under the age of five live in poverty (making less than $23,050 annually for a family of four).

Research has shown that it is often the mother who chooses not to eat so that her children will be nourished.  How does that choice impact a mother’s health?

In part 2, we’ll explore a mother struggling with the paradox of hunger and obesity.

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Target ‘Day of Giving’ Further Amplifies Their Impact on Hunger

May 4th, 2012 § 0 comments § permalink


From the Target Meals for Minds Program to their annual ‘Day of Giving’, Target employees have been rolling up their red sleeves to volunteer, fund programs, and act as a collaborative partner in the fight against hunger.

On Wednesday, we hosted 85 Target employees at our headquarters for their  ‘Day of Giving’ . Volunteers were busy inspecting and sorting frozen meats and other donated goods in our Product Recovery area, donating 250 hours of service.  Approximately 14,700 pounds of food was sorted. It was like getting more than six full-time employees for free for a week, but all jammed into a few hours of volunteer time.  Thank you, Target for your generous donation of service! View photos.

As a partner with Feeding America, the Meals for Minds Program provides select food banks across the nation with an opportunity to extend pantry services to children and their families in a school setting.  This innovative approach to reaching children attending schools in low-income communities has been very successful at our three host sites in Central Texas.   In addition to providing funding support, Target employees have been hands-on at each event. They volunteer to assist clients in choosing foods from the mobile pantry, serve meals, and contribute to the celebratory nature of each gathering.

For CAFB, the partnership leverages the  “Wheels of Sharing” Mobile Food Pantry and allows us to partner with schools like never before. More importantly, the families enjoy the program which helps remove the negative stigma usually associated with receiving food assistance.

Thank you, Target for making hunger relief easier and efficient for us, and a pleasure for our clients.  We couldn’t do it without your continued support.

Related Stories:

CAFB and Target Meals for Minds Program Preps Parents and Students for STARR Standardized Tests

CAFB and Target Meals for Minds Program brings families together for meals, learning and lots of fun.

Target gives nationally, and acts locally.

Related Videos:

Target ‘Day of Giving’ 2011

Target ‘Day of Giving’ 2010

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Austin’s Oil and Gas Industry Leaders Double Down Against Hunger

May 3rd, 2012 § 0 comments § permalink

APES & APLA Golf Tournament 2011 credit: APES

Members of Austin Professional Landmen’s Association (APLA) and the Austin Petroleum Exploration Society (APES) understand that philanthropy goes hand-in-hand with their membership.  While events throughout the year provide networking opportunities for petroleum oil and gas members, they also include fun ways for the industry to come together and make a difference in a variety of nonprofits.  For the third year, members are raising funds through their annual golf tournament to help the Food Bank nourish hungry Central Texans.   This popular event sells out early and has doubled its fundraising for the Food Bank each year.  An ambitious goal of $20,000 is set for this year’s tournament’s 272 players and 38 sponsors.

We wish the participants heading out to the Barton Creek Country Club Fazio and Crenchaw Golf Course good luck this Friday, warm sunny weather, and a cure for the common slice.

A special thank you goes to Title Sponsor, Statoil.

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Weathering the Summer Rush with Stamp Out Hunger

May 2nd, 2012 § 0 comments § permalink

School is almost out for summer break and while that means happy days for many, with more than 1 in 4 Texas children at risk of hunger, it also sadly means many children will be without their usual free and reduced-price breakfast and lunch. When children ramp up their activities with outdoor play, they’ll also ramp up their appetites and need for nutritious foods to get them through the long hot summer.  You can help us get ready for the summer rush by donating healthy, non-perishable food through the National Association of Letter Carrier’s Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive.

Now in its 20th year, Stamp Out Hunger is a simple way for you to fill children’s tummies and help keep our shelves stocked all summer long.  Look out for the H-E-B bag your mail carrier will leave on your doorstep. Fill the bag with non-perishable food like canned meats, soups, bottled juice, vegetables and pasta. Then, place your bag or bags by your mailbox by Saturday May 12 for a letter carrier to deliver to the Food Bank. It’s that easy.

We’ll also have a special volunteer day on Saturday, May 12 where you can help sort and inspect donated items.   Learn more on our website.

New this year – donate at select H-E-B stores in Austin.

Our partners at H-E-B make it easy for you to pick up that extra bag or can of food  while you shop and donate to the Food Bank. Look for food drive boxes at H-E-B stores at Brodie, Pleasant Valley, West Braker Lane and Westlake.

No time to shop?  No problem. Take a virtual shopping trip on our website,  Visit our online grocery store, fill the shopping cart and donate the cost of the items to the Food Bank.  With your online donations , we can purchase fresh fruits vegetables, meats and dairy perfect for the Summer Food Service Program meals we’ll be providing  all summer long.

A special thank you goes to our sponsors:  Austin Chronicle, H-E-B and Mike’s Print Shop.

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Advocacy and Public Policy Update: Interim Charges Address Food Access, State and Local Election News

May 1st, 2012 § 0 comments § permalink

Federal

The Senate Agriculture Committee on Thursday passed out its version of the 2012 Farm Bill. Funding for The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) was strong, with $150 million additional dollars being added to the program.  The SNAP “Heat and Eat” provision, which affects DC and 14 states (not including Texas) was cut at $4 billion.  The bill now goes to the full Senate.  The House Agriculture Committee has begun its hearings on the Farm Bill, with a May 8 hearing scheduled on the nutrition portion of the bill.

Still up for debate is the federal budget, and how those decisions will affect the Farm Bill’s funding.  As previously mentioned, the House Budget Committee last month approved drastic cuts to SNAP of $33 billion by changing it to a block grant.

Discussion around SNAP has generated op eds in Latinometro magazine, the Austin American-Statesman and other articles from current and former SNAP recipients trying to dispel myths.

State

The May 29 Texas primary is less than a month away, and with it comes more political ads from those candidates in primary contests.  Nine Republicans and four Democrats are vying to replace retiring U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison.  Every member of the U.S. House is also up for reelection.  At the state level, every member of the Texas Senate and Texas House are up for reelection.  For a recap of who is running for what, see the Texas Tribune’s election bracket app.

On May 22, the House Public Health Committee will hold a joint hearing with the House Committee on Human Services to review an interim charge:  Identify policies to alleviate food insecurity, increase access to healthy foods, and incent good nutrition within existing food assistance programs. Consider initiatives in Texas and other states to eliminate food deserts and grocery gaps, encourage urban agriculture and farmers’ markets, and increase participation in the Summer Food Program. Evaluate the desirability and feasibility of incorporating nutritional standards in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Monitor congressional activity on the 2012 Farm Bill and consider its impact on Texas.

Members of the Texas Food Bank Network and others will be providing testimony to the committee.  Interim charges are reviewed and then reported on by committees, often with recommendations for legislation for the upcoming session.  The next session of the Texas Legislature begins January 8, 2013.

Local

Local elections for city councils and some school boards will be held on May 12.  In Austin, the office of mayor and three city council places are on the ballot.  Municipal elections are also being held in Cedar Park, Lakeway, Marble Falls, and many other cities around the CAFB service area.

To find ballot information on your local municipality, link to your county’s website.  If you live in Travis County, the Austin American- Statesman has published this guide from the League of Women Voters.

The League of Women Voters of Texas also has information on its website from other leagues around the state.

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