past hunger alerts: November 2003 | March 2003 | February 2003 | January 2003 | November 2002 | June 2002 | Alert on State Minimum Wage | April 2002

November 2003

In this edition:
Public Assistance / FS Employment Plans Due Dec. 1, 2003
Thanksgiving Action Against Hunger on Monday November 24
Fit for Food Exercise Fundraiser for Hunger Action
People's State of the State Tues. Jan 6 -- ES2 / HANNYS Lobby Day March 9
FRAC Alert on Nutrition Funding
USDA Reports Increase in Food Insecurity in 2002
Faith and Hunger Network Conferences in Feb. and March

PUBLIC ASSISTANCE / FS EMPLOYMENT PLANS DUE DEC. 1, 2003

Local social services district must update and modify its Public Assistance and Food Stamp Employment Plans. The plans are to be submitted to NYSDOL by Dec. 1, 2003, at which time there is a 30-day public comment period. These plans provide an excellent opportunity for advocates to push their counties / HRA to improve their efforts to help participants move into living wage jobs. The plan outlines local policies regarding providing employment-related services to Family Assistance (FA), Safety Net Assistance (SNA) and Food Stamp (FS) recipients, as well as services available to individuals eligible for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) 200% Services. The plans include definitions of work activities, local policy for the approval of training programs, disability exemption procedures and the supportive services provided by the district for individuals engaged in work activities. The plan document also includes the following new information: Assurances that the district will comply with requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act to not discriminate against and provide equal access to services for persons with disabilities; and, description of how the district accommodates the needs of non-English speaking participants.

THANKSGIVING ACTION AGAINST HUNGER ON MONDAY NOVEMBER 24

Join this year's Thanksgiving Action Against Hunger slated for Monday, November 24, 2003. The goal of this statewide event is to raise awareness about hunger and poverty related issues. Low-income individuals, students, advocates, concerned citizens, and faith groups across the state coordinate various activities in their communities to educate both the public and elected officials. Last year, over 45 groups participated in the event by holding letter-writing campaigns, food drives, press conferences, legislator volunteer days at pantries and letters to the editor. These activities not only highlight hunger, but lead to sorely needed food donations to pantries. Help make the Thanksgiving Action a success this year and lend your support by co-sponsoring an event in your area. Contact Hunger Action to sign up.

FIT FOR FOOD EXERCISE FUNDRAISER FOR HUNGER ACTION

Hunger Action Network's Fit for Food exercise-a-thon is a way for people to
support our work by pledging to exercise during the week of Thanksgiving. You can go to the health club that you already belong to and get your friends and family to support your efforts by making a pledge. The objectives of Fit for Food are to raise public awareness about hunger in our communities--including promoting access to nutritious fruits and vegetables for low-income families--and to raise funds to support Hunger Action Network's work to end hunger in New York State.

The event is a call especially to those who are health conscious and to the health community to learn more about the risk of hunger and of poor nutrition to low-income families. Lack of adequate access to affordable nutritious food is a health issue that needs to be addressed. The existence of hunger amongst our midst is a year-round problem, however, it is during the Thanksgiving holidays that hunger is more so at the forefront of our thoughts. Many New Yorkers want to do something to help -- Fit for Food, an exercise-a-thon fundraiser -- is one such way.

PEOPLE'S STATE OF THE STATE TUES. JAN 6 --
ES2 / HANNYS LOBBY DAY MARCH 9

The annual People's State of the State rally will take place on the first Tuesday in January 2004 at 11:45 AM at the State Capitol to outline our agenda for the upcoming legislative session. Our main legislative action day will take place on Tuesday, March 9th. There will be a smaller day on Feb. 10th for key legislative visits. Please let us know if you can help sign up more organizational sponsors for the Empire State Economic Security Campaign (ES2). We will have an ES2 web page up shortly.

CONGRESSIONAL SPOTLIGHT: NUTRITION PROGRAM FUNDING

The "Continuing Resolution" that passed the House and Senate on November 5th and 7th, respectively, will fund federal government programs until November 21st. On November 6th, the Senate, by a vote of 93 to 1, approved the regular FY 2004 Agriculture Appropriations bill as amended (H.R. 2673). Ironing out differences between House and Senate versions of that bill, as well as between versions of the Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill, will be subject to separate House/Senate conferences. Also on November 6th, the Senate approved and sent on to the White House H.R. 3232, the House-passed bill to extend Child Nutrition Programs for six months. Action on a multi-year Child Nutrition Program reauthorization measure is likely early in 2004. Watch the FRAC web site (www.frac.org) for details on appropriations bills and updates on conference developments.

Urgent Message and Action on Child Nutrition Reauthorization: Administration Message: Urge the Administration to reserve additional ("new") funding in the FY 2005 budget to fund improvements in Child Nutrition Programs. Contact: President George W. Bush, The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20500; Tel: 202-456-1414; Fax: 202-456-2461; Email: president@whitehouse.gov and Under Secretary for Food Nutrition and Consumer Services, Eric Bost, USDA, Room 240-E, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250; Fax: 202-690-3100. Message to Congress: Urge Members to: 1) "do no harm" to the child nutrition programs; and 2) enact positive improvements and expansions to the programs. For background, specific messages and details of separate bills introduced by Senator Herb Kohl (S. 1020, S. 1021, S. 1022) and Representative George Miller (H.R. 3614), go to the FRAC web site (www.frac.org).

Messages and Action Needed on Appropriations: FY 2004 Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations: Fund the Community Food and Nutrition Program at a minimum of $7.281 million (Senate bill level); Pres. Bush and the House have proposed to zero out funding. FY 2004 Ag Appropriations: Support overall Senate funding level for WIC at $4.6 billion; support House funding level of $150 million for the WIC contingency fund and $20 million for breastfeeding initiatives; and support Senate proposal of $30 million for WIC management information systems and $5 million for obesity prevention. Support $140 million for commodity purchases and a separate $60 million in full administrative funding for The Emergency Food Assistance Program. Seek $130 million (rather than the $95 million proposed) to expand the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (including expansion into new states).

USDA REPORTS INCREASE IN FOOD INSECURITY IN 2002

A new report from USDA found that the prevalence of food insecurity rose from 10.7 percent in 2001 to 11.1 percent in 2002, and the prevalence of food insecurity with hunger rose from 3.3 percent to 3.5 percent. 3.3 million households reported using an EFP sometime during 2002. For a copy of the report, see http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/fanrr35/fanrr35.pdf

FAITH AND HUNGER NETWORK CONFERENCES

The Faith and Hunger Network has conferences set for Sat. Feb. 28th - Capital District; Sunday Feb. 29th - Poughkeepsie; and Sat. March 20th - Buffalo. We have a new website at http://www.hungeractionnys.org/fhn