6 th Annual Wisconsin Local Food Summit January 27, 2012

Transcription

1 6 th Annual Wisconsin Local Food Summit January 27, 2012

2 1. Hunger Task Force Mission 2. Scope of Hunger & Poverty 3. Impact & Cost of Hunger 4. Food Banking 5. Public Policy Advocacy

3 Mission: Ending Hunger Today Preventing Hunger Tomorrow Founded: 1974 Grassroots task force on school breakfast Services: Dual purpose agency Anti-Hunger Advocacy Work

4 Mission: Ending Hunger Today Preventing Hunger Tomorrow Founded: 1974 Grassroots task force on school breakfast Services: Dual purpose agency Anti-Hunger Advocacy Work Emergency Food Provision (1982)

5 DEFINITIONS

6 United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.

7 United States Department of Agriculture Food security for a household means access by all members at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life. Food security includes at a minimum: (1) the ready availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods, and (2) an assured ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways

8 United States Department of Agriculture Very Low Food Security: One or more people in the household were hungry over the course of the year because of the inability to afford enough food.

9 SCOPE OF POVERTY AND HUNGER

10 NATIONAL STATISTICS million people living in food insecure households (up from 36.2 million in 2007) 32.4 million adults 16.2 million children 17 million people lived in households that were considered to have very low food security Data Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture 2012

11 NATIONAL STATISTICS Very low food security had been getting worse even before the current recession. o The number of people in the Very low food category in 2008 was more than double the number in o Black (25.1 percent) and Hispanic (26.2 percent) households experienced food insecurity at far higher rates than the national average. Data Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture 2011

12 NATIONAL STATISTICS Food Hardship: A Closer Look at Hunger Food Resource Action Council / Gallup Poll Phone Survey Have there been times in the past twelve months when you did not have enough money to buy food that you or your family needed? Data Source: Food Hardship: A Closer Look at Hunger, FRAC, October 2011

13 NATIONAL STATISTICS Food Hardship: A Closer Look at Hunger Food Hardship Rates for the Nation percent of households percent percent Data Source: Food Hardship: A Closer Look at Hunger, FRAC, August 2011

14 NATIONAL STATISTICS Food Hardship: A Closer Look at Hunger Food Hardship Rates Higher for Households With Children percent of Households with Children - vs percent of Households without Children Data Source: Food Hardship: A Closer Look at Hunger, Food Resource Action Council, August 2011

15 WISCONSIN STATISTICS Food Hardship: A Closer Look at Hunger Food Hardship Rates for Wisconsin Households percent of Households with Children - vs percent of Households without Children Data Source: Food Hardship: A Closer Look at Hunger, Food Resource Action Council, August 2011

16 2011 Federal Poverty Level Guidelines Persons in Household Annual Income Per Month Hourly Wage 1 $10,890 $ $ , , , , , , , For each additional person, add 3,

17 Lambeau Field Holds 72,928 People Wisconsin s Poverty Population: 740,000 Wisconsin s Childhood Poverty Population: 254,000

18 Wisconsin s 254,000 Poor Children Would Fill 3 & 1/2 Lambeau Stadiums 22% of Wisconsin families with children struggle to afford enough food. Wisconsin s 740,000 Poor Residents Would Fill 10 Lambeau Stadiums

19 39% Wisconsin children currently eligible for free or reduced price school meals at their public schools Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction,

20 What do you think the free/reduced price rate is for students in... School District Milwaukee Green Bay Prairie du Chien Superior LaCrosse Eau Claire Appleton Waukesha Northern Ozaukee Free / Reduced Price Meal Rates 2012 vs % 66% 58% 32% 54% 25% 48% 36% 47% 35% 40% 15% 38% 11% 26% 15% 20% 6% Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction,

21 CALLS TO 211: The number one reason people call is to locate a food pantry 21 percent of 211 calls in 2010 Almost 28,000 calls in 2010 Source: 211 Impact March 2011 HUNGER TASK FORCE NETWORK: Supply: 60 Food Pantries 14 Soup Kitchens 8 Homeless Shelters Demand: 58,776 hot meals (2011 Monthly Average) 36,160 food pantry clients 2.8% increase in pantry visits Source: Hunger Task Force - January

22 WISCONSIN: 829,720 people received FoodShare benefits in November in 8 (13.6%) Wisconsin residents receive FoodShare 7% increase over past year 109% since recession started in December, 2007 What s Your $ Families $ Average Monthly a Weekly family of four Food for one Budget? week. Minimum cost to feed FoodShare benefit MILWAUKEE COUNTY: 237,323 people received FoodShare benefits in November in 5 county residents get FoodShare 10% increase over the past year 65% since recession started in December, 2007 Source: Wisconsin Department of Health Services, December

23 WISCONSIN STATISTICS Food Hardship: A Closer Look at Hunger Food Hardship Rates for Wisconsin Households percent of Households with Children - vs percent of Households without Children Data Source: Food Hardship: A Closer Look at Hunger, Food Resource Action Council, August 2011

24 HUNGER S COST

25 HUMAN IMPACT On Mothers and Babies Pregnant women who are undernourished: Are more likely to have low-birthweight babies Experience higher infant mortality rates Joint Analysis: Center on Hunger and Poverty at Brandeis University and the Food Research and Action Center

26 HUMAN IMPACT On the Health of Children Hungry Children Suffer: Two to four times as many individual health problems Stunting (low height for age) in children results from inadequate nutrition Higher rates of iron-deficiency anemia Joint Analysis: Center on Hunger and Poverty at Brandeis University and the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC)

27 HUMAN IMPACT On the Education of Children Hunger slows / delays the cognitive development of children Hungry children are more likely to be ill and absent from school Hunger diminishes children's ability to learn in school Joint Analysis: Center on Hunger and Poverty at Brandeis University and the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC)

28 HUMAN IMPACT On the Education of Children Hungry children are more likely to act out / cause behavioral problems in school Hungry children are less likely to interact with other people or explore or learn from their surroundings. This interferes with their ability to learn from a very early age. Joint Analysis: Center on Hunger and Poverty at Brandeis University and the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC)

29 HUMAN IMPACT On Adults Hunger causes lost knowledge, brainpower and productivity for the nation Hunger and malnutrition exacerbate chronic and acute diseases and speed the onset of degenerative diseases among the elderly. Joint Analysis: Center on Hunger and Poverty at Brandeis University and the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC)

30 ECONOMIC IMPACT Table 2 America s hunger bill Costs of hunger, 2007 and 2010 (In billions of 2010 dollars) Component Increased cost Percent increase Illness costs $98.40 $ $ % Education and related costs $13.90 $19.20 $ % Charity costs $13.20 $17.80 $ % Total hunger bill $ $ $ % Center for American Progress Hunger in America: Suffering We Are All Paying For, October 2011, pg 9

31 ECONOMIC IMPACT This $167.5 billion does not include the cost of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and the other key federal nutrition programs, which run at about $94 billion a year. TOTAL COST: $261.5 billion dollars Center for American Progress Hunger in America: Suffering We Are All Paying For, October 2011, pg. 1

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33 My daughter is 10. She says, Daddy, do you wanna talk about it, I just tell her to eat up. It s about sacrificing. I guess you could say I m fasting cus I haven t ate in 2 days.

34 If I make one dollar over what SSI says, they will cut my disability off! If I get food stamps I can t pay my rent. Rent or food? I m only 22. I had to drop out of college to get a job. I won t stop dreaming though. I don t have anyone to help me. One week I fell down my porch stairs and couldn t get to the pantry. I don t wanna talk about how I ate that month.

35 It s hard to make $100 worth of groceries stretch for a month when you have 2 boys. Most days, I ll skip meals so my boys can eat. I m a first timer. I m ashamed to come here. I feel like there are so many other people who need this food more than I do.

36 ENDING HUNGER TODAY

37 Federal Commodities 82 Pantries, Soup Kitchens & Homeless Shelters Purchasing Donations 9.7 Million Lbs. of Food in Farm & Fish Hatchery 16% Increase Over Serving Seniors 99 Sites

38 PREVENTING HUNGER TOMORROW

39 HTF Advocacy Prevent Hunger Tomorrow Citizen Activists

40 Summer Meals Women, Infants and Children School Meals Food Share Child and Adult Care Food Program The Emergency Food Assistance Program

41 2000: Brought EBT technology to Fondy Food Center increasing FoodShare customers access to fresh, healthy produce 2009 Present: Tested and implemented a Self-Service Site strategy that allows FoodShare customers to manage their own cases using internet technology at: Marcia P. Coggs Human Service Center Robles Center UMOS 2001 & 2011: Successfully resisted efforts by the state to privatize FoodShare

42 FOODSHARE AT RISK Governor Scott Walker Executive Order # 2 created the Governor's Commission on Waste, Fraud and Abuse Final report was released Friday January 6 th FoodShare is a targeted

43 What Are the Commission s FoodShare Recommendations? Photo ID Charging a fee for replacement Quest cards More frequent recertification More paperwork Republicans want to require photos on FoodShare, BadgerCare Plus cards Backers say it will cut fraud; others cite cost By Jason Stein of the Journal Sentinel May 5, 2011 Madison Republican lawmakers want to reduce fraud by requiring photos on the benefits cards used for food assistance and health care programs. The proposed amendment to the state budget would require all participants in the programs to carry their photo on the FoodShare Quest card and BadgerCare Plus Forward card. In making the proposal Thursday, Rep. John Nygren (R-Marinette) and Rep. Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green) cited a recent Milwaukee Journal Sentinel investigation raising concerns about FoodShare participants selling their benefits to others.

44 FoodShare Advocacy : Contact the Governor s office and your state representatives. Tell them you are opposed to the report s recommendations that increase the size and cost of state government.

45 Join Voices Against Hunger

46 Voices members receive regular updates on hunger issues, and training in how to be advocates. Hunger Task Force provides advocacy training for Voices members.

47 Kevin Ronnie Hunger Task Force 201 S. Hawley Court Milwaukee, WI (414)