Archive for the ‘advocacy’ Category

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Congressman George Miller visits Food Bank Distribution

Tuesday, September 7th, 2010

What do you get when you put Congressman George Miller and a group of anti-hunger advocates in a room? A meaningful discussion about child nutrition programs!

With the Child Nutrition Reauthorization expiring at the end of September, Mr. Miller came to a Food For Children distribution to see what is happening on the ground. Did you know that one in nine children in Contra Costa and Solano counties live below the federal poverty level? That is just $18,000 per year for a family of three (US Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, November 2009). Or that the Food Bank is serving 35% more people than just two years ago? These are the kinds of facts that the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano executive director, Larry Sly, shared with Mr. Miller.

Once the congressman observed the distribution and had a chance to speak with some clients, he sat down with the group of advocates to talk about the Child Nutrition Reauthorization. Eric Manke (California Association of Food Banks), Sophie Milam (Feeding America), Paula James (Contra Costa Child Care Council), Ken Hecht (California Food Policy Advocates), Beverly Clark (WIC), and Lisa Sherrill and Larry Sly (Food Bank), all praised the congressman for his bill – HR.5504. This bill really addresses the access issues such as streamlining paperwork and expanding afterschool suppers which S.3307 does not do as well. (For a full comparison, download this one page fact sheet.) The concern of the group was where the funding for Mr. Miller’s bill is going to come from. The Senate version of the bill includes a $2.2 billion cut to benefits in the Food Stamp Program. Money should not come from one nutrition program to pay for another.

Larry Sly and Congressman Miller discuss the need in our community.

People in our community like first time food recipient, Brandon, are still very much in need. He says he is having trouble finding another position in customer service and the food from the Food Bank will help him stretch his limited dollars and feed his child. It takes all of these programs working together to make a difference in the lives of families in our community. You can help. Take a moment today to call your congressional representative (202 224-3121), let them know how great HR.5504 is and ask them to fully fund the bill without stealing from the Food Stamp Program.

Background:
On August 5, just hours before leaving town for summer recess, the Senate passed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (S.3307).  The large portion of the bill was “paid for” when Senate leadership agreed to a $2.2 billion cut to benefits in the Food Stamp Program. The Senate bill also includes a $1.3 billion cut in the food stamp nutrition education program to offset the bill’s cost.

The House version of Child Nutrition Reauthorization, H.R. 5504, was passed out of committee on July 14.  The bill invests $8.5 billion in new spending for child nutrition programs and currently has not used any food stamp cuts to offset the cost. The Food Bank strongly supports the House bill and we are working with hunger advocates to get the House bill to be passed as soon as possible.

September will be an especially critical time for Child Nutrition Reauthorization, and it is likely that events will unfold at a rapid pace. For more information on how you can help, sign up for our e-news and be sure to check the Hunger Fighters (advocacy) box.

Posted in advocacy | No Comments »

Nutrition Bill Approved by House Education and Labor Committee

Monday, July 19th, 2010

How do you feel when you miss lunch? Not so good. Irritable. Upset stomach. No energy. Hard to think. Try going without lunch when you’re seven years old. In Contra Costa and Solano counties, nearly 85,000 school-age kids are at risk of going hungry this summer.

But thanks to a bill approved by the House Education and Labor committee last week, they won’t have to. This legislation would spend $8 billion over the next 10 years on child nutrition programs. The Improving Nutrition for America’s Children Act (HR 5504) was passed with bipartisan support and will improve the standards of food served in schools, including vending machines, increase reimbursement rates for schools – the first increase in over 30 years, and expand the national afterschool meals program so more children in afterschool care can have an additional snack or meal. The bill would also expand the number of low-income children eligible for free or reduced price meals. All of these improvements will help us reach President Obama’s – and our — goal of ending childhood hunger by 2015.

We urge you to contact your representative and senators and ask them to please pass this bill quickly.

This summer, many community organizations and schools offer FREE lunch to any child, 18 years and younger (through a program that is included in this bill). Please help us get the word out. Visit www.foodbankccs.org or call 800-870-FOOD for a location near you.

Posted in advocacy | 1 Comment »

Food Stamp Action Needed!

Friday, June 25th, 2010

Call California’s Senators and Tell Them Not to Cut Food Stamp/SNAP Benefits!
The U.S. Senate is considering a proposal to cut billions of dollars in future SNAP benefits in the so-called “Tax Extenders” bill and we need your help.

In order to pay for the American Jobs, Closing Tax Loopholes and Preventing Outsourcing Act (H.R. 4213), Senate leaders are considering a proposal to cut billions of dollars in future SNAP benefits (formerly known as the Food Stamp Program).

Please call Senator Feinstein at (202) 224-3841 and Senator Boxer at (202) 224-3553 today to tell them you oppose cutting SNAP benefits to pay for these provisions.

This legislation, also known as the “Tax Extenders” bill, contains several provisions that are important to food banks and low-income Americans. And while we urge passage of the bill, we strongly oppose raiding SNAP benefits to pay for it. These cuts, totaling an estimated $9.56 billion, would take effect in 2014 and would be damaging to low-income Americans struggling to put food on their tables.

Message/Action:
Calling your Senators is easy. Call today to tell them you oppose cutting SNAP benefits to pay for these or any other provisions.

Important things to remember during your call(s):

  • Ask your Senator to oppose cutting SNAP benefits to pay for the American Jobs, Closing Tax Loopholes and Preventing Outsourcing Act (H.R. 4213) or any other bill.
  • Tell them that passage of this bill should not come at the expense of hungry Americans.

Senator Boxer: 202-224-3553
Senator Feinstein: 202-224-3841

If you have any questions, please contact Lisa Sherrill at lsherrill@foodbankccs.org.

Posted in action, advocacy | 2 Comments »

Take the budget challenge!

Tuesday, June 15th, 2010

Try your hand at balancing the California state budget. This Thursday, June 17th from 6:30-9pm, you can join Assemblymember Buchanan and Senators Loni Hancock and Mark DeSaulnier at a “Facing the Budget Crisis Challenge.”

At this event you will not only get to hear from the three legislators about California’s budget crisis, but will also have the opportunity to give them your direct feedback on how to solve the problems. The event is co-sponsored by Next 10, a non-partisan organization dedicated to giving Californians the tools and information they need to find long-term solutions for our state.

What: Facing the Budget Crisis- Next 10 Budget Challenge
Who: Assemblymember Joan Buchanan and Senators Loni Hancock and Mark DeSaulnier
Where: Dublin Library Community Room, 200 Civic Plaza, Dublin
When: Thursday, June 17th, 6:30-9:00pm
More information: Call us at (925) 328-1515

We very much hope to see you there, and encourage you to spread the word. It is going to take everyone working together to get California back on track and we hope to have your help!

Posted in action, advocacy, budget | No Comments »

10,000 Letters Campaign: Make Your Voice Heard

Thursday, May 13th, 2010

Governor Schwarzenegger’s proposed budget would eliminate the California Food Assistance Program, cut Supplemental Security Income, and decimate the CalWORKS program and other vital services, all of which will exacerbate hunger in your community and throughout the state.

With just a short time left before Governor Schwarzenegger introduces his May Revision budget, it’s imperative that voices for health and human services are heard loud and clear in the Capitol! 

That’s why the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano is partnering with other human services organizations across the state in asking everyone to generate letters for the “10,000 Letters Campaign”.  Our shared goal is to generate 10,000 letters to members of the Assembly and Senate Budget Committees and other leaders in opposition to the Governor’s proposed budget as soon as possible! 

We know that several thousand letters have already been generated – NOW we need your help to ensure we meet (and hopefully surpass) our goal of 10,000! 

Please click on the links below for your legislators, print out, sign, record your name, city and zip code (below your signature), and mail or fax each letter as soon as possible. We urge you to ask your family members, friends, colleagues, and anyone else to do the same. Thank you!

Assembly Member Joan Buchanan
Assembly Member Noreen Evans
Assembly Member Nancy Skinner
Assembly Member Tom Torlakson
Assembly Member Mariko Yamada
Senator Mark DeSaulnier
Senator Loni Hancock
Senator Pat Wiggins
Senator Lois Wolk

To locate your State representatives, visit www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html. If you are having difficulty opening any of these documents, please email Patty McDowell at pmcdowell@foodbankccs.org.

Posted in California, action, advocacy, budget, hunger, legislation, need | No Comments »

Child Nutrition Reauthorization Advances to Senate

Thursday, April 8th, 2010

On March 24, the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry unanimously approved the Child Nutrition Reauthorization Bill.  The advancement of this critical piece of legislation is a step forward in achieving an end to childhood hunger by 2015, and has the potential to increase access to nutritious food for children during the school day, afterschool, in the summer, over weekends and extended school holidays. 

Now the current bill is moving to the full Senate for a vote later this spring or early summer.  So it is a critical time for us, as caring citizens, to ask our legislators for their support in fully funding Child Nutrition Reauthorization in order to end child hunger in this nation. 

We urge you to simply call the Congressional switchboard at 202-224-3121 and tell your senator “we need a strong Child Nutrition Reauthorization Bill as soon as possible at the President’s proposed level of $10 billion over 10 years so we can achieve the President’s goal of ending child hunger by 2015”.  A comprehensive and fully funded Child Nutrition Reauthorization Bill needs to pass quickly so that our children do not have to wait another year to have access to the nutritious foods needed to lead healthy and productive lives. 

For more information about engaging in advocacy efforts during Child Nutrition Reauthorization, please click here to join our mailing list.

George Miller reads a book about nutrition from children served by the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano County in his office in Washington, DC.

Posted in action, advocacy, hunger, nutrition | No Comments »

Cast your vote for the 2010 Stampy Awards

Wednesday, January 20th, 2010

The nominees are in…let the voting begin!  California Food Policy Advocates have received nominations from across the state to honor the efforts of individuals working to improve the Food Stamp Program in California.  Please help our very own Kathi Kelly from Contra Costa County win! By voting, you are rewarding efforts to improve the program, as well as identifying actions and attitudes you want replicated. The winners will be announced at the 11th Annual Food Stamp Forum on Thursday, February 18, 2010 in Sacramento. To cast your ballot, go to http://www.cfpa.net/2010FSForum/forms/2010stampyballot.html, check the box by Kathi Kelly and click “SUBMIT” at the bottom of the page.  Polls will close at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, January 31, 2010.

Here is why we think Kathi should win:

Kathi has been an outstanding advocate for improved access to Food Stamps.  In the past four years, she has trained hundreds of employees from the county and community based organizations by partnering with the Food Bank to presently “Myths and Facts of Food Stamp Eligibility” on a quarterly basis.  She regularly prepares and shares additional materials to explain food stamp eligibility at quarterly luncheons where people working on food stamp outreach gather to share experiences.  Kathi continually strives to interpret the FS regulations in a way that improves access.  She developed a countywide mail-in application process that allows people to complete the DFA 285 A1 and mail it to her.  She then sends it out to the appropriate district office.  While the number of applications coming in through this effort are small (an average of 35/month) this has been a valuable tool for food stamp outreach workers to use.  Kathi’s sensitivity to the needs of Food Stamp clients is shared by the EBT team in Contra Costa County who managed the September transition to a new vendor with an absolute minimum of disruption to the clients.  During a time of county cuts in staffing, Kathi’s continual “can do” approach and her openness to questions and concerns of advocates has truly made a difference in Contra Costa County where Food Stamp enrollment is up over 25% from last year.

Posted in Food Stamps, action, advocacy | No Comments »

Letter from Congressman George Miller to You!

Wednesday, October 21st, 2009

For months the Food Bank has been talking about the upcoming Child Nutrition Reauthorization. We are happy to tell you that some exciting developments have recently taken place. Our Congressman George Miller from Contra Costa and Solano counties is chair of the committee that will be leading the reauthorization of child nutrition programs and has written a letter to all of you about this exciting news! For more information about the Child Nutrition Reauthorization visit http://foodbankccs.org/give%20help/advocate/advocateCNR.html.

October 14, 2009

Dear Friend,

Thank you for your support of for the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano. Times are tough for many working families, and without your support the Food Bank would not be able to carry out the good work that they do.

Many of you have expressed your concerns about reauthorizing the child nutrition programs that are a safety net for families who are struggling to make ends meet and I have updates to share with you.

This week, Congress enacted a short term extension of those child nutrition programs while my committee continues our efforts to reauthorize the programs completely by the end of next year. We also made some key investments to meet critical child nutrition needs, at no new cost to taxpayers

We know that that hunger does not take a vacation during the summer so we’ve invested $85 million for pilot summer food service program projects that will help expand nutrition benefits for low-income children during the summer.

We’ve also provided support to help increase the number of children who are automatically enrolled for free school meals and grant funding for school food service equipment to help schools store and prepare healthy foods.

And we set aside $8 million for competitive grants so that child care facilities can improve the quality of meals and promote healthy eating habits.

Giving our most vulnerable children access to healthy, safe, nutritious – and affordable – meals is one of the most important things we can do to help them thrive in school and in life. Learn more about the investments in child nutrition, please visit edlabor.house.gov.

Sincerely,

George Miller
Member of Congress

If you or anyone you know is interested in learning about new and exciting anti-hunger advocacy work please let us know at lsherrill@foodbankccs.org.

Posted in Contra Costa County, Solano County, action, advocacy, education, legislation | 2 Comments »

30 ways in 30 days – Week 3

Monday, September 14th, 2009

Welcome to week three of 30 ways in 30 days – ways you can fight hunger in your community every day of the week. If you missed week two, or want to jump ahead, you can find the whole month of 30 days in 30 ways at www.foodbankccs.org.

30 Days in 30 Ways – Week 3

Sept. 14 -18: United WayWeek of Caring

Sept. 14: Follow us on twitter: http://twitter.com/foodbankccs and fan us on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Food-Bank-of-Contra-Costa-and-Solano/114530700443.

Sept 15: Macy’s “Come Together” invites you to host a dinner party and ask guests to pledge a donation to Feeding America in place of the usual host gift through Macy’s “Come Together” website. Macy’s will generously match each donation made for the campaign. Plus tonight Macy’s will host the Wolrd’s Largest Dinner Party at your local Macy’s at 6:00 pm.

Sept. 16: Join the Food Bank’s monthly donor program.

Sept. 17: Become an advocate for hunger and poverty relief. Sign up to receive Hunger Fighter advocacy alerts from the Food Bank.

Sept. 18: Sony Pictures releases Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs today. Kids can join Flint in becoming a Hunger Helper – someone who finds ways to fight hunger in the community. Become a Hunger Helper today by making your own bookmark and even writing to your Congressman.

Sept. 19: A day-long shopping event, Macy’s – Passport, offers the opportunity for local non-profit organizations that support AIDS/HIV programs to raise funds. Participating Macy’s stores are located at Pleasanton’s Stoneridge Mall, Walnut Creek’s Broadway Plaza, San Francisco’s Union Square, Marin’s Corte Madera Store, Palo Alto’s Stanford Store, and Santa Clara’s Valley Fair Store. For a $10.00 ticket to the event, you will receive a special shopping discount (exclusive to Passport in Store) to be used on almost all purchases. The Food Bank will retain 100% of the direct ticket sales proceeds. For more information or to purchase a ticket, please contact Joan Tomasini at 925-771-1315 or email jtomasini@foodbankccs.org.

Sept. 20: Host a Food Drive.

For more ideas visit our Hunger Action Month calendar online.

Posted in 30 ways in 30 days, Contra Costa County, Feeding America, Give a Little Feed a lot, Hunger Action Month, Solano County, action, advocacy, donation, education, event | 1 Comment »

Summer Lunch Celebrations

Thursday, September 10th, 2009

During the summer months, school is out, but the need for lunch is not. The Summer Lunch Celebrations, held by the Food Bank throughout the month of July, embodied this idea. The Food Bank partnered with UC Cooperative Extension, Contra Costa Health Services, and Vallejo and Mt. Diablo Unified School Districts to hold two events hosted by Wren Avenue Elementary in Concord and Norman King Community Center in Vallejo. Children of all ages were invited to participate in various activities, games, and giveaways related to healthy eating and physical activity. Over 200 children played a relay game, learned about healthy food and drink choices, and enjoyed a snack of peaches and plums in addition to their free lunch. For the parents, there was information about food stamps and other food assistance programs provided by the Food Bank.

Many children rely on free or reduced-price school lunches as their main or only source of nutritious, balanced food. During the summer months, some kids go without a healthy meal for this reason. To rectify this, the USDA created the Summer Food Service Program that provides free lunches to any child under the age of 18. Free lunches are offered at various community centers, schools, and parks in low-income neighborhoods. With the budget crisis and many schools closing, there are fewer locations that offer free meals. Thankfully, despite these setbacks, free lunches were served at over 100 sites throughout Contra Costa and Solano counties.
You can help improve access to nutrition programs for kids — like the Summer Food Service Program. This Fall, Congress will be making decisions about the Summer Food Service Program, School Meals, Child and Adult Care Food Program, and more in the Child Nutrition Reauthorization. What can you do? Write your members of Congress and ask them to expand and improve current federal child nutrition programs. Visit www.foodbankccs.org for more information.

Posted in Contra Costa County, Solano County, action, advocacy, event, legislation, nutrition, physical activity, schools, youth | No Comments »

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