Advocating for Food Security in Texas Legislature

1. LOBBY DAY 2013

2. Schedule Tonight: Reception, 5:30-7PM Wahrenberger House, 208 West 14th

3. Schedule • Tomorrow: • 8AM – Breakfast in the Capitol Grill (E.1) • 10-11AM – House proclamation (House gallery, 3rdFl) • 11-Noon – Senate proclamation (Senate gallery, 3rdFl)

4. Statistics • Food insecurity • 1 in 5 Texas households (18.5%) is food insecure • 1 in 4 Texas children (27.1%) lives in a food insecure household • Texas is among the eight worst states in terms of our food insecurity rate • Texas is #2 in the number of food insecure households • SNAP • Texas ranks 40th in terms of SNAP participation • Only 67% of potentially eligible Texans receive SNAP benefits • Food Banks • There are 21 food banks in Texas • We feed 3M Texans annually, one third of which are children

5. Anatomy of a Lege Meeting

6. Talking Points • General points: • Our food bank helps your constituents every day. • We are a successful partner with the state of Texas. • We are here for you and your constituents.

7. Anatomy of a Lege Meeting

8. Talking Points • TDA Partnership: • The ask: Double funding ($1.6M > $3.2M) • Key phrases:Statewide; healthy food; reinvestment in ag economy; win-win for farmers and hungry families • Key stats: We distribute 12 pounds of produce for every $1; doubling would mean 15M more meals for hungry Texans.

9. Anatomy of a Lege Meeting

10. Talking Points • HHSC Partnership: • The ask: Maintain funding • Key phrases: We help the most vulnerable; we provide access (NOT outreach); we make HHSC more efficient

11. Talking Points • Breakfast for Success: • The ask: Support bill by Eddie Rodriguez (HB 296) • Key phrases: breakfast improves testing, behavior and health; We help the most vulnerable; we provide access (NOT outreach); we make HHSC more efficient • Pushback? Schools have already done this at no-cost (federal $$ covers expansion); school breakfast is not associated with obesity; children don’t have to take it if they don’t want it

12. Talking Points • Breakfast for Success: • The ask: Support bill by Eddie Rodriguez (HB 296) • Key phrases: breakfast improves testing, behavior and health; We help the most vulnerable; we provide access (NOT outreach); we make HHSC more efficient • Pushback? Schools have already done this at no-cost (federal $$ covers expansion); school breakfast is not associated with obesity; children don’t have to take it if they don’t want it

13. Talking Points • TANF: • The ask: Fund HB 1622 (passed in 2009) • Key phrases: nutritious food for children at risk of hunger and diet-related disease; we successfully used TANF funds in 2011 ($25M) and this year ($3M)

14. Talking Points • Physical Activity: • The ask: Enact policies in the Kelder report (RGK foundation) • Key phrases: Revenue-neutral; we’re interested in both nutrition and physical health

15. Talking Points • Assets: • The ask: Use SNAP as an outreach tool to help families save (and incidentally, remove the asset test) • Key phrases: “Shortening the line;” promoting self-sufficiency; emergency savings as a bridge; helping people find and keep work

16. Anatomy of a Lege Meeting

17. Anatomy of a Lege Meeting Finally: Complete a meeting feedback entry after every meeting!

18. Social Media • Facebook? Tag us: “Texas Food Bank Network” • Tweeting? Include the hashtag#txlege • Good meeting? @ include legislator’s twitter name