Hunger, Nutrition & Healthy Eating: FRAMING OUR MESSAGE

1. Hunger, Nutrition & Healthy Eating: FRAMING OUR MESSAGE MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger January 25-26, 2010

2. SubcommitteeMembers Fred Summers, Jewish Family Services of Los Angeles, SOVA Community Food & Resource Program, Subcommittee Chair Michael Flood, Los Angeles Regional Foodbank Paul Ash, San Francisco Food Bank Marla Feldman, MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger

3. WorkshopGoal To discuss strategies and resources to help integrate nutrition and healthy eating messages in your hunger relief work.

4. MessagingBasics • Think like your intended audience: ~Clients ~Donors ~Government ~General Public • Identify and Embrace what you do best • Find out if Perception matches Reality (Adapted from “Not Just for Madison Avenue: The Basics of Nonprofit Marketing,” Bill Nissim, November 2004, www.ibranz.com)

5. MessagingBasics • Take Advantage of Public Relations • Develop a Clear and Consistent Message (Adapted from “Not Just for Madison Avenue: The Basics of Nonprofit Marketing,” Bill Nissim, November 2004, www.ibranz.com) • Componentsof a “Sticky” Message ~Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Credible, Emotional, Story(telling) (From Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die, Chip and Dan Heath, Random House, January 2007)

6. TraditionalHungerMessages • Food banks and charitable food programs historically have focused on the terms “hunger” and “poverty” and later with the development of the food security measurement, the terms “food insecurity” and “low food security” • For many years, the “solution” was just food, whatever food was available or in surplus to distribute to people seeking food assistance.

7. New Focus • With the increase of obesity, diabetes and other health conditions, California food banks in particular have focused their efforts on acquiring fresh fruits and vegetables and other nutritious foods and have been developing new models for distributing these foods. • The traditional message of “distributing food to hungry people” now seems insufficient in describing the work of food banks and charitable food programs throughout California and the U.S.

8. Updating the Message • As a result, many food banks and charitable food programs have integrated the messages of providing nutritious food and the importance of eating a healthy diet in the description of their work. • In linking the message with programs, many organizations (charitable and government) have changed mission statements or updated strategic goals and objectives to incorporate this relatively new focus.

9. Mission Statement Example The mission of the Alameda County Community Food Bank is to alleviate hunger by providing nutritious food and nutrition education to people in need, educating the public, and promoting public policies that address hunger and its root causes.

10. Jewish Family Services of Los AngelesSOVA Community Food and Resource Program SOVA is a Hebrew word that means "eat and be satisfied." At SOVA's three comprehensive service centers in the Los Angeles area, we offer:  Sustenance – free nutritious food that nourishes families, helps children perform better in school, and strengthens the elderly.  

11. Vision Statement Example Food for People envisions a community where no one is hungry and everyone in Humboldt County has access to good quality, nutritious food. Everyone in the community understands the consequences of hunger and poor nutrition and that each one of us has a role to play in creating a strong, healthy community.

12. Greater Boston Food Bank • Nutrition's role in food banking is changing. It is no longer sufficient to merely provide calories to alleviate hunger. The Greater Boston Food Bank is committed to providing nutrient rich foods to maintain adequate growth and health outcomes as well as fighting hunger. • The Food Bank sees the nutritional value of the foods we deliver as key to our work. We aim to measure the nutrient quality of our inventory and communicate the importance of good nutrition to our donors and member agencies. By doing so, we decrease barriers to healthy food choices and improve our community's health.

13. USDA Food & Nutrition Service Mission: To increase food security and reduce hunger in partnership with cooperating organizations by providing children and low-income people access to food, a healthful diet, and nutrition education in a manner that supports American agriculture and inspires public confidence Objective 5.1: Improve Access to Nutritious Food Objective 5.2: Promote Healthier Eating Habits and Lifestyles

14. Discussion What works at your organization?

15. Messaging Example The WIC Program is the best example of linking messaging with programs: “WIC is a Nutrition Education Program,” thus “Eat like WIC” “Health is Wellness” “Lose the Fat, Keep the Vitamins” “WIC Foods are Healthy Foods”

16. WIC’s Healthy HabitsMessaging Campaign Joy Ahrens, MPH, RD, CLE Gayle Schachne, MPH, RD, CLE Northeast Valley Health Corporation WIC Program

17. What is WIC? • Federal funded, supplemental nutrition program for: • Pregnant women, post-partum women, infants and children up to age 5 • Benefits: • checks for healthy foods • nutrition education • breastfeeding support • referrals to other services

18. …..OUT with the OLD……...

19. …IN with the NEW!

20. Summary of Major Changes • Fruits and vegetables • Whole Grains • Breakfast cereals, whole wheat bread, brown rice, whole wheat and corn tortillas, bulgur, barley, oatmeal • Baby foods • ONLY lowfat milk choices allowed for women and children over two years • Reduced the fat content • Soy milk and tofu as milk alternatives Reflects a more balanced diet and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans

21. The Healthy Habits Campaign The California WIC Program, in partnership with Sesame Workshop and the National WIC Association developed a comprehensive campaign called Healthy Habits for Life to launch the new WIC food package.

22. What is this campaign? TheHealthy Habits Campaignin California is a comprehensive, statewide campaign that involves ALL WIC staff and ALL WIC families and aligns nutrition messaging with the new WIC Food Package. 4 COMPONENTS: 1. STAFF WELLNESS 2. PARTICIPANT EDUCATION 3. WIC VENDOR TRAINING 4. PARTNER INVOLVEMENT

23. Why the Campaign? • To support the changes to the upcoming new WIC food package • Engage and motivate WIC staff and their families to improve their own eating habits • Prepare WIC participants to incorporate healthy habits into their daily lives

24. Scope of Influence • ~1,400,000 WIC clients in California • 82 Local Agency WIC Programs • 600 WIC Centers • 3600 WIC Staff

25. Why Partner with Sesame Workshop? BECAUSE BRANDING WORKS!

26. Key Campaign Messages • Healthy Habits Begin at Birth • Eat a Rainbow of Fruits and Vegetables • Eat More Anytime and Less Sometimes Foods • Lose the Fat, Keep the Vitamins… Drink Lowfat Milk • Make Half Your Grains Whole • Let’s Go Shopping with your New WIC Checks

27. Staff Wellness • Campaign started Fall 2008 with Staff Wellness: ~3600 WIC staff • Wellness Journals; on going wellness activities

28. Staff Wellness Activities • Salad bar potluck • Try a different fruit or vegetable • Try a whole grain food • Exercise log • Lowfat dairy recipes • Record your food intake • Prepare a healthy breakfast • Stretch breaks • “Healthy Habits” Food Drive

29. Participant Education MAKING HISTORY! • Consistent STATEWIDEeducation messages for ALL WIC families • Group Education • Individual Education • WIC Site Environment

30. Site Environment

31. Campaign Poster

32. Sesame Posters

33. “Get Healthy Now” Kit • Developed by Sesame Workshop to promote healthy eating and physical activity • Based on research, surveys of parents and caregivers and evaluation with children • Includes: Storybook, DVD, brochure

34. Healthy Habits Apron

35. Bulletin Boards

36. Bulletin Boards

37. Education Posters

38. Bulletin Boards

39. Healthy Habits Begin At Birth

40. Where Can I Get Materials? • All WIC education and training materials are posted on the California WIC website: www.wicworks.ca.gov

41. Opportunities for Food Banks • Adopt WIC’s nutrition messages • Adopt worksite wellness • Support and encourage breastfeeding • Refer clients to the WIC Program

42. Opportunity #1:Adopt WIC’s Nutrition Messages • Promote “Healthy Habits for Life!” • Eat a rainbow of fruits and vegetables • Eat more “anytime” foods and less “sometime” foods • Make half your grains whole • Drink lowfat milk • Breastfeed your baby • Exercise

43. Opportunity #2:Adopt Worksite Wellness • Your staff are your best advocates! • WIC WORKSITE WELLNESS: http://www.calwic.org/worksitewellness/index.html • Provide healthy snacks at meetings • Take a stretch break at meetings • Support breastfeeding moms • Have a healthy potluck

44. Opportunity #3:Support & Encourage Breastfeeding • Provide a place for staff to pump • Encourage clients to breastfeed • Breastfeeding in an emergency or disaster Yum! My first food bank!

45. Opportunity #4:Refer clients to the WIC program • Refer pregnant women and children under age 5 to WIC • Statewide phone: (888) WIC-WORKS (888) 942-9675 • Your local WIC agency can provide you outreach materials

46. Resources • Education materials: • www.wicworks.ca.gov • www.mypyramid.gov • Worksite wellness: • http://www.calwic.org/worksitewellness/index.html • http://toniyancey.com/liftoff/

47. Questions to think about: • How many WIC participants also frequent food banks? • What do Food Banks need from WIC? • What sources of Nutrition Education do the Food Banks use? • Are Food Banks referring to WIC?