Family Services: Food Assistance

1. Family Services:Food Assistance Lauren Cummings & Jessica Boll

2. Family Food Facts In 2008, nearly 15% of Bellingham residents visited the Food Bank at least once 2009 average WIC monthly benefit per person: $43.12 WA WIC Program total 2009 food cost $100,061,356 In 2009, 31,330,000 children participated in the National School Lunch Program, 52.5% of which were free and 10% were reduced-price lunches The average monthly benefit from Basic Food received by families in Feb 2009 was $216 Average annual US food expenditure per family unit: $6,133

3. General Eligibility/Funding Eligibility really depends on the service Means-tested For federal programs, the family’s income and expenses are usually taken into account (Crimando & Riggar, 2005). Social Services Block Grant (Title XX)- Major federal fund Emergency Food and Shelter Grants to local social service organizations through FEMA

4. Food Assistance We will go through some of the services available to families in Whatcom County that help them with food, then explain how you are eligible for the services, and finally what laws or policies (if any) affect the service

5. What does the food bank do? • Provides many kinds of food to those in Bellingham who need it • Milk, frozen meat, cheese, non-perishable goods etc. • Educates community on hunger issues • To get those who can to donate • To help those who need food be aware of services that are available to them

6. Food Bank: Eligibility • Any family or individual can receive food • Must be a Bellingham resident • 35% of Food Bank clients are children, 15% are seniors/older adults

7. Food Bank: Policies and Funding • Non-profit • Funded by cash donations and food donations • 4 paid staff, 150 volunteers run the food bank • Federal Emergency Management Agency provides a small amount of funding to some area food banks

8. Catholic Community Services Affordable Housing Community Classes Private Pay Counseling Family Preservation Services Hope House

9. Hope House • 24 hour immediate emergency food supplies • When the food bank is closed • When you are waiting for paperwork to go through to obtain public assistance (disability, welfare, etc.) • Also provides clothing and other household items and things not covered by food stamps • 59 social service agencies provide vouchers that enable you to shop for free here • Outreaches to homeless and people on the street once a week, passing out sack lunches and small personal items • Relies on donations- one such donor is Haggen • United Way provides a small grant

10. What does TANF do? • Ensures that families have money for bills, food, shelter, and other necessities • Gives clients a monthly cash benefit • Job training and assistance • WorkFirst program • Training and education for those out of work

11. TANF: Eligibility Residents who are responsible for children, or who are pregnant Family must have $1,000 or less in resources Applicants must be able to prove both citizenship and identity Once in program, may be required to participate in programs such as WorkFirst

12. TANF: Policies and Funding Those ineligible include felons, and people previously convicted of unlawful gaining of public assistance money Can be limited to 60 months of benefit in a lifetime for an individual Funding comes from federal TANF funds and state funds

13. WIC: What is it? Provides supplemental food to Women, Infants, and Children Gives nutritional screening and nutrition counseling to mothers, infants, and children under 5 yrs Encourages prenatal and pediatric care

14. WIC, cont. You receive WIC checks to use only at approved stores to buy healthy foods. The checks tell you which kind of food you can buy with them. List of foods: Baby food and formula, breakfast cereal, cheese, fresh fruits and vegetables, eggs, juice, milk, canned fish, peanut butter, tofu, whole grains (rice…), tortillas, whole wheat bread Each client receives separate check of $40-50 each month to buy the type of food they would eat (Mother, Infant, and Child are separate)

15. WIC: Eligibility Women- pregnant to breastfeeding, infants up to 1 yr and children up to 5 yrs Must live in state applied Income- 185% or less of poverty level Automatically eligible if already in certain other programs, like Medicaid or TANF Nutrition Risk- have a dietary or medical condition (ex: poor diet or anemia) 20% of eligible women and infants not covered Even illegal immigrants eligible (Mandell& Schram)

16. Diversion Cash Assistance For families with need who do not foresee needing TANF in the coming year Same income/resource eligibility requirements as TANF Eligible for 30 day period each year Maximum benefit is $1,500

17. What does the Basic Food Program do? Gives money to families and individuals to help pay for food Those receiving get EBT cards for stores and farmers markets, and also enrollment in free meal programs for school-age children Provides better nutrition

18. Washington Basic Food Program:Eligibility • Residents of Washington state • No asset limitations • Qualify based on income • Ex: 1 person must have a gross monthly income at or below $1,174 monthly, with $903 net income

19. Washington Basic Food Program:Policies and Funding Federal policies regulating food programs are from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) from the US department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) FNS funds federal food programs The Washington State Federal fund provides money and benefits go to some immigrants who do not meet some federal qualifications

20. Hot Meals Many places in the community to go to receive meals See list on Pamphlet Most of these places are faith-based organizations that run off of volunteer work Lighthouse Mission- 3 meals daily

21. What do free/reduced-price schoolmeals do? • Provides kids with breakfast and lunch when they might otherwise be hungry • Food helps kids to do better in class, and kids who have food are more likely to attend and stay in school • Helps kids to get nutrition they might not receive otherwise

22. Free/Reduced-Price School Meals:Eligibility • TANF and Basic Food Program participation often allow students to get free/reduced lunches at school • Parents must fill out an application • Household income must be low • Ex: A 3 person household can have no more than a $33,874 yearlyor $2,823 monthly income

23. Free/Reduced-Price School Meals:Policies and Funding • About half of funding comes from federal government reimbursements • Reduced-price meals help to fund • Local and state governments provide a small amount of funding • Students who participate must come from eligible family situations

24. To Refresh Your Memory Went over some family food facts Food Bank CCS- Hope House TANF WIC Diversion Cash Assistance WA Basic Food Program Where to get hot meals Free/Reduced Price School Meals

25. References Catholic Community Services. (n. d.). Catholic community services/ Catholic housing services of Northwest Washington. Retrieved from www.ccsww.org Crimando, W., & Riggar, T. F. (2005). Community resources: A guide for human service workers. Long Grove, IL: Waveland Press, Inc. Basic Food. (April 14, 2009). Basic food. Retrieved from http://foodhelp.wa.gov/index.htm DSHS. (October 28, 2007). Program summary - TANF. Retrieved from http://www.dshs.wa.gov/manuals/eaz/sections/PS_TANF.shtml Mandell, B. R., & Schram, B. (2009). Introduction to human services: Policy and practice. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

26. References, cont. Neuberger Z., & Namian ,T. (January 29, 2010). Who benefits from federal subsidies for free and reduced price school meals? Retrieved from http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=3071 United States Department of Agriculture. (2010). Program Data. Food and nutrition service. Retrieved from http://www.fns.usda.gov/pd/Overview.htm Washington State Department of Health. (2010). Washington State WIC Nutrition Program. Retrieved from http://www.doh.wa.gov/cfh/WIC/default.htm Whatcom Anti-Hunger Coalition. (2009). Food and meal resources in whatcom county. Retrieved from http://thelighthousemission.org/images/editor/food%20and%20meal%20resource%20guide.pdf Xin, M., & Ryan, J. (2010). Does a food for education program affect school outcomes? The Bangladesh case. Journal of Population Economics, 23(2), 415-447. doi:10.1007/s00148-009-0240-0.