The Beginnings of a Backpack Program

I recently had the opportunity to sit in on a Backpack Program planning meeting at the Foodshare warehouse in Bloomfield. The meeting was organized by Eunice Medwinter of the Hyacinth Williams Foundation for Children. Her organization is interested in starting a Backpack Program in one of Bloomfield’s elementary schools in the fall. This was the first meeting between her organization and Foodshare, who will be sponsoring the food donations. All of the legwork for this operation still needs to be determined- like where the food will be stored and sorted, which school will participate in the program, how many students will receive backpacks, who will volunteer to assemble them, etc. In a way, the meeting felt almost overwhelming because there are so many details to work out before the program can get its feet on the ground. Paul Fraleigh of Fraleigh & Gray, Inc. was in attendance, representing the First Congregation Church in Glastonbury. He was there to offer volunteer support and to assist in gaining corporate sponsorships to cover some of the program costs. Paul had some really great ideas about individualizing student backpacks to meet their family needs, which I think has the potential of being done once the program has been soundly established. At first, though, such a large task may be overwhelming and the volunteers’ efforts may be best concentrated on deciding who (in general) the backpacks are meant for – to feed the family or just the individual child.
While much of the details still need to be worked out, it was so exciting to hear a group of people discuss how they wanted to volunteer their time to reach out and feed hungry children. At the same time, I found it upsetting that there are so many children in need of services like the Backpack Program who aren’t being reached. I have high hopes for the Bloomfield program, which has the potential to spread into other district schools. I think the key of success for the program will be modeling itself after other successful Backpack programs in the area, like the one run by the Junior League. While the Bloomfield program may not have the same resources available as the Junior League, they can still model their program after theirs by incorporating other community resources into the bags. Information on state health insurance, SNAP funding, tips for healthy eating on a budget, coupons for local businesses, etc. could be included to help empower families in need of other services. I’m really looking forward to following up with the Bloomfield program in the fall to see how the program runs and how many children are reached!

-Mariam

A Day at EHC!

Yesterday, while sitting in an office in End Hunger CT! listening to a client try to understand why her food stamp benefits had been reduced, I really understood the frustration and grief that those in need must have to suffer through. The client’s husband is receiving unemployment compensation. With a house full of six people, I can only imagine how urgent her situation must be. The client came prepared with papers and personal bills; she had visited the Department of Social Services twice in one week before coming to see the End Hunger CT! outreach worker for assistance. It was evident from her behavior and the look on her face that she was trying hard to take matters into her own hands. The social worker tried to reach people in the DSS but was unable to reach anyone who could help the client get her benefits. When told that the social worker would call her when she heard back from people, the client, whose voice had become increasingly emotional and whose cheeks were pink from stress and worry, wiped her eyes and let the tears fall.
I don’t know what it was about her that made me feel so strongly about the situation. I could feel her frustration, but more than that I finally saw what it must be like to have a family that depends on you for money and assistance. It’s sad to admit—but coming from a middle-class American family, in which my parents pay all my tuition fees, apartment rent, and any other expenses—I had a hard time grasping the reality of what a “bad economy” means. Oh sure, I hear people lamenting the state of the economy on a daily basis, discussing lay-offs and the rise in food costs. I feel fortunate and blessed that God has not tried me with lack of wealth or material needs to sustain a living. I can’t imagine what it must be like to try and manipulate your expenses each day simply in order to make sure your family has enough food on the table each night.
What was she feeling? Did she feel hopeless? Stressed? Did she worry about how she would feed her family the next day? What must it be like to live day-to-day making such crucial decisions for the ones you love?
I never want to forget the compassion I felt as I sat and listened to the client that day. I never want to lose the feeling of helping others in need. I sincerely hope I am able to help others one day and can contribute to the community in a positive way. As a reminder to myself, I would like to share one of my favorite quotes from the Muslim holy book, the Quran, which helps me remember my duty to others is not for any reward, worldly gain or fame—it is solely for the sake of God, and doing your duty to mankind: “We feed you for the sake of God alone; we seek from you neither reward, nor thanks.”

Although the client had to leave the office without any changes made to her benefits, this morning the outreach worker informed us that the client received the changes and her food stamp benefits.

First Impressions

As a dietetic intern interested in public health, I was more than excited to begin my experience at End Hunger CT! I realized that EHC! is deeply involved in nutrition legislation and advocacy, but what I hadn’t realized was how directly involved they are in their clients’ lives. We had the opportunity to sit in on several SNAP consults-what an eye-opening and moving experience. One of the families had their SNAP funds cut in half due to a misunderstanding of the family’s income. I felt myself becoming frustrated and even emotional as the mother explained how many times she had been to DSS to try and resolve the problem. Even as the ed to help, her phone calls to the DSS were met with answering machines and unanswered questions. I was shocked at how easily a family’s only means of feeding their family could be reduced or taken away – and all because of delayed paperwork and misunderstandings. One glance at the sixteen-page SNAP application and I knew there was a good chance I would make at least one mistake or have one question during the process. How could anyone, let alone someone who may have a low literacy level or language barrier, be expected to successfully complete the application process? Unfortunately, it seemed as though filling out the application is only half the battle. We discussed the overwhelmed workloads of the DSS social workers, the increased number of SNAP applicants, and the all-too-frequent problem of lost or delayed applications. Even emergency applicants, who are supposed to receive assistance within 7 days of applying, are waiting weeks or months to receive funds. The entire process seems to be overwhelmingly frustrating- I cannot imagine being in the shoes of a person unable to feed their family because of incorrect paperwork and bureaucratic delays.
The services EHC! offers to its clients are so valuable. Without the help of the SNAP outreach workers, many clients would be unable to apply for SNAP assistance or know what funds they are eligible to receive. As the mother of a family of 6 sat in the office, crying because her SNAP funding was nearly cut in half, the SNAP counselor placed phone calls to the supervisor and manager at the DSS explaining the problem and asked that the woman’s case be reviewed. The woman left frustrated, but learned later that day that that she would receive her full funding. Had the SNAP counselor not made those calls, her family of six would still be without adequate funding. I am amazed at the impact EHC assistance can have on the lives of its clients.

Our very own Lucy Nolan testifying before Congress (Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry) on the need for increased funding for Summer Food and After School Programs in Child Nutrition Reauthorization 2009.

Link to Video:
http://www.c-spanarchives.org/library/index.php?main_page=product_video_info&products_id=284418-2
(they saved the best for last!)

EHC!’s good friend Charlie Chatterton, professor at Eastern Connecticut State University and co-chair of Connecticut Action for Healthy Kids, sent this e-mail out to his friends and colleagues last week. We wanted to post it because it is inspiring. We can all do something to beat back poverty – education, outreach, advocacy – good work takes on many forms.

Hi. If all goes well and God willingly, I’ll be participating in my 25th Marathon (13 to goJ to 38 marathons) since September 2006 this Sunday in Hyannis, MA on Cape Cod as part of my Taking Strides to Brake the Cycle of Poverty. The weather is predicted to be in the low 40s with light rain. I hope it is not too windy. I am constantly being reminded of the importance of attempting to raise awareness on the issues surrounding poverty and the need for systemic, sustainable change whether it was from my recent visit to New Orleans (which has made great progress in so many areas, but other areas of the city are not that different than two years ago) and or the constant news reports and budget cuts that often impact individuals living in poverty or on the edge of it in very significant ways. I must admit that it is getting more challenging to mentally prepare for each of these marathons, but I try to remember myself of the importance of this work and that there are individuals living in poverty who are struggling each day, possibly working multiple jobs, and trying to make a better life for their family. It really gets you to think about the dignity of each person as my fatigue is temporary and it is followed by a good meal and a shower, not having to make a choice between going to the doctor, paying rent, or putting food on your table for your kids. I finally finished a book on my trip to New Orleans titled “The Moral measure of the Economy,” by Chuck Collins and Mary Wright that I really enjoyed and really made me think about things related to the poverty condition in the US and the world. I would encourage all of you to take a look at the book if you get the chance. Thank you again for all of your support and have a good weekend!

Charlie

Educating the Spanish Community about SNAP

Each day I come into the EHC! office ready to face hunger in the Latino community. When I walk through the door I already have folks waiting patiently to be educated on how to obtain and/or keep their SNAP benefits.

It’s not easy to see how clueless people are about the SNAP (food stamp) program. If they only knew how simple it can be to get their benefits. Unfortunately, the client and the system can make it very, very hard for everyone.

I mean, think about! All you have to do is to fill out an application and bring it to the Department of Social Services (DSS) with all the necessary signed documents as proof. Once your application is complete all you have to do is wait for a response within 1 to 4 weeks- depending on your situation.

This should be a smooth process with no complications. It sounds beautiful but, the reality is, it doesn’t work that way. WHY? Because people just don’t understand the program. Now this is where I come in, my job is all about educating the clients.

At this moment I am the only Spanish speaking outreach worker in the office, so you can imagine how crazy it can get in here daily!

We also have the help of a very well known and respected person in the Latino community named Carlos. When he sees or hears that a person is struggling to put food on the table he tells them about SNAP and EHC!’s services. Believe it or not that person will come to EHC! the very next day.

Carlos works hard to make this a positive experience for the client and I make sure that the client understands how to get and maintain his/her food stamps. How’s it going so far, you ask? Well I strongly believe the people we’ve helped so far really understand the program now.

For example: Recently, a woman was having a conversation with the person next to her while waiting to see her doctor. The woman mentioned how she couldn’t believe her benefits had lowered. Her neighbor told her to talk to Carlos, who then handed her a flyer and told her to visit our office.

The woman came right over and waited for me to resolve her issue. I prescreened her and realized that on her last redetermination she forgot to check off the fact that she paid extra in her rent for using an air conditioner. I called her worker at DSS and faxed him the landlord’s letter which increased her benefits from $14 to $146 per month.

This is a perfect example of how and why successful outreach really works—and it happens every day!

New London Food Pantry 2008

The holidays are over and if you happen to be in the business of eliminating hunger, so are the easy times.

As a board member and officer of our local food coalition, I get to see the local pantry and community meal center up close and personal. (We don’t call it a “soup kitchen” anymore; there’s a whole lot more than soup being served these days.)

It seems that as long as the Yule log is burning, people just about trip over themselves to donate food and cash. It’s as if they just heard that people are hungry.

Once things get back to normal though, so does the giving. Not to say that people don’t care, but they just don’t seem to see the hunger problem with the same intensity that they do at holiday time.

I think part of the problem is the press. Both the media attention and the lack of attention contribute to cycle. During the holidays and in the midst of disasters, there’s no end to the front page stories of hungry people. The local papers devote pages and pages to the subject. In my city of New London, The Day published no less than three major articles, countless photos and several columns describing the problem and local efforts to help.

But now, not a single word let alone a picture. Did I miss something? Has hunger been eliminated as a social problem?

It’s as if all those photos of well-stocked pantry shelves and fat turkeys being carved have convinced folks that the need is taken care of. Not so.

People need help year round and lately with economy suffering, more and more families are feeling the pinch. Let’s try to remember that people need access to food every day, not just on holidays. Help get the word out. Let your local media know that hunger doesn’t take a holiday.

PTC