Helping Low-Wage Workers Access Work Supports: Lessons for Practitioners « Docuticker

Helping Low-Wage Workers Access Work Supports: Lessons for Practitioners « Docuticker

Child hunger increases in Minnesota | Twin Cities Daily Planet | Minneapolis - St. Paul

Child hunger increases in Minnesota | Twin Cities Daily Planet | Minneapolis - St. Paul

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The Pet Project helps people keeps their pets by providing pet food and basic supplies to those who are struggling.

The Pet Project is currently distributing food and supplies at:

Groveland Food Shelf
1900 Nicollet Ave Minneapolis, MN 55403



Catholic Charities Food Shelf
Branch 1
1308 Franklin Ave E
Minneapolis, MN 55404

The Senior Food Shelf
1801 Central Ave NE
Minneapolis, MN 55418

Hallie Q Brown Food Shelf
100 Oxford St. N
St. Paul, MN 55104

Senate Completes Its Work on Agriculture Appropriations

Before leaving for the August recess, the full Senate approved FY 2010 funding for key anti-hunger programs in the Agriculture Appropriations bill (H.R. 2997). The House had previously enacted its version on July 9. In both cases, support was large and bipartisan, with a House vote of 266-160 and the Senate at 80-17. With the recession increasing the number of needy families, both the House and Senate increased funding for nutrition programs.

HSM Welcomes Cokie Roberts

Hunger Solutions Minnesota, the statewide leader in public policy and advocacy influence, invites you to your first opportunity to hear the Governor candidates’ policy statements on hunger.

The event will investigate the need for grassroots advocacy and demonstrate why and how public policy improvements will effectively address the issues surrounding hunger and poverty.

* Wednesday, October 14, 2009, 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

* River Centre Ballroom, Downtown St. Paul, MN

Area Kids Have Lunch With Vikes Players

This morning's practice at Vikings Training Camp ended with a special treat for several local youth.Members of the Salvation Army Summer Camp got to watch the practice, and have lunch sponsored by the Vikings Children's Fund Summer Lunch Program.The kids were given an extra surprise when Vikings players Jared Allen, Ray Edwards, and Adrian Peterson joined them to pose for pictures and sign autographs.That surprise is something the kids say they won't forget.The program is a collaborative effort of the Vikings, Hunger Solutions Minnesota, and Second Harvest Heartland.

MinnPost - New exhibit at the Mpls Photo Center puts a face on 21st century poverty in America

MinnPost - New exhibit at the Mpls Photo Center puts a face on 21st century poverty in America

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Minn. non-profits announce $2.2M fund to help low-income families | Minnesota Public Radio NewsQ

Minn. non-profits announce $2.2M fund to help low-income families | Minnesota Public Radio NewsQ

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FNS programs will help those workers and families hardesthit by the economic crisis.

See the USDA plans to help SNAP, WIC, School Lunch, TEFAP, & Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations.

Federal Legislation

The Obama Administration, which believes that improved health care coverage for low-income Americans will help ease hunger and nutrition concerns nationwide, has allotted $635 billion in the fiscal year 2010 budget for health care. Approximately $300 billion more in savings from Medicare and Medicaid in future years would help pay for improved health care.


Additionally, President Obama has pledged to end childhood hunger in this country by 2015, in part by bolstering funding for the WIC Program. On June 11, 2009, the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee met to mark up a spending bill for next year, and WIC was allocated a record $7.541 billion, $681 million � or 10 percent � above fiscal year 2009 levels. Support at that level would allow the program to serve 10.1 million women and children, 300,000 more than the Administration requested.


�Food costs and participation [for WIC] continue to increase at dramatic rates for fiscal years 2009 and 2010,� noted Subcommittee chair Rosa DeLauro (D-CT). In addition to support for increased caseload, the bill sets aside $125 million for the upcoming WIC reauthorization, encompassing a number of program improvements, such as, increasing fruit and vegetable vouchers, enhancing management information systems, furthering electronic benefit transfer (EBT) technology, and expanding breast feeding peer counseling programs. The panel, however, did not replenish the WIC contingency fund, estimating that an anticipated $487 million in other discretionary funds would be available for that purpose.


As in previous years, WIC spending continued to dominate the discretionary funds category in the Agriculture budget. A little money was left over for other purposes. For example, the Subcommittee did squeeze out another $20 million for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), bringing total funding to $180 million for fiscal 2010, enough to allow six new states to join the program � Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, New Jersey, Oklahoma, and Utah.


With a proposed PAYGO rule in place, however, Congress will be hard pressed to identify funds for backing other discretionary efforts, such as increasing distribution and storage funding for The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). TEFAP is struggling to distribute over $600 million in commodity foods this fiscal year. Although up to $100 million is authorized for TEFAP transportation next year, the full amount has never been appropriated.


Proposed Legislation



Among bills recently introduced in the 111th session of the U.S. Congress are the following:


House Resolution (H.R.) 2690: Introduced by Representatives Joe Sestak (D-PA) and two co-sponsors, the School Meal Enhancement Act would create a universal, paperless school meal program that is nationally available.


H.R. 2803: Introduced by Representative Chaka Fattah (D-PA) and two co-sponsors, the Paperless Enrollment for School Meals Act would improve paperless enrollment and efficiency for the national school lunch and school breakfast programs.


H.R. 2841: Introduced by Representative Zachary Space (D-OH) and one co-sponsor, the Promoting Charitable Actions Act would amend the Internal Revenue Code to make permanent the enhanced charitable deduction for contributions of food inventory.


Senate (S.) 1226: Introduced by Senator Robert Casey (D-PA) and two co-sponsors, the Paperless Enrollment for School Meals Act would improve paperless enrollment and efficiency for the national school lunch and school breakfast programs.


For bill summary and status information, along with the text of legislation, visit: http://thomas.loc.gov/ and enter the bill number.