National CSFP Conference

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Michigans

• National CSFP Conference
• May 6, 2009
• Kathleen Rhodes

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Hunger Issue

• In Michigan, over 12.5 of the population,
• more than 1 million people, were identified
• with some level of food insecurity in 2006.

3
Question

• What do we need to do to ensure a well-nourished,
  productive population?

4
Answer

• Feasible Solutions Exist to Reduce Hunger in
  Michigan
• No One Solution Will Work on Its Own

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Why a Blueprint?

• The food resources available are not enough.
• There are serious consequences when hunger is
  allowed to exist.
• Food provides an opportunity to bring people
  together around many issues.
• A blue print provides context, data and a
  beginning.

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Solution

• 1. Optimize federal food programs in
  MichiganImprove and expand the national
  nutrition safety net programs administered in
  Michigan.

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Solution

• 2. Expand nutrition education opportunities and
  outreachTrain and educate people to help them
  make healthy food choices and stretch their
  household food dollars.

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Solution

• 3. Invest in and strengthen the
  private/non-profit service delivery
  networkDevelop and expand localized,
  volunteer-based services that help engage
  citizens in community-based solutions to hunger
  and poverty.

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Solution

• 4. Take action locallyHunger impacts everyone in
  our statenot just those who are hungry. The
  economic and health implications for Michigan are
  far-reaching and need to be understood by
  policymakers, families, businesses and
  individuals.

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Optimize Government Food Programs

• Leverage food resources from existing
• federal food programs and bring more tax
• dollars and services into Michigan.

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Optimize Government Food Programs

• Programs to expand
• Food Stamps (SNAP)
• Child Nutrition Programs
• CSFP
• TEFAP
• Senior Meals

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Optimize Government Food Programs

• Who Makes it Happen
• State local government
• Schools, parent-teacher groups
• Daycare Centers
• Local non-profit organizations
• Employers and businesses

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Expand Nutrition Education Opportunities and
Outreach

• Empower people to make good choices about food
  and health by providing information, learning
  opportunities, and resources.

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Expand Nutrition Education Opportunities and
Outreach

• Areas to expand include
• Outreach of food programs
• Nutrition and food safety education
• Training in food prep and budgeting
• Training and health education classes and
  materials

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Expand nutrition education opportunities and
outreach

• Who Makes it Happen
• State local health officers and agencies
• Michigan State University Extension
• Nonprofit service providers
• Food industry

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Invest in and Strengthen Private Charity Food
Programs

• Nonprofits and faith-based organizations
• need additional surplus foods and other
• resources to help meet the basic needs of
• people in their communities.

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Invest in and Strengthen Private Charity Food
Programs

• What needs to be done
• Food donations
• Cash donations
• Volunteers
• Program sponsors operators

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Invest in and Strengthen Private Charity Food
Programs

• Who makes it happen
• Individuals
• Businesses employers
• Food industry
• Foundations corporations
• Faith-based organizations
• Nonprofits
• Elected officials

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Take Action Locally

• Solutions need to be localized and
• community-based to meet the varying needs
• within each community.

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Take Action Locally

• What needs to be done
• Educate your community about hunger and its
  effects.
• Identify needs and resources within the community
  and establish priorities.
• Seek successful models from other communities and
  engage local leaders in the effort.

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Take Action Locally

• Who makes it happen
• Health and business leaders
• Elected officials
• Parents, teachers school boards
• Human service leaders
• Individuals

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Key Resources

• CountybyCounty Report
• Blueprint to End Hunger Conference
• Legislator Visits

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County-by-County Report

• Provides economic data of the population using
  100 poverty income guideline
• Provides service delivery data
• Provides an estimate of the number of meals being
  missed by individuals
• Based on data provided by government programs and
  the food bank network

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Suggested Uses of Report

• Identify which programs are not being offered or
  are under-utilized
• Look for ways to maximize participation in
  current programs
• Seek out best practices and models from other
  counties
• Engage the community and seek people to lead the
  effort

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Blueprint to End Hunger ConferenceMay 22, 2007

• Conference goal is to accelerate the process of
  ending hunger in Michigan
• Offers a variety of sessions which describe
  effective programs already in place
• Provides an opportunity to put together a local
  road map of solutions
• Provides an opportunity to share ideas with
  fellow advocates

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Legislator Visits

• Running concurrently with the work shop
• sessions at the conference, participants
• are encouraged to schedule an
• appointment with their local state senator or
• representative to discuss the County-by-
• County Report and local hunger-related
• issues.

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Conclusions

• In Michigan, in 2006, there was a 34 gap between
  the number of meals needed and the number of
  meals provided to low income people.
• At the county level, missed meals per person in
  poverty ranged from 2.3 to 15.3 per month.
  Formula Meals needed minus meals provided
  meals missed or the gap.

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Conclusions

• The Food Stamp Program (SNAP) is the primary
  source of food for low-income people.
• 61 of the meals provided in school are free or
  reduced but over half of the counties have no
  sites for the Summer Food Program.

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Call to Action

• We know how to end hunger.
• Identify specific problems for your locality.
• Utilize the four suggested solutions to develop a
  plan of action.
• Take steps with in your community to implement
  the solutions.
• Evaluate results.

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Follow-up

• Additional details and information are on the
  Food Bank Council of Michigan (FBCM) web site
  www.fbcmich.org
• FBCM intends to update the County-by-County
  during the summer of 2009.