The national nutrition safety net : tools for community food security

              --The--
ToolsJor
Community
Food Security
To lead Amen·ca in ending hunger and improving nutn"tion and health.
t Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services Vision
To increaseJood secun"ty and reduce hunger in partnership with
cooperating organizations by providing children and low-income people
access to Jood, a healtJJful diet, and nutrition education in a manner
that supports Amen·can agriculture and inspires public co!Jfidence.
t Food and Nutrition Service Mission
USDA -United States Department of Agriculture
Food and Nutrition Service
January 2000
FNS-314
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and
activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs,
sexual orientation, marital or family status. (Not all bases apply to all programs.) Persons with
disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large
print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TID).
To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W
Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202)
720 5964 (voice and TID) . USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
Contents
Preface ............................................................................................................................. ....... 2
Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 3
Using This Tool Kit .................................................................................................................... 6
Nutrition Assistance Programs
Food Stamp Program ................................................................................................ ........ 7
National School Lunch Program ...................................................................................... 11
School Breakfast Program ..................... ......................................................................... 14
Summer Food Service Program ................................................... ..................................... 16
Child and Adult Care Food Program ................................................................................ 1 9
Special Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WI C) .................................. 23
Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations .......................................................... 2 7
Nutrition Program for the Elderly .................................................................................... 30
The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) .......................................................... 32
' FNS Programs and Farmers Markets ................................................................................ 34
Other Nutrition Assistance Programs ................................................................................ 36
Other Tools
Guide to Measuring Household Food Security .................................................................. 37
Together We Can! A What, Why, and How Handbook for Working To End
Hunger in Your Community ............... ......................................................................... 3 7
The Nutrition Safety Net* At Work for Families ................................................................ 3 7
Community Food Security Initiative Action Plan .............................................................. 3 7
Community Food Security Assessment Tool Kit ................................................................ 38
Making Sense of the Census ............................................................................................ 38
For More Information .............................................................................................................. 39
Table of Contents 1
Preface
E ach year the Federal Government invests billions of dollars in nutrition assistance for children and
low-income people. For these resources to reach those in need, local communities all across the Nation
must have an infrastructure that can deliver nutrition assistance benefits effectively. This infrastructure
must enable current and prospective participants to:
t apply for and receive nutrition assistance benefits with dignity;
t redeem their benefits for nutritious and affordable food; and
t acquire the necessary knowledge, skills, and motivation to make the right choices for a healthful diet.
These are some of the basic elements of community food security-a concept that includes both a Federal
nutrition assistance safety net and local organizational and policy structures that ensure that all community
members have access to a safe, nutritious, and affordable food supply.
We designed this tool kit to help communities assess if they make full use of the Federal nutrition assis­tance
programs, to identify barriers to the food security of community members, and to seek opportunities
for improvement. It is a product of Leadership 2000 and Beyond, an effort to adopt quality management
principles in our mission to improve the nutrition of the Nation's population and end hunger. Its creation
was a team effort, brought into existence by staff representing a cross-section of Food and Nutrition Service
programs, regions, and offices:
Gary Bickel ...... ........... ........ ........ ....... Office of Analysis, Nutrition and Evaluation
Anita Cunningham .......................................... .................. Food Stamp Program
Betty Dixon .......................................................... ........ ........ Phoenix Field Office
Leigh Dyer ....... ........ .... ...... ................ ... Communications and Government Affairs
· Randall Harrison .............. .... .... ................ Food Stamp Program, Midwest Region
Christine Kiss mer ....... ..................... Office of Analysis, Nutrition and Evaluation
John Kwit ...................... ............ ........ Special Nutrition Programs, Midwest Region
Tim Murphy .... ........................................................................ Seattle Field Office
Gina Rickhoff ..... ......... Supplemental Nutrition Programs, Mountain Plains Region
Pam Washington .. ....... ... .... ..... .... .......... ...... .... .Information Technology Division
Steven Carlson, Team Leader
Alberta Frost, Quality Sponsor
Many others too numerous to name individually gave generously of their time, experience, and insight by
reviewing drafts of this material, a gift the team gratefully acknowledges. Christine Krutzler and Yolanda
Sylvia provided crucial logistical support to the team.
2 The National Nutrition Safety Net
Introduction
A chieving food security for all Americans is a
long-standing challenge. Over the past half
century-beginning with the National School
Lunch Program in 1946-the Nation has
gradually built an array of basic nutrition-assistance
programs to help achieve this goal. Taken together,
these programs form a substantial safety net, sup­porting
American families and individuals in their
own efforts to escape food insecurity and hunger
and to achieve healthful, nutritious diets. Currently,
the Nation invests about $35 billion annually in
the nutritional health of Americans through these
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) nutrition
assistance programs.
Moreover, the Nation's nutrition assistance safety
net has succeeded to a remarkable extent in
achieving its purpose. Hunger due to lack of
resources to obtain food now occurs in only about
4 percent of all households in this country. In a
country as wealthy as ours, that is still too much.
Even that seemingly small number represents
nearly 1 0 million people, more than one-third of
them children.
Nutrition Assistance Program Funding
(Total= $33 Billion in FY 1998)
Food Stamps
56%
Introduction
r--- Child Nutrition
27%
WIC
12%
c___ ___ All Other
5%
Recent years have seen a renewed determination to
finish the job of banishing the threat of hunger for
every family and person in every community in
America. We can see this determination in the
creative and dedicated response of charitable organi­zations
to help close the remaining gaps in the
country's nutrition assistance safety net. It shows in
the rise of the community food security movement
and local anti-hunger coalitions in place after place.
And it shows in the renewal of leadership at the
highest levels of government to help this movement
succeed.
The final job of eliminating hunger and food
insecurity begins at the grassroots, within the
communities where we all live. We must combine
the substantial financial resources that the Federal
nutrition assistance programs make available with
the complementary resources that our country
has always nurtured: dedication, caring, vision,
creativity, leadership, and initiative to tackle a job
and see it through. These vital intangible resources
exist in abundance in American communities.
If we can create new partnerships linking the
·powerful force of local responsibility and initiative
with the resources of the Federal nutrition
assistance programs, we will take a large stride
toward eliminating hunger in America.
This recognition has led the agencies within the
U.S. Department of Agriculture, including the
Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), to seek new
forms of collaborations and partnerships in States
and communities with local leaders, organizations,
coalitions, and individual citizens who actively
work to end hunger in America. This kit provides
additional tools to help in this process.
The Nutrition Assistance Safety Net
The nutrition assistance programs combine broad,
basic coverage with specialized programs targeted
to particular groups with unusual nutritional risks­children,
seniors, infants, women during and after
pregnancy, Native Americans living on Indian
reservations, some people with disabilities, and the
homeless.
3
A low-income household with multiple needs often
may qualify for more than one of the Federal nutri­tion
assistance programs. However, program rules
can be complicated and application procedures
burdensome, so access to some programs can be
difficult-especially for someone who is struggling
with difficult life circumstances. As a result, quali­fied
people may miss out on the nutrition support
they need. When that happens, their communities
miss out as well, both on the additional resources
for food that could be coming into the community
and on the higher level of health and well-being
that full use of the available nutrition assistance
programs could bring to the citizens of the commu­nity.
The presence of a simple helping hand can
make the difference for people or families in their
ability to take advantage of the nutrition assistance
programs available to them.
The nutrition assistance programs are a uniquely
American invention, with nearly all the resources
provided through the Federal Government but with
most of the operational responsibility located as
close as possible to the communities they serve.
How well each program serves its clients in each
community depends almost entirely on how well
the local office does its part of the job. Some
aspects of how the local offices run the nutrition
assistance programs are mandated by law, with
many designed to ensure that program resources
reach the people who need them the most. Local
communities can, and should, expect their local
agencies to carry out faithfully the legal require­ments
of these programs and should hold them
accountable for doing so.
4
Non-Discrimination
One important legal mandate common to all
of USDA's nutrition assistance programs is the
strict observance of non-discrimination among
clients regardless of race, gender, or any other
ground established in American civil rights law.
Persons or groups who feel they have
experienced discrimination in these programs
should contact USDA at the address or phone
number listed on the back cover of this tool kit.
Beyond the legal mandates, the local program
office can do much to enhance accessibility and
convenience for clients, maintain high standards of
courtesy and respect in its treatment of both clients
and staff, and be alert to unmet food security needs
within the community. The aim of this tool kit is to
help the whole community-program providers,
participants, anti-hunger advocates, service
organizations, public officials, and concerned
citizens- identify and fulfill this potential of USDA's
nutrition assistance programs. Mutual collaboration
between local program offices and community
partners can accomplish much more than the legal
mandates. This tool kit aims to help stimulate a
joint commitment to seek creative solutions to the
unmet food security needs within our communities.
The National Nutrition Safety Net
AN EXAMPLE OF THE NUTRITION SAFETY NET AT WORK:
To see how the network of programs can help households at risk, consider a mother with two young
children striving to make a successful transition from welfare to full-time work. If her job pays
minimum wage, her monthly earnings are $886, or 77 percent of the official poverty line. Food
stamps can provide the essential base of nutrition support for this family, adding about $160 to $325
in monthly purchasing power, depending on the family's shelter and child-care costs. Food stamp
benefits supplement the family's food budget by $0.59 to $1.20 per person per meal.
If the children are younger than 5 years old, they may also qualify for Special Supplemental Nutrition
Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WI C) benefits of targeted foods, adding another $25 to
$50 per month per eligible child. If the children are in school, free meals through the National School
Lunch and Breakfast Programs can add additional support worth about $0.90 to $1.1 0, on average,
per child per meal. If the children are in day care or after-school programs, they also may benefit from
the Child and Adult Care Food Program. If the community has a Summer Food Program in place, it too
can serve part of the children's food needs.
Altogether, this combination of modest food benefits-the Nation's nutrition assistance safety net-can
help strengthen the ability of this family to succeed at the demanding transition from welfare to work.
Introduction 5
Using This Tool Kit
This tool kit contains a set of checklists you can
use to assess how well your community uses
USDA's nutrition assistance programs. These
checklists will help you spot potential barriers
to participation that may cause eligible people to
miss out on benefits-and from which your whole
community would benefit. The checklists highlight
a variety of ways to strengthen these program
operations in your community.
For example:
0 Does the food stamp office in your community
make it convenient for working families to
apply for food stamps by providing evening and
weekend hours and by informing working
people of their possible food stamp eligibility?
Does any group or coalition in your community
help the local food stamp office reach out to
potentially eligible working people?
0 Does the school lunch program in your commu­nity
take advantage of direct certification for
certain students, reducing paperwork for both
families and schools? Do your schools integrate
student meal programs with nutrition education
activities, helping children develop healthy
lifelong eating habits? Do they offer a school
breakfast?
0 Does your community have active programs
of public information, outreach, and s~r:rice to
low-income pregnant women and families
with young children about their potential . .
eligibility for the Special Supplemental Nutntwn
Program for Women, Infants, and Children
(WIC) benefits? Are systems in place to ~efer
potentially eligible women to WIC, especrally
during early months of pregnancy? Do commu­nity
groups participate in these activities?
0 Do day care providers in your community take
advantage of the Child and Adult Care Food
Program to provide nutritious meals and snacks
to the children and adults in their care?
6
Give Us Your Feedback:
Please tell us what you think about this tool
kit and share with us stories of your success.
Does it meet your needs? Can we improve it?
What would you like to see that isn't here? In
particular, we would like to gather practical ex­amples
of communities that make the kinds of
efforts identified in this tool kit. Send your
comments and stories to:
Food Security Tool Kit
Office of Analysis, Nutrition, and Evaluation
Food and Nutrition Service, USDA
31 0 1 Park Center Drive
Alexandria, VA 22302
toolkit@fns. usda.gov
The National Nutrition Safety Net
Food Stamp Program
The Food Stamp Program is the first line of
defense against hunger for millions of families
throughout the Nation. Eligible participants
receive benefits to purchase food at authorized
food stores and farmers markets. Restaurants and
group feeding sites can be authorized to accept food
stamps for meals provided to the homeless, elderly,
and people with disabilities. Eligibility and benefits
are based largely on household size, income, and
assets.
Over half of all participants are children, one out
of six is elderly, and a third live in households with
at least one person who works. Although the Food
Stamp Program is designed to help anyone with
little income and few resources purchase a nutri­tious
diet, le~s than 65 percent of those eligible
actually receive food stamps. Only one-third of
eligible seniors and less than one-half of households
with earnings participate.
Food stamps help those in need improve their
nutrition and health. For children, a better diet
means better learning in school. For adults, it
means better performance on the job, or a better '
foundation for developing the job skills that can
give them and their families independence. For
seniors, it means access to a balanced diet vital to
t~eir nutritional well-being. For everyone, participa­tiOn
.c~n help stretch limited budgets, improve
nutnt10n, and reduce the risk of diet-related health
problems.
Community Involvement
0 Does your community have active programs of
public education and assistance to inform people
m need about their potential eligibility for food
stamps?
0 Has your .community established public-private
partnerships to support public information
education, and enrollment assistance? '
0 Is there a widely publicized toll-free number
~hat peo~le in need can call for local food stamp
mformat10n and assistance?
Food Stamp Program
Active community involvement is crucial to
identifying, informing, and reaching out to
people who may need and qualify for food
stamp assistance. Many people eligible for
!benefits never receive them. Some may not be
aware of their potential eligibility and the help
that food stamps can provide. Some may not
know how to apply or may find the application
process too difficult. Some may find it difficult
to get to an office, especially when the office
is not nearby. Some may be stigmatized by the
mistaken impression that nutrition assistance
is the same as welfare. Active community
involvement in public information and
assistance can help overcome these barriers.
Local Office Functions
0 Does the food stamp office provide evening and
weekend hours to accommodate the needs of
clients ~ho may be working, job hunting, or
have child care problems during normal office
hours?
0 Does the food stamp office "outstation" workers
at locations that accommodate the elderly,
h?mebound, people with disabilities, and rural
clients?
7
0 Does the local food stamp office accommodate
the needs of clients when scheduling
appointments, promptly reschedule missed
appointments, and accept "walk-in" applicants
on an emergency basis?
Flexible office hours, locations, and scheduling
policies are a basic characteristic of high-quality
customer service. Although not required by
current regulations, these services enhance
client access. Clients can find it difficult and
costly to take time off from work. Impaired
mobility is often a problem for the elderly and
people with disabilities. Day care schedules can
often constrain working parents.
0 Does the local food stamp office actively seek
feedback on customer satisfaction with the
services it provides?
The best way to find out if the services provided
meet customer needs is to ask. Local food
stamp offices should provide a means for
measuring customer satisfaction in order to
foster high-quality service.
Enrollment Assistance
0 Does the food stamp office provide
applications for food stamps on iilJ·11l!ilJ·I
request?
0 Does the food stamp office always
inform clients that they can apply iilJ·11l!ilJ•j
for benefits immediately by signing
an application?
0 Does the food stamp office determine
quickl?' if appl~cants are eligible for lll!iiiP!!lJ~·1"1l~hl"'j ,!!llj
expedited service?
0 Does the food stamp office provide a user­friendly
checklist of documentation needed to
complete an application?
8
0 How fast does the food stamp office process
applications?
Food stamp offices must provide applications
on request, in person, or by mail. Offices should
make applications and program-related
materials available in appropriate languages
other than English. Community groups can
distribute food stamp applications outside of the
office. Clients are entitled to file an application
the same day they request one, an important
right because benefits are retroactive to the
date of application. Local offices must reach a
decision on each application within 30 days.
Some households with very low income and
limited resources may qualify for expedited
benefits within 7 days. However, most applica­tions
can be processed much more quickly.
0 Does your community offer food stamp
application assistance services?
0 Does your community have pre-screening
services available to help clients determine
potential eligibility?
Many people who need food stamps are
discouraged or overwhelmed by the application
process. They may lack transportation,
telephones, copying machines, and child care.
They may lack adequate life skills such as the
ability to read, follow directions, or overcome
fears on their own. Some may be too ill to
complete the application process. Supportive
assistance from the community can help.
0 ~re clients ~learly ~nformed of their hN'MH
nght to a fair heanng?
If clients encounter unfair treatment or believe
their food stamp applications have not been
handled properly, they have the right to request
a fair hearing. Clients can contact the local food
stamp office in writing or verbally. The fair
hearing is conducted with an impartial official
who is required by law to review the facts of
every case in a fair and objective manner.
The National Nutrition Safety Net
Referrals
0 Does the food stamp office "outstation" case­workers
in other agencies and locations serving
the same population?
0 Does the food stamp office have agreements
and procedures in place with other agencies to
make referrals to appropriate services and
programs?
0 Does the food stamp office regularly inform fami­lies
with children that they may be automatically
eligible for free school meals and WIC benefits
and refer them to the appropriate office?
People in need seek out assistance in a variety of
locations: social security offices, food pantries,
meal programs, health clinics, elderly feeding
programs, and community centers. Appropriate
program referrals can help meet client needs as
effectively and conveniently as possible. For
example, children in families enrolled in the Food
Stamp Program may be automatically eligible for
free school meals. Similarly, pregnant women,
infants, and young children may be automati­cally
eligible for supplemental nutrition benefits
through the WIC Program. The food stamp office
can work actively with school and public health
officials to ensure that they share necessary
information across agencies to maximize use of
the nutrition assistance programs.
Managing the Transition From
Welfare to Work
0 Does the food stamp office routinely inform
people who leave welfare that they may still be
eligible for food stamps?
Proper nutrition and sufficient food are as
critical to the successful transition from welfare
to work as child care and health insurance.
The importance of nutrition support may not
diminish as families leave welfare for jobs. For
some, working full time throughout the year at
minimum wage is not enough to lift their
families out of poverty; they continue to need
Food Stamp Program
nutrition assistance. However, many families
leave welfare with the mistaken impression that
they are no longer eligible for food stamps once
they find work. The local food stamp office can
correct this misperception by informing families
of the possibility of continued eligibility.
Services to Immigrants
0 Does the local food stamp office provide
program information in appropriate languages
to immigrants and their children about their
potential eligibility for food stamps?
0 Does your State take advantage of the option to
provide food stamp benefits to immigrants with
State funds if they do not qualify for the Federal
program?
Many legal immigrants may be confused about
their eligibility for food stamp benefits. While
many are no longer eligible, some still are.
Children born in the United States to immigrant
parents are eligible for food stamps even if their
parents are not. Recent regulations issued by
the Federal Government ensure that immigrants'
participation in the Food Stamp Program (or
other nutrition assistance programs) will not
adversely affect their immigration status. States
may also exercise their option to offer supple­mental
nutrition assistance with State funding
for some immigrants who are no longer eligible
for participation in the Federal program.
Nutrition Education
0 Does your community have a nutrition education
program readily available to food stamp partici­pants?
Is it coordinated with other nutrition
education activities provided by WIC, USDA's
!Extension Service, and FNS' Team Nutrition?
Because there is a strong link between good
nutrition and good health, food stamp recipients
should receive guidance on how to stretch their
food dollars, make healthful food choices, and
prepare foods safely.
9
FOOD STAMP PROGRAM
WHAT YOU
CAN DO:
FNS CAN
HELP:
10
t Seek out local community, religious, and other organizations to form partner­ships
dedicated to improving program availability and service.
t Build partnerships with local and State food stamp offices to establish programs
of public information, outreach, and enrollment assistance.
t Build partnerships with civic leaders to raise awareness and understanding of
the importance of nutrition assistance programs to the health and well-being of
all individuals.
t More information about the Food Stamp Program is available at
wwwjhs. usda.gov(fsp.
t Policies announced in July 1999 will help ensure working families access to
food stamps by making it easier to own a car and still be eligible for food
stamps, simplifying reporting requirements, and creating a nationwide public
education campaign and toll-free hotline (1 -800-221-5689) to help people
find out if they are eligible {or food stamps.
t Informational posters, brochures, and flyers can be readily downloaded from
the FNS web site. Separate materials appropriate for the general public, the
working poor, seniors, and immigrants are available in both English and
Spanish. A CD-ROM containing the complete camera-ready printing files is
available to those able to print this material commercially. Look for the
materials at wwwjhs. usda.gov (fsp(fsp-outreachl .
t Prepanng Nutdtious Meals at Minimal Costs provides information for
educators and others to teach people on a tight budget how to prepare foods
for a healthful diet. The booklet contains two sample meal plans (two weekly
menus, 40 recipes, and two food lists), tips for nutritious meals at minimal
costs, and a resource list for additional information. You can download the
booklet in PDF format from the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion web
site (www.usda.gov/cnpp). For single copies, call202-418-2312.
t The Food and Nutrition Information Center home page is a great place to
start your search for nutrition information. It has many publications on
nutrition and provides an excellent jumping off point for other good sources of
nutrition information. Through a partnership with FNS, the Food and Nutrition
Information Center provides direct loans of materials to people working for
many USDA nutrition assistance programs. Check out its web site at
www. nal. usda.gov (/hie.
The National Nutrition Safety Net
National School Lunch Program
Each school day about 25 million children in
95,000 schools eat nutritious lunches provided
through the National School Lunch Program.
These lunches must meet the Dietary Guidelines
for Americans and other nutrition standards. To help
schools meet these requirements, USDA began its
Team Nutrition initiative. Team Nutrition helps
schools, parents, and the community improve meals
and promote the health and education of schoolchild­ren
nationwide. Nutritious school meals,
supplemented with nutrition education, can form life­long,
healthful eating habits.
More than half of the lunches served in the
National School Lunch Program are free or at
reduced price. USDA provides cash reimbursement
and commodity foods to help support nonprofit food
services in elementary and secondary schools and
residential child care institutions.
Community Involvement
0 Does your local school participate in the
National School Lunch Program?
While all public and
nonprofit private
schools may
participate in the
National School
Lunch Program, par­ticipation
is not
mandatory. Schools
that do not partici­pate
miss an
opportunity to
provide balanced,
nutritious meals to
students. Schools
that do participate receive Federal cash
reimbursements for all student meals served
regardless of the household's income.
0 Is the community actively involved in the
National School Lunch Program?
National School Lunch Program
Your local school may welcome active communi­ty
involvement in the lunch program to promote
healthful eating and nutrition education. This
could include a wide range of activities from
volunteering in the cafeteria and attending
special events (e.g., Grandparents Day) to simply
taking time to read lunch information sent home
by school staff. Community partners-including
businesses, organizations, farmers, and local
chefs-could provide classroom demonstrations,
support taste tests, or provide funds to support
nutrition activities.
0 Is the school lunch program used to help
engage students in learning about nutrition and
the importance of good nutrition in their own
lives?
Facilitating Program Participation
0 Does your school make sure that students
eligible for free meals get them by using direct
certification?
0 Has your school requested approval to use
simplified, alternative counting, and claiming ·
methods known as Provisions 2 and 3?
Program rules allow the direct certification of
students for free meals if they receive food
stamps or Temporary Assistance For Needy
Families (TANF) or participate in the Food
Distribution Program on Indian Reservations.
Direct certification requires the cooperation of
the school district, food stamp or TANF office,
and the State administering agency. Use of
direct certification relieves both the household
and school from application paperwork.
Under Provisions 2 and 3, schools provide free
meals to all students, regardless of household
income. These provisions have proven especially
useful in schools with high enrollments of low­income
families. A school is responsible for
funding meals served to students not eligible for
free or reduced-price benefits.
11
0 Does your school ensure the confi- I ij Jell! I ij j •j
dentiality of students receiving free
or reduced-price meals?
When serving meals, schools must maintain the
confidentiality of a student's meal benefit level.
Overtly identifying students eligible for free or
reduced-price meals may stigmatize some.
Students eligible for free or reduced-price meals
must not have their names published, posted, or
announced in any manner; be overtly identified
through the use of special tokens, tickets, or
any other means; be required to work for their
meal; be required to use a separate dining area,
go through a separate serving line, enter the
dining area through a separate entrance, or
consume their meals at a different time; or be
offered meal choices different from those offered
to children who pay the full price.
Eating Environment
0 Does your local school provide
an adequate amount of time for
students to eat?
0 Can students eat
their meals in a
clean and pleasant
environment?
Like adults, chil­dren
benefit more
if they can relax,
eat, and socialize
without feeling
rushed. Schools
should give stu­dents
enough time
for lunch.
0 Does your local school offer a variety of
healthful menu choices on the serving line and
in vending machines?
12
Today's students have diverse eating preferenc­es.
Choices of entrees, fruits, vegetables, breads,
and types of milk allow students to choose their
favorites while encouraging them to taste new
foods. Vending machines should also offer
students healthful foods. Low-nutrition snack
foods and beverages that compete with
nutritious school meals send students mixed
messages and discourage healthful eating.
Nutrition Education
0 Is your local school part of Team Nutrition?
Those schools that make a commitment to
provide healthful school meals may enroll in
Team Nutrition. Team Nutrition provides free
nutrition education, training, and technical
assistance materials to enrolled schools. Team
Nutrition seeks to improve the health and
education of children by creating public and
private partnerships that promote food choices
for a healthful diet through the media, schools,
families, and the community.
0 Does your local school provide nutrition
ed,ucation to students?
A successful nutrition education program
encourages teachers to collaborate with school
food service staff. Teachers can coordinate
classroom lessons with food served in the
cafeteria (e.g., determining the percentage of
calories obtained from fat in a given meal or
visually displaying the amount of sugar found
in certain foods and beverages).
After-School Snacks
0 Does your local school provide after-school
snacks to students?
Many schools now offer after-school
enrichment and recreation programs. Recent
legislation allows schools to receive Federal
cash reimbursement under the National School
Lunch Program for all snacks served that meet
program requirements. Healthful snacking
contributes to healthful eating patterns.
Nutritious snacks also help children learn the
importance of eating well every day.
The National Nutrition Safety Net
NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM
WHAT YOU
CAN DO:
FNS CAN
HELP:
t Discuss school meals with your child to obtain insight into the choices and
quality of the meals served.
t Visit your school cafeteria and get to know the staff. Let them know you value
their services and appreciate good nutrition for your child. If possible, eat lunch
at school with your child.
t Practice what you preach: serve nutritious meals at home.
t Participate in local school board and PTNPTO meetings and seek the
commitment of the superintendent, principal, and school board to improve
meal quality and provide a healthful eating environment.
t Build partnerships between school staff, local businesses, community leaders,
parents, and students to strengthen program service and nutrition education.
t Link agriculture to the classroom through a school garden project, farmers
market activity, or consumption of locally grown produce.
t More information about the National School Lunch Program is available at
wwwjhs. usda.govlcnd.
t Team Nutrition provides a wide range of nutrition education, training, and
technical assistance materials. Check out FNS' web site for resources on nutrition
education for children and their parents, school and community support for
healthful eating and physical activity, and training and technical assistance for
food service professionals (wwwjhs.usda.govltn/Resourceslindex.htm) .
t USDA developed the Food Guide Pyramid for Young Children to help improve
the diets of children ages two to six. The new pyramid is an adaptation that
simplifies the educational message and focuses on young children's food
preferences and nutrition requirements. lfpsfor Using the Food Guide
Pyramidfor Young Children is available on USDA's Center for Nutrition
Policy and Promotion web site (www. usda.govlcnpp).
t The Healthy School Meals Resource System is a searchable site providing
information to people working in child nutrition. Check out
www. nal. usda.gov:BOO 1.
t Food storage, handling, and cooking techniques for schools are outlined in
USDA's Serving It Sqfe handbook, designed to reduce the risk of foodborne
illness. Information on food safety is available at wwwjhs. usda.govltnl
Resources.
National School Lunch Program 13
School Breakfast Program
E very school day 7 million children in 70,000
schools start their day with a school breakfast.
Breakfast is especially important to ensure
that children start the day ready to learn.
Meals served in participating schools must meet the
Dietary Guidelines for Americans and other nutri­tion
standards.
Like the National School Lunch Program, the
School Breakfast Program provides cash reimburse­ment
to help support nonprofit food services in
elementary and secondary schools and residential
child care institutions. Any child at a participating
school may purchase a meal through the School
Breakfast Program, and low-income children may
qualify for free or reduced-price meals. On an aver­age
day only a quarter of the students eating a
meal provided under the National School Lunch
Program also eat a school breakfast.
Facilitating Program Participation
0 Does your local school offer breakfast?
All public and nonprofit private schools may
participate in the School Breakfast Program.
Nearly three-quarters of those that offer a lunch
also serve breakfast. Some States have passed
legislation that requires schools to offer break­fast.
Some States and private foundations have
provided additional funding for schools to estab­lish
a breakfast program.
0 Are your community leaders aware of the
importance of the School Breakfast Program?
A hungry child cannot learn and may also
disrupt the concentration of other students in
the classroom. School breakfasts provide chil­dren
with a nutritious meal to begin their day.
0 Is your school working to overcome barriers
that prevent schools from serving breakfast to
children?
14
You can overcome barriers such as a poor
school food service image, the perception that
school breakfast is only for low-income house­holds,
the difficulty of arranging bus schedules,
and lack of time. Some schools have overcome
these barriers by using student food preference
surveys, developing brochures or public service
announcements, using vendor carts or class­rooms
to serve and eat, and serving breakfast
before school or after school begins.
The National Nutrition Safety Net
SCHOOL BREAKFAST PROGRAM
WHAT YOU
CAN DO:
FNS CAN
HELP:
t Participate in local school board and PTNPTO meetings and discuss the
importance of the School Breakfast Program.
t Be a role model for children by eating a nutritious breakfast every day and
paying attention to what they eat.
t Discuss school meals with your children to obtain their insight on the choices
and quality of the meals served.
t More information about the School Breakfast Program is available at
wwwjhs. usda.govlcnd.
t Check out JfmeJor Brealfast on the FNS web site for information on the
importance of school breakfast and other useful resources
(wwwjhs. usda.gov/cnd/Brealfast).
t The 5-Star Child Nutrition Task Force in the Midwest Region has created a new
resource to help you promote a School Breakfast Program, School Brealfast
ToolkitJor First Class Learning. It is available from the National Food Service
Management Insititute at 1-800-321-3054 .
School Breakfast Program 15
Summer Food Service Program
The Summer Food Service Program provides
free, nutritious meals to .school-aged chil?ren
in low-income areas dunng school vacatwns.
Locally, approved sponsors operate the
program. They receive reimbursement for the meals
they serve and their operating costs. Sponsors may
be schools, units of local government, public or
nonprofit private residential summer camps, other
nonprofit private organizations, and colleges or
universities participating in the National Youth
Sports Program. Any child may receive a free meal
at an approved open site without the need to apply.
Program Access
0 Do summer feeding sites currently serve
low-income areas of your community? If not,
can your community identify areas where these
sites are needed?
A feeding site is the physical location where
sponsors serve summer meals. A site can be a
school, summer day camp, residential summer
camp, park, community center, housing project,
church, boys' and girls' clubs, YMCA, or
migrant center. Most sponsors open summer
feeding sites near a concentration of low-income
children. A potential sponsor can approach local
school districts to identify neighborhood schools
where more than 50 percent of the students are
eligible for free or reduced-price school lunches.
This information can help sponsors determine
where to focus their efforts.
0 Do feeding sites operate only during the
summer months?
Despite its name, the Summer Food Service
Program can operate year 'round in some places.
Where schools operate on a 12-month school
calendar, approved sites may serve meals at any
time during the year when some portion of the
student body is on a scheduled school break.
0 Does your local school district sponsor a
summer meal program at a neighborhood
school or at a nearby location?
16
Schools are desirable sponsors for two reasons.
They may have experience with the National
School Lunch Program, which has similar meal
requirements, and they may have local or central
kitchen facilities, trained food service staff, and
knowledge of sound nutrition principles.
0 Are summer meals available at local recreation
programs?
Many parks and recreation departments run
summer programs for children but do not
provide meal service. A school or other
organization could collaborate with one of
these departments to provide meals or open a
feeding site for the children enrolled in a
summer recreation program. Sites may have
difficulty attracting participants solely for a
meal, especially in rural areas where transporta­tion
may be problematic. Linking the summer
program with a recreation or enrichment
program can draw children and parents to the
program and facilitate participation.
0 Are organizations in small or rural communities
participating?
In some small and remote areas, it may be
difficult to gather a large enough group of
children to support a cost-effective meal
The National Nutrition Safety Net
program. Consequently, a community lacking
a high concentration of low-income children
might have a difficult time finding a sponsor
or a local site. Recently implemented policy
allows for mobile feeding sites in such rural
areas. Vehicles can dispense meals at qualified
sites along rural routes. In many rural areas, a
sponsor might have to deliver meals to multiple
feeding sites or provide transportation for
children in other programs to the summer
feeding site.
Nutrition Education
0 Do feeding sites offer high-quality, nutritious,
safe meals?
0 Do feeding sites offer nutrition education?
The nutritional well-being of children can be
influenced by both the amount and the quality
of the food they eat. Children are more likely to
eat foods that appeal to all their senses. They
are also more likely to eat foods that they know
will help give them energy to grow and be
healthy. The special circumstances in which
summer meals are served raise the importance
of attention to safe food handling, storage, and
preparation.
The summer program can also offer children
more than a nutritious, safe meal. It provides
an opportunity to teach children about healthful
eating and reinforce healthful food choices.
Quality meals and meaningful nutrition
education activities attract children and keep
them coming back.
Summer Food Service Program
Cooperative Partnerships
0 Do potential sponsors have access to meal
preparation facilities or meal service providers?
Some potential sponsors do not have kitchen
facilities to prepare meals. However, this need
not deter participation in the summer food
program. For example, sponsors can contract
with meal service providers to prepare and
deliver meals to their feeding sites. They can
also lease kitchen space from another organiza­tion
and prepare the meals themselves. Securing
cost-beneficial meal service for its participants
can be the determining factor in an organiza­tion's
decision to sponsor a feeding site.
0 Do smaller sponsors have collaborative
agreements with other agencies to strengthen
program and administrative efficiency?
Some smaller organizations may not have
sufficient resources to administer the program
on their own. These organizations can
collaborate to provide summer meal service.
For example, one organization might have
administrative experience and sufficient staff
but no food service experience or available
kitchen space. Another might have an available
site but insufficient personnel to operate the
site. A third might have unused kitchen space
and trained food service personnel but
insufficient numbers of participants to justify
running a meal service during the summer.
If these three agencies joined forces, they
could provide meal service to their clients in
a cost-effective manner.
17
SUMMER FOOD SERVICE PROGRAM
WHAT YOU
CAN DO:
FNS CAN
HELP:
18
t Contact your local school district to see if it participates in the summer food
program. If so, identify which neighborhoods are under-served. If not,
encourage it to participate in the program.
t Determine the number of schools in your community where at least half the
students enrolled are eligible for free and reduced-price school meals. Where
those schools don't offer the summer food program, identify agencies that can
offer this service.
t Contact State education agencies to encourage a Statewide campaign to promote
school participation in the summer food program.
t Encourage potential local sponsors to participate in the summer food program
and operate feeding sites in under-served areas.
t Encourage sponsors to reach out to families so that they know of the availability
of the Summer Food Service Program.
t In rural communities, identify ways to provide transportation for the children
from summer enrichment programs to a central feeding site or deliver meals to
multiple sites.
t Work or volunteer at a summer program site for the benefit of your community.
t More information on the Summer Food Service Program is available at
wwwjhs. usda.gov lend.
t The Summer Food Service Program can make a difference to children in your
community. A Guide to the Summer Food Service Program will show you how.
Check out wwwjhs.usda.govlcnd to see for yourself. You will also find a variety
of important tips to help make your Summer Food Service Program a success.
The National Nutrition Safety Net
Child and Adult Care Food Program
The Child and Adult Care Food Program
provides healthful meals and snacks for
children and adults enrolled in a variety of day
care settings. It reimburses participating day
care providers for serving meals that meet Federal
guidelines. This Federal meal program operates in
family or group day care homes, child care centers,
adult day care centers for elderly and impaired
adults, emergency shelters that provide meals to
homeless children, and after-school programs that
provide educational or enrichment activities.
The program improves the diets of children and
adults in day care settings and raises awareness of
good nutrition. Providers' participation in this
program can be an indicator of higher quality day
care. Meeting the minimum requirements (e.g.,
obtaining a license or alternate approval, serving
nutritionally balanced snacks and meals in
age-appropriate portions, adhering to strict meal
plans, maintaining accurate program records)
demonstrates administrative capability and
attention to detail sometimes lacking in unregulated
day care settings. Day care homes that participate
in this program are subject to regular in-home
monitoring. Providers receive training on nutrition­related
and administrative topics.
Program Access for Parents or
Caretakers of Children and
Dependent Adults
0 Is there an easy way for parents and caretakers
to learn the identity of homes and centers that
participate in this Federal meal program?
(Sources for this information include child care
resource and referral agencies, licensing units,
and State education agencies.)
0 Do child care resource and referral agencies
routinely tell parents and caretakers about day
care facilities that participate in this program?
0 Do local food stamp offices, WIC clinics, and
related health and social service agencies
provide information on the Child and Adult Care
Food Program to parents and caretakers who
need day care services?
Child and Adult Care Food Program
0 Are there any public service announcements on
local radio or TV or other advertisements about
the Child and Adult Care Food Program?
The availability of lists of participating homes
and centers and information on how the
program raises the quality of care can help
parents and caretakers assess their options
when considering day care services.
Program Access for After-School
Care Program
0 Are organizations offering after-school programs
aware that USDA will assist them in the financ­ing
of nutritious snacks?
Under this Federal program, institutions in
low-income locations can receive cash
reimbursement for nutritious snacks served to
children through age 18 if they participate in
an after-school education or enrichment
program. Programs that offer only competitive
sports are not eligible.
19
Program Access for Children
Living in Emergency Shelters
0 Are emergency shelters that provide meals to
homeless children participating in the Child and
Adult Care Food Program?
0 As a result of a new law that became effective
July 1 999, emergency shelters which serve
homeless children and their families can
participate in the Child and Adult Care Food
Program. Reimbursable meals and snacks may
be served to residential children age 12 years
and younger, migrant children age 15 and
younger, and children with disabilities,
regardless of their age.
20
Program Access for Day Care
Providers
0 Are day care centers operating in your commu­nity
aware of the services provided by the Child
and Adult Care Food Program?
0 In States that require licensing for family day
care providers, does the State licensing agency
tell applicants how to participate in this
program?
0 In States that do not require licensing for family
day care providers, is information readily
available from the State on how to obtain alter­nate
approval to participate in this program?
The National Nutrition Safety Net
(The State agency responsible for this program
is usually in the education or social services
department.)
Improving access to the Child and Adult Care
Food Program can expand the availability of
quality day care for working parents in your
community. Program participation sometimes
requires that day care homes and centers
acquire a formal license from the State or
county in which they are located. In some
States, a license is not required; instead,
unlicensed homes may acquire alternate
approval to participate, a process that usually
involves a home visit.
Role of Sponsors
0 Is there a sponsoring agency in your communi­ty
that administers this program for homes and
centers?
0 Are sponsoring agencies receiving referrals from
the State licensing agency and other child or
adult care referral sources?
0 Are sponsors actively recruiting day care homes
to participate in this program?
Family day care homes can only participate in
this Federal meal program under the administra­tion
of an approved sponsor. Day care centers
have the option of participating independently
or under the administrative authority of a
sponsor.
Sponsors make the Child and Adult Care Food
Program work. They monitor family child care
providers for compliance with program rules,
determine their total reimbursement for meals
served, submit monthly food reimbursement
claims for them, and provide nutrition training
and education. Because sponsors receive Federal
reimbursement for these expenses based on the
number of homes under their sponsorship, they
have a strong incentive to recruit new
providers. States also play a role in matching
Child and Adult Care Food Program
providers with sponsors. States with day care
licensing requirements may automatically
provide new providers with information about
the Child and Adult Care Food Program and
refer them to a sponsor in their area.
Effective Sponsors
0 Do sponsors have staff expertise and materials
available in foreign languages spoken in their
community?
0 Do sponsors support day care homes in rural
areas, low-income neighborhoods, housing
projects, and other historically under-served
locations in your community?
FNS provides extra funding for sponsors to
recruit family day care providers in rural and
low-income areas. FNS strongly promotes the
recruitment and participation of day care homes
in under-served and low-income locations.
Because many potential participants speak a
language other than English, sponsors can
increase the number of homes they administer
that serve diverse populations by hiring staff
who can speak, read, and write in the language
of their community's population.
0 Are sponsors and day care home
providers offering nutrition I jj Jell! I jj j •I
education for program participants?
Are sponsors offering menu planning
assistance to their providers?
0 Are sponsors conducting in-home monitoring?
Serving nutritious snacks and meals for children
and adults in the program is an easy way to
provide nutrition education. Learning that
healthful meals taste good can encourage both
children and adults to eat healthier, more
nutritious diets. This can be reinforced through
formal nutrition education, including lessons
about the food guide pyramid, shopping for and
preparing balanced menus, and the relationship
between nutrition and health.
21
CHILD AND ADULT CARE PROGRAM
WHAT YOU
CAN DO:
FNS CAN
HELP:
22
t Encourage your day care provider to participate in the Child and Adult Care
Food Program and urge other parents in your community to encourage their
providers.
t Encourage local social service agencies to sponsor day care homes or have their
day care facilities participate in this program.
t If your day care home provider or center already participates in this program,
encourage it to provide nutrition education as a regular part of its program.
t Determine if family emergency shelters in your community are participating in
the Child and Adult Care Food Program. If not, encourage them to find out about
this program.
t For more information about the Child and Adult Care Food Program, including
the name and location of the State agency that administers this program, see the
FNS web site wwwJns.usda.govlcnd/Care/Difault.htm.
The National Nutrition Safety Net
Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for
Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
WIC's goal is to improve the health of low­income
pregnant women, breastfeeding and
non-breastfeeding postpartum mothers,
infants, and children up to their fifth birth­days.
WIC provides supplemental foods, nutrition
education, breastfeeding promotion and support, and
referrals to health care and other social services.
Participants redeem vouchers at contracted retail
stores for specific foods that contain nutrients fre­quently
lacking in the diet of low-income mothers
and children.
WIC effectively improves the health and nutrition
of mothers, infants, and children. Women who
participate in WIC during pregnancy are more
likely to have infants with higher birth weights and
less sickness in the first weeks after birth than
low-income women who do not participate. WIC
children are more likely to receive needed health
services and experience overall improved nutrition,
health, and cognitive development.
Community Involvement
0 Does your community have active programs
of public information, enrollment assistance,
and service to low-income pregnant women and
families with children about their potential
eligibility for WIC benefits?
0 Are systems in place to refer potentially eligible
pregnant women to WIC during early months of
pregnancy?
0 Do physicians in your area know about WIC
and regularly refer their patients who are
pregnant to the program?
0 Do agencies in your community that serve
low-income populations regularly refer
potentially eligible participants to WIC?
0 Is there a widely publicized toll-free number
that people in need can call for WIC information
and assistance?
Active community involvement is critical to
identify, inform, and reach out to people who
may need and qualify for WIC benefits, especially
women in their early months of pregnancy.
Early prenatal care, including WIC, can improve
pregnancy outcomes. Some people may not be
aware of their potential eligibility and the help
that WIC can provide. Some may not know
how or where to apply. Active community
involvement in public information, enrollment
!assistance, and service can overcome these
barriers.
Local Office Functions
0 Does the WIC office accommodate the needs of
all clients by providing lunch time, evening, and
weekend hours?
0 Does the WIC office have satellite clinics for
enrolling participants and issuing benefits
several times a month in remote areas or areas
where participants receive other services in the
community (e.g., worksite child care, Head
Start, or health care centers)?
0 What accommodations are made for those
participants who are physically unable to appear
at a clinic?
Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WI C) 23
Flexible office hours, locations, and scheduling
policies are indicators of a high-quality WIC
program. WIC clinics should have procedures in
place to allow a proxy to attend a WIC appoint­ment
for a homebound or employed participant.
Some WIC clinics have even been able to make
home visits to people with disabilities.
Enrollment Assistance
0 Does the WIC office take advantage of available
medical information or provide the applicant
with a medical data referral form to streamline
the enrollment process?
0 Does the WIC office provide certification
materials upon request and inform applicants
ahead of time of what will be needed to
complete their certification?
0 Does the WIC office promptly certify participants
regardless of whether they call or walk in to
the clinic?
WIC offices should try to certify participants in
the most efficient and effective way possible.
This may mean sending out portions of the
certification paperwork to applicants so that
they can complete it ahead of time. WIC clinics
should try to make appointments for employed
participants at times that accommodate their
working hours. Using previously acquired
medical data can streamline the application
process. All WIC applicants must be certified or
notified of their ineligibility within 10 to 20
days. Ideally, applicants should be certified on
the day of their request.
Referrals
0 Does the WIC office regularly make I;IJ·111i;!j•j
referrals to other nutrition, health,
and social service programs?
0 Does the WIC office actively refer all
clients who don't have health .,i.~ IJ11•111"'1l""lj!""j••j
insurance to Medicaid or the State's
Child Health Insurance Program?
0 Does the WIC office screen immunization
records and refer clients who are not up to date
on their vaccinations?
0 Does the WIC office work with social services to
certify foster children who are less than 5 years
of age?
0 Does the WIC office work with homeless
shelters and food banks to inform homeless
women, infants, and children of their potential
eligibility for WIC?
0 Does the WIC office regularly screen
for drug and alcohol abuse and hJ·11lljlij•j
make referrals or provide information on
assistance for those in need?
Appropriate referrals can streamline the
application process and help people locate and
participate in all programs for which they are
eligible. Homeless people may not realize that
the WIC office can work around their lack of
access to an adequate water supply, refrigerator,
or cooking equipment. WIC offices can form
agreements with other health and human
service organizations to ensure they share the
information necessary to enable clients to apply
for all the health and nutrition programs for
which they are eligible.
24 The National Nutrition Safety Net
Service to Non-English Speaking
People and Migrants
0 Does the WIC office provide program
information in appropriate languages •(~!J1 1!111·1"1l!l!lllj!l!l!j• "j
to migrants and others who do not
speak English?
0 Does the WIC office inform participants that
receiving nutrition assistance through WIC does
not make an immigrant a public charge?
Some immigrants may be under the mistaken
impression that participation in WIC is the same
as welfare and could affect their application for
citizenship. Immigrants to the United States will
not be deported, denied entry to the country, or
denied permanent status due to the receipt of
WIC benefits. The local WIC office can also
inform migrant and immigrant women and
families with children of their possible eligibility ,
for WIC in languages they understand.
Nutrition Education
0 Does the local WIC office provide
effective nutrition education and
counseling to participants?
0 Does the WIC office work with other nutrition
education services, such as the university
extension office, to maximize opportunities
for providing information and education to
participants?
Because proper nutrition is important to
healthier babies and children, Federal rules
require WIC local agencies to hire trained
individuals to provide nutrition education and
counseling to participants.
Breastfeeding Promotion and Support
0 Does your community use the local WIC staff as
a resource for information on breastfeeding
promotion and support?
0 Does your community encourage new mothers
to breastfeed and support them if they return to
work or school?
Many people recognize the benefits of breast­feeding-
including faster recovery from
pregnancy and increased immunity passed from
mother to baby. But barriers can prevent some
women from breastfeeding. WIC participants
should receive counseling and information on
how to breastfeed and the benefits of doing so.
Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) 25
SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION PROGRAM FOR
WOMEN, INFANTS, AND CHILDREN (WIC)
WHAT YOU
CAN DO:
FNS CAN
HELP:
26
t Visit your local WIC office to learn more about their services and obtain
information to share in other areas of the community.
t Work with the management of the local WIC office to stress the importance of
access to WIC services through lunch, evening, and weekend hours.
t Encourage women to seek prenatal care and apply for WIC as soon as they are
aware of their pregnancies.
t Join a breastfeeding coalition or task force, such as La Leche League, to learn
about and help promote successful breastfeeding.
t Encourage designation of a breastfeeding and pumping room in your office
building to create a family-friendly workplace and foster better health for both
mother and child.
t More information on WIC is available at wwwflzs. usda.govlwic.
t Call your local FNS Regional Office for a camera-ready copy of How WIC Helps.
t Call Best Start at 1-800-277-4975 for information on breastfeeding promotion
and support.
The National Nutrition Safety Net
Food Distribution Program
on Indian Reservations
The Food Distribution Program on Indian
Reservations provides commodity foods to
low-income households living on Indian
reservations and to Native American families
living in designated areas near reservations. Many
Native Americans participate in this commodity
program as an alternative to the Food Stamp
Program. Locally, Indian tribal organizations
administer the program.
To participate, a household must have income and
assets within specified limits and live on or near an
Indian reservation. Participating households receive
a monthly food package either from a central
distribution site or by tailgate distribution from a
truck. Each household receives foods that are
wholesome, nutritious, and easy to use, including
meats, vegetables, fruits, dairy products, grains,
and cereals. Participants can select from about 60
food items.
Community Involvement
0 Does your community or tribal organization
participate in the food distribution program?
Active community involvement is critical to
educate tribal leaders about eligibility for the
food distribution program. Some tribal officials
may not know how to file an application to
enroll their tribe in the food distribution program.
0 If your Native American community is located
on or near a reservation that has a food
distribution program, do your local agencies
and coalitions publicly inform people that they
may be eligible to participate in the food
distribution program or alternate between the
food distribution program and Food Stamp
Program?
Some people in your community may not be
aware of their potential eligibility and the
nutritious food packages they can receive. Some
may not know where to go to apply. Some may
feel that receipt of commodities labels families
as welfare recipients rather than participants of
a nutrition assistance program.
Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations
0 Do members of your community know where
to go to apply for the food distribution program
or when the tribal organization distributes
commodities?
0 If your tribal organization participates, does
the distributing office accommodate the needs
of all people by providing adequate hours of
operation, flexible appointment scheduling,
delivery to the homebound and rural partici­pants,
or assistance with transportation to the
distribution site?
Tailgate distribution from a truck is a great way
to serve the homebound and outlying areas of
your reservation or nearby areas.
Enrollment Assistance
0 Does the distributing office provide lilJ·11l!ilJ•j
applications for the food distribution
program upon request?
0 Does the distributing office always ldJ-lll!ilJ•j
inform participants that they can
apply the same day they contact the
distributing office and that they may
be eligible for expedited service?
0 Doe~ ~he distributing office not.ify 1il Jell! Ii l j •I
participants that they may designate
an authorized representative?
27
Distributing agencies must provide applications
upon request. Clients are entitled to file an
application the same day they request one.
Distributing agencies must determine program
eligibility within 7 calendar days and expedited
service within 1 calendar day, excluding
weekends and holidays. Also, the head of the
household, spouse, or any other responsible
member of the household may designate an
authorized representative to act on behalf of the
household to apply for and obtain commodities.
Referrals
0 Does the distributing office have agreements
and effective procedures in place with other
agencies to refer eligible families to additional
services and programs?
0 Does the distributing office regularly inform
families with children that they may be
automatically eligible for free school meals and
WIC benefits and refer them to the appropriate
office?
28
People in need seek out assistance in a variety
of locations: food pantries, health clinics,
and community centers. Program referrals can
help meet all client needs as effectively and
conveniently as possible. For example, students
enrolled in the food distribution programs may
be automatically eligible for free school meals.
The food distribution office can work actively
with school and public health officials to ensure
that appropriate agencies share the necessary
information to maximize use of the nutrition
assistance programs.
Nutrition Education
0 Does your tribal community provide nutrition
education?
0 Does your tribal organization actively cooperate
with the Indian Health Service, the extension
service and other nutrition educators to improve
the effectiveness of nutrition education services?
To help recipients make the most nutritious use
of commodity foods, FNS makes important
nutrition and health information available to
recipients.
The National Nutrition Safety Net
FOOD DISTRIBUTION PROGRAM ON INDIAN RESERVATIONS
WHAT YOU
CAN DO:
FNS CAN
HELP:
t Encourage Indian tribal organizations and State welfare offices to establish
outreach programs and service areas.
t Discuss with tribal officials the importance of the food distribution program to
the health and well-being of the people in their communities.
t Encourage Indian tribal organizations to promote nutrition education to help
inform their members how they can alleviate diet-related health problems.
t More information about Food Distribution on Indian Reservations is available at
wwwfizs. usda.gov (/dd.
t FNS provides informa't ion about nutrition and suggestions for making the most
nutritious use of commodity foods, including tips on safe food storage and
sanitary food preparation methods as well as information on diet-related health
conditions and lifestyle issues relevant to Native Americans. We also have
published a recipe book, Quick & Easy Commodity RecipesJor the Food
DistnlJution Program on Indian Reservations. Call your FNS Regional office
for more information.
t Federal funding is also available to Indian Tribal Organizations and State
agencies specifically for nutrition education. Tribal organizations can use these
funds to provide individual nutrition counseling, conduct cooking demonstra­tions
with program commodities, and develop new recipes and other nutrition
education materials. Call your FNS Regional office for more information.
Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations 29
Nutrition Program for the Elderly
The Nutrition Program for the Elderly distributes
cash and commodity foods to States for meals
served in senior citizen centers or delivered by
Meals-On-Wheels programs. USDA provides
reimbursement for more than 20 million meals a
month.
Congregate and home-delivered meal programs
(including Meals-On-Wheels) are often very
attractive to the elderly. Although all people 60
years and older are eligible to receive meals from
these programs regardless of their income level,
priority is given to those in economic need. Those
who can are encouraged to pay for the meal.
People with disabilities who live in elderly housing
facilities, those who accompany elderly participants
to congregate feeding sites, and volunteers who
assist in the meal service may also receive meals
through this program.
30
Community Awareness
0 Are congregate feeding sites available to the
elderly in your community? Are there under­served
areas? Are there people on waiting lists?
0 Does your community offer a Meals-On-Wheels
program? How frequently does it provide meals
during the week? Does it provide meals on
weekends?
0 Does your community reach out to the elderly
in your community to promote congregate and
home-delivered meal programs?
0 Are there enough volunteers to adequately
serve people who use the elderly nutrition
program?
Sponsors who administer nutrition programs
provide high-quality, well-balanced hot meals to
senior citizens who might otherwise go hungry
or eat poorly.
The National Nutrition Safety Net
NUTRITION PROGRAM FOR THE ELDERLY
WHAT YOU
CAN DO:
t Contact your State commission or area agency on aging to obtain more
information about programs in your local community.
t Look into expanding your current elderly nutrition program or starting one.
Encourage people to volunteer with an elderly nutrition program.
t Volunteer to make home visits, deliver meals, and provide shopping assistance
to the elderly and homebound in your community.
Nutrition Program for the Elderly 31
The Emergency Food Assistance Program
(TEFAP)
The Emergency Food Assistance Program
(TEF AP) provides nutrition assistance to needy
Americans through the distribution of USDA
commodities. Under TEFAP, USDA provides
commodities to States for distribution to food banks,
food pantries, soup kitchens, and other charitable
organizations that prepare or distribute the food.
These organizations often receive food from private
donations as well. USDA also provides funding to
State and local agencies to administer TEF AP.
Recipient organizations may use the food to serve
prepared meals or distribute it to households for their
use. Available foods vary depending on market
conditions. 'JYpically, canned fruits and vegetables
and canned meats, peanut butter, and rice are
available. If there are not enough commodities for
Statewide distribution, States may rotate distribution
of some foods among counties so that there is an
equitable share among local organizations.
Community Involvement
0 Do local food banks, food pantries, and soup
kitchens take advantage of TEFAP resources?
0 Does your community provide information about
emergency food sources for people in need and
about their potential eligibility for nutrition
assistance?
0 Is there a toll-free telephone number for people in
need to call for information about emergency
food programs in your community?
0 Are emergency feeding sites located in easily
accessible locations? Do the hours of operation
reflect the needs of your community?
0 Are food banks and food pantries able to provide
nutrition assistance?
0 Do food banks, food pantries, and soup kitchens
in your community take advantage of gleaning
and other food recovery operations?
0 Do emergency feeding sites deliver to the
homebound, people with disabilities, or rural
clients?
32
0 Are there enough volunteers and adequate
equipment to serve people seeking nutrition
assistance in your community?
Emergency food resources provide a means for
families with low incomes to get through the
month. Food pantries, soup kitchens, and other
emergency meal providers offer important
support to people with needs not met by other
nutrition assistance programs. They should have
flexible hours of operation in locations that serve
the working poor, homebound, people with
disabilities, and rural clients.
0 Do food pantries and meal programs in your
community treat all people who come to them
with courtesy and respect?
The atmosphere created by volunteers and staff
is important to the program support of those in
need.
Referrals
0 Do sites in your community refer recipients to
other nutrition assistance programs?
People in need seek out assistance in a variety
of locations: food pantries, soup kitchens, health
clinics, and community centers. Appropriate
program referrals can help meet client needs
effectively and conveniently. Food distribution
sites can work actively with public health officials
and schools to ensure that agencies share
information to maximize use of the nutrition
assistance programs.
The National Nutrition Safety Net
THE EMERGENCY FOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
WHAT YOU
CAN DO:
t Talk with your State officials about the possibilities of expanding TEFAP in
your community.
t Partner with local officials to raise awareness and understanding of the
importance of nutrition assistance programs to the health and well-being of
your community members.
The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) 33
FNS Programs and Farmers Markets
L ow-income consumers, small farmers, and
communities all benefit from the availability
lof farmers markets. They are an enjoyable
way for consumers to buy fresh, nutritious
produce, for small farmers to have new outlets for
their fruits and vegetables, and for communities to
add to their economic base.
Community Involvement
0 Are farmers markets available in your
community?
Farmers markets have become a substantial
sales outlet for agricultural producers nation­wide.
Farmers markets can help support local
agriculture by giving farmers an outlet to sell
directly to consumers. They also can give
schools the opportunity to purchase fresh local
produce for their school meals. And they
promote expansion and diversification of family
farms by providing an outlet for fresh fruits
and vegetables. Farmers markets can also help
promote nutrition education, wholesome eating
habits, and better food preparation. Finally,
farmers markets bring customers into the
community, boosting the local economy.
Food Stamp Program
0 Are farmers markets in your community
authorized as food stamp retailers?
34
Whether a State issues food coupons or
electronic benefits, the Food Stamp Program
offers low-income consumers an opportunity
to buy a wide range of fresh produce that
otherwise would be unavailable to them.
WIC Farmers Market Nutrition
Program
0 Does your State participate in the WIC Farmers
Market Nutrition Program?
The WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program
provides fresh, nutritious produce to women,
infants, and children who are at risk for poor
nutrition. The Farmers Market Nutrition Program
gives WIC an opportunity to feature fresh fruits
and vegetables in nutrition education activities
to encourage participants to eat more of these
wholesome foods.
The National Nutrition Safety Net
FNS PROGRAMS AND FARMERS MARKETS
WHAT YOU
CAN DO:
t Find out if there are farmers markets in your area. Support their efforts with
your patronage.
t Contact your local FNS Field Office to find out how farmers markets or individual
farmers who sell produce through farmers markets can be authorized to accept
food stamps.
t Work with farmers markets and individuals to ensure acceptance of electronic
benefits at the markets.
'
t Find ways that the community can help start a Farmers Market Nutrition
Program.
t Search for alternate funding to expand the Farmers Market Nutrition Program.
FNS Programs and Farmers Markets 35
Other Nutrition Assistance Programs
The Special Milk Program furnishes milk to
all children in approved schools, camps, and
child care institutions that have no federally
sponsored meal programs. About 8,000 schools
and residential child care institutions, 1,400 camps,
and 500 non-residential child care institutions
participate in the program. USDA reimburses schools
and other providers for the milk they serve.
The Commodity Supplemental Food Program
distributes supplemental foods directly to women,
infants, children, and the elderly in 18 States and on
two Indian reservations. Food packages are tailored
to the specific nutritional needs of participants, and
include such foods as canned fruits and vegetables,
juices, meats, fish, peanut butter, cereal and grain
products, and dairy products. Infants can receive
formula and rice cereal. The program served more
than 375,000 in fiscal year 1998.
FNS provides nutrition assistance for disaster relief
to State agencies and organizations such as the Red
Cross and Salvation Army in such emergencies as
36
hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, and winter storms.
Depending on the nature and severity of the crisis,
USDA may provide commodity foods to shelters and
mass feeding sites, give food packages to families in
need, or provide them emergency food stamps.
USDA and its partners feed tens of thousands of
survivors of natural disasters every year.
FNS furnishes surplus commodities to charitable
institutions and summer camps at no cost.
A variety of nonprofit institutions that regularly
serve meals can participate: homes for the elderly,
hospitals that offer general and long-term health
care, soup kitchens, home-delivered meal programs,
and orphanages that do not participate in any of the
child nutrition programs.
The Nutrition Assistance Programs in Puerto
Rico, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth
of the Northern Marianas Islands provide cash
or food vouchers in place of food stamps and
commodities.
The National Nutrition Safety Net
Other Tools
A number of other resources can help promote
community food security. Here are just a few
that might be useful:
Guide to Measuring Household
Food Security
A reliable measure of the extent of hunger in a
community is essential to any commitment to
eliminating it. The Guide to Measun"ng
Household Food Secun"ty gives communities and
organizations a practical and powerful tool to
quantify the severity of food insecurity and hunger
households experience. By asking a representative
sample of households a core set of questions, com­munities
can compare their estimates of the local
prevalence of food insecurity and hunger to
national estimates prepared by USDA each year.
The Guide to Measun·ng Household Food Secun"ty
will be available on the web at
www. econ. ag.gov lbn·ifing{foodsecw:ity in early
2000.
Together We Can! A What, Why, and
How Handbook for Working To End
Hunger in Your Community
Together We Can is a what, why, and how
handbook to help end hunger in local communities.
This handbook offers step-by-step plans to combat
hunger for individuals, community organizations,
and experienced anti-hunger advocates. It outlines
volunteer opportunities within existing Federal
nutrition programs, provides action plans for
specific anti-hunger activities, and catalogs
resources available to fight hunger in communities,
States, and the Nation. Together We Can will be
available on the web at wwwjhs. usda.gov{fns in
early 2000.
Other Tools
The Nutrition Safety Net* At Work
for Families
The Nutn"tion Sqfety Net*At WorkJor Families is a
straightforward guide to Federal requirements for
processing applications and determining eligibility
for the Food Stamp Program. The guide includes
information on how States can work within the
existing law to simplify the application process and
reach out to low-income families with children.
It discusses requirements and options that apply
when families seek welfare, leave welfare, and
have no contact with the welfare system. The guide
also points the reader to various sources of funding
that States can use to pay for outreach, training,
and other activities to help bring their systems into
compliance with the law, while increasing nutrition
coverage for low-income families with children.
The Nutnlion Sqfety Net*At WorkJor Families is
available on the web at wwwjhs.usda.gov(/sp.
Look for the "Access Guide" in the Clinton Food
Stamp Initiative section.
Community Food Security Initiative
Action Plan
The USDA Community Food Security Initiative is
helping communities build their local food systems
to decrease hunger, improve nutrition, and help
families move from poverty to self-sufficiency.
The initiative is building vital links directly between
USDA and nonprofit groups, private businesses,
and ordinary citizens, as well as links among State,
local, and tribal governments-all with one goal in
mind: helping communities across America end
hunger. The action plan is available on the web at
www. reeusda.gov {food_secun"tylactplan. htm.
37
Community Food Security Assessment
Tool Kit
Researchers from around the country who attended
a USDA-sponsored Community Food Security
Assessment Conference in June 1999 are collaborat­ing
with staff from USDA's Economic Research
Service to develop a set of indicators and assess­ment
tools that communities can use to describe
and profile their local food security situation. This
tool kit will include materials for collecting new in­formation
from households, food stores, farmers,
and service providers and guidelines for compiling
and interpreting data collected by other government
agencies and private groups. The tool kit will be
available in summer 2000. For further information
contact the Food Assistance and Nutrition Research
Program office, 202-694-5408, or consult the food
assistance briefing room on the web at
www. econ. aggov lbridfng{foodasst.
38
Making Sense of the Census
The U.S. Bureau of the Census has developed a
web site to help communities access information it
has compiled on population trends. The Community
Profiles section is a great way to find information
about one's hometown or any other U.S. city,
county, or reservation. In particular, it offers a
quick way to find out about the number of people
living in poverty in a community. Other information
available through the site includes business and
economic data and special thematic maps that
graphically display population trends. The site
also has a basic search engine that allows searches
by key word. It is called the American FactFinder
and is available on the web at http:l{fac{finder.
census.gov (note there is no "www" in this
address).
The National Nutrition Safety Net
For More Information
U.S. Department of Agriculture:
Food and Nutrition Service
Northeast Regional Office
Mid-Atlantic Regional Office
Southeast Regional Office
Midwest Regional Office
Southwest Regional Office
Mountain Plains Regional Office
Western Regional Office
Food Stamp Hotline
Team Nutrition
Community Food Security Initiative
Cooperative State Research, Education
and Extension Service
Food Recovery and Gleaning Hotline
National Hunger Clearinghouse
Other Federal Resources:
Administration on Aging
American FactFinder
Children's Health Insurance Program
Congressional Hunger Center
Food Stamp Program:
617-565-63 70
609-259-5025
404-562-1800
312-353-6664
214-290-9800
303-844-0300
415-705-1310
1-800-221 -5689
wwwjhs. usda.gov(/ns
CN, ME, MA, NH, NY, RI, VT
DE, DC, MD, NJ, PA, PR, VA, VI, WV
AL,FL,GA,K~MS,NC,SC , TN
IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI
AR, LA, NM, OK, TX
CO, lA, KS, MO, NB, ND, SD, UT, WY
AK, AZ, CA, HI, ID,NV, OR, WA
wwwjhs. usda.govltn
202-720-5746 www.reeusda.gov{food_secun"ty{foodshp.htm
www. reeusda.gov
1-800-GLEAN IT wwwjhs. usda.gov(/ns
1-800-GLEAN IT www. worldhungeryear. orglnhc
1-800-677-1116 www. aoa. dhhs.gov
http:l{fac{/inder. census.gov
www. insurekidsnow.gov
202-54 7-7022 www. hungercenter. org
American Public Human Services Association 202-682-0100 www. aphsa. org
For More Information 39
School Meal Service:
American School Food Service Association 703-739-3900
National Food Service Management Institute 1-800-321-3054
Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for
Women, Infants and Children:
National Association of WIC Directors
Anti-Hunger Organizations:
Bread for the World
Food Research and Action Center
Share Our Strength
World Hunger Year
Breastfeeding Promotion:
Best Start
Community Food Security:
Community Food Security Coalition
202-232-5492
1-800-82-BREAD
202-986-2200
800-969-4 7,67
1-800-5HUNGRY
1-800-277-4975
USDA's Community Food Security Initiative 202-720-5 7 46
Food Banks, Food Recovery, and Gleaning:
Foodchain 1-800-845-3008
Second Harvest 312-263-2303
Society of St. Andrew 1-800-333-459 7
40
www. aifsa. org
www.olemiss.edu/depts/TJfsmi
www. wicdirectors. org
www. bread. org
wwwjTac. org
www.strength. org
www. worldhungeryear. org
wwwJoodsecudty. org
www. reeusda.gov(food_
secunly(foodshp.htm
wwwJoodchain.org
www.secondharvestorg
www.endhunger.org
The National Nutrition Safety Net