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You
can help our clients! Contact your representative today!
Contacting your senators and representatives is a vital tool to
help The Food bank and its clients. New legislation regarding nutrition,
poverty and hunger is frequently on the ballot. Ozarks Food Harvest
participates in a state-wide Advocacy Day in Missouri’s capital
each March, joining other Missouri food banks and representative
from agencies in every county served by Ozarks Food Harvest. This
group of hunger-relief agencies visits with elected legislative
representatives about clients’ needs. Recent state legislation
includes approved Missouri House bill 453, which grants tax credits
to food pantry donors and failed House Bill 454, which would have
increased the minimum food stamps available to seniors.
As these examples show, state and national legislation has a real
impact on your local community. Being in continuous contact with
your representatives will ensure that your wishes are carried out
and that the needs of The Food Bank’s clients are represented.
Find
your Representative
Click here to find your Missouri representatives and senators.
Current
Legislation
The Farm Bill is important federal legislation authorized every
five years. The Farm Bill’s nutrition title, which accounts
for two thirds of total farm bill spending, significantly impacts
critical hunger-relief programs such as TEFAP, CSFP, and the Food
Stamp Program.
This bill is currently up for approval, and the proposed bill includes
more funding for the food stamp program and if passed will increase
the minimum benefit to food stamp recipients, exclude retirement
and education accounts as assets, allow participants to deduct the
full cost of dependent care and exclude special combat pay as income.
The proposed increase will also extend and fund TEFAP, providing
commodities and other assistance to states to help stock food banks
and homeless shelters. It will also extend the CSFP for seniors
and will expand the authority of the Senior Farmer’s Market
Nutrition Program, providing seniors with vouchers to buy fresh
produce at markets and roadside stands. An increase in funding for
the Department of Defense Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program that
provides fresh produce to schools is also included.
These are just a few examples of how this bill will help people
living in poverty live better.
TEFAP
(The Emergency Food Assistance Program)
TEFAP is a Federal program that helps provide supplement food to
people through food banks. The USDA buys the food, including processing
and packaging, and distributes it to States based on poverty and
unemployment rates. Income standards for receiving the food for
in-home consumption may be met through participation in other income
based Federal, State, or local welfare programs; however, recipients
of prepared meals are considered to be needy and are not subject
to a means test. States can adjust the income criteria in order
to ensure that assistance is provided only to those households most
in need.
CSFP
(Community Supplemental Food Program)
CSFP is a Federally funded program intended to improve the health
of low-income pregnant and breastfeeding women, other new mothers
up to one year postpartum, infants, children up to age six, and
elderly people at least 60 years of age. CSFP is administered by
the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), an agency of the USDA.
USDA makes purchased commodities available to CSFP State agencies
typically including departments of health, social services, education,
or agriculture. State agencies store the food and distribute it
to local agencies such as food banks.
CSFP food packages do not provide a complete diet, but rather are
good sources of the nutrients typically lacking in the diets of
the target population.
SFSP
(Summer Food Supplemental Program SFSP)
SFSP is the single largest Federal hunger relief resource available
and combines a feeding program with a summer activity program. During
the school year, nutritious meals are available through the National
School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs, but those programs end
when school ends for the summer.
The SFSP was created to ensure that children in lower-income areas
could continue to receive nutritious meals during long school vacations,
when they do not have access to school lunch or breakfast. Good
nutrition is essential for effective learning every day, all year
long. Just as learning does not end when school lets out, neither
does the need for good nutrition. Children who aren't hungry learn
better, act better, and feel better. The SFSP helps children get
the nutrition they need to learn, play, and grow throughout the
summer months when they are out of school.
SFP
(The Food Stamp Program)
SFP is the nation’s first line of defense against hunger.
It provides benefits for the purchase of nutritious food to qualified
low-income people and their families. The federal Food and Nutrition
Service is committed to informing all eligible people, particularly
seniors, legal immigrants and the working-poor, about the benefits
available through the Food Stamp Program.
• The SFP serves approximately 1 in 11 Americans every month
• The average time a food stamp recipient stays on the program
is nine months
• Twenty-nine percent of participating food stamp households
have earnings
• Only 65 percent of people eligible for food stamps participate
in the program
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