heartland 2050 food insecurity
TRANSCRIPT
Childhood Food Insecurity: Close to
HomeRachel Olive, MSWExecutive Director
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Mission
• Hunger Free Heartland is an organization for change that builds collaborating partnerships to implement solutions to end childhood
food insecurity.
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Value PropositionWe are the champion leading change to eliminate childhood food security
• Educating the community• Building capacity
• Advocacy
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Hunger-Coping Behaviors: Scales
Hunger-Coping Trade-Offs
Having to choosing between paying for food and paying other household expenses in the last month
Financial Coping
Borrowing money, selling property, skipping bills, or modifying food spending in order to be able to pay for food
Rationing Coping
Hiding food, eating less food, eating only after children, avoiding providing food for guests, and gorging when food is available
Three main groups, or scales, or hunger-coping behaviors were established:
Hunger-Coping Behaviors: Results
Hunger-Coping Trade-Offs
“…choose between paying for food and
paying for utilities…”(44%)
“…choose between paying for food and paying for
medicine…”(35%)
Financial Coping
Strategies
“…bought the cheapest food available…” (73%)
“…Asked friends and family for food or money
for food…” (49%)
Rationing Coping
Strategies
“…eaten as much as possible when food is available…” (61%)
“…eaten meals or snacks only after children finished…” (53%)
There is Hope: We can Eliminate Childhood
Food Insecurity
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Gundersen, October 2012
Research said investing in these 5 areas could lead to a significantly improved outcome:
SBP& School
Breakfast & Lunch
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program (SNAP)
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InputAnnual
Food Insecurity Metric Factors Outside our control
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5 Areas
reduced food
insecurity
What is happening in Omaha?
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OMAHA PLAN
Initiative led by ConAgrawith the goal to reduce childhood food insecurity in Omaha by 10% between the years of 2014-2016.
Five areas proven to reduce food insecurity were decided to be the focus through various programs
1. SNAP2. National School Lunch3. Food Banks4. Low Food Prices5. Financial Management
Skills
• Five local organizations commit to being a part of the Omaha Plan
• Gretchen Swanson Center for Nutrition was responsible for conducting research and compiling data
• Hunger Free Heartland serves as the role of a backbone organization for the initiative.
Child Hunger Ends Here
OMAHA PLAN
Child Hunger Ends Here
19.7% children under 18 in poverty
71.8% children under 6 with all available parents working
22.9% parents of children participating in SNAP
38.6% children in Medicaid or CHIP
43.3% children eligible for free and reduced school meals
Douglas County, Nebraska
“Kids Count” data from Voices for Children - 2014
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Douglas County Health Department has been implementing Healthy Neighborhood Food Stores throughout the Omaha metro. At these stores, they are educating and encouraging those with SNAP benefits on how to buy and afford healthier food options.
Creighton Financial Hope Collaborative teaches clients financial skills that increase their chances of getting out
of poverty and becoming more food secure. Topics include: budgeting; debt consolidation; level payment
plans for utilities; and much more.
Omaha Public Schools has been making efforts to encourage schools across the district to participate in alternative breakfast models. Statistics show that many students do not receive breakfast at home, and avoid eating at school due to the stigmatization they receive. By providing alternative breakfast options, students receive a meal and perform better in the classroom.
The Hunger Collaborative is composed of three different pantries that offer services to clients as
well as food. The three pantries are Heartland Hope Mission, Together Inc., and Heart Ministry
Center.
Food Bank for the Heartland is the main sponsor for child food programs such as: Summer Meals Feeding Sites; After School At-Risk Meals; and the Back Pack
Program. The Food Bank also oversees the statewide SNAP outreach efforts and is the main distributor of
food to the Hunger Collaborative pantries.
OMAHA PLAN – Partners & Strategies
Successes Because of Collective Funding
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Omaha Public Schools
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Schools that received monetary incentive for introducing alternative breakfast
models into their school used those funds to purchase
classroom materials such
as books, supplies,
technology
health materials such
as water bottles for
students and gym clothes
Gym equipment such as jump
ropes and basketballs
OMAHA PLAN
Hunger Collaborative
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Referral program that has shortened the feeding line
Hunger Collaborative and Food Bank for the Heartland joined to implement a program to increase nutrition education and signage within pantries for nutritious choices
Successfully campaigned for the 24th St. Bus routes, bus stops at the pantries
Two of the most successful Great American Milk Drives for the State of NE
OMAHA PLAN
Food Bank for the Heartland
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The approval rating has
increased almost 6% (was at 69%, now around 75%
and growing)
The Omaha Plan was able to fund a new staff member who has the responsibility of finding those clients and individuals who have not completed their SNAP application and helping in follow up to ensure completion
It has allowed them to look at more individual outcomes and
where the process was breaking down in SNAP
approval versus the final outcome
Has allowed collaboration with the state as well
OMAHA PLAN
Douglas County Health Department
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Increase in 23 square miles of access to healthy foods (food deserts getting smaller, which means the percent of people without access to food decreased)
Iowa State University Extension visited to learn more about the Healthy Neighborhood Stores Project.
OMAHA PLAN
Creighton Financial Hope Collaborative
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Was able to leverage other funding from resources to get an additional $40,000 from a partner, due to the successes
from the program
Clients/Participants have been getting promotions at work due to their financial skills, becoming less dependent on
food pantries/services
More banks/credit unions have been offering debt consolidation loans due to the efforts of the FHC
OMAHA PLAN
Hunger Free Heartland
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2015
Brought $19000 into Nebraska to build capacity and streamline marketing for summer meals
Collaborated with the Team Nutrition, Midwest Dairy Council, and Action for Healthy Kids to re-launch and re-frame the school breakfast challenge
Created and administered a service learning curriculum for College of St. Mary’s that educated students about childhood food insecurity and connected them to potential resources in the communityAssisted and co-facilitated the creation of best practices for clothing pantries.
OMAHA PLAN
Gretchen Swanson Center for Nutrition
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Publication of three articles related to the
research of the Omaha Plan
Greater understanding of Hunger Coping Mechanisms,
related to Food Insecurity
Completion of Year 1 and 2
Community Based Participatory
Research
OMAHA PLAN
Collaborating to Eliminate
• We know that there is a strong correlation to clients receiving more than one intervention and achieving financial sustainability.
• This means the only way to change the landscape of food insecurity and poverty is to work together.
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Thank You Any Questions?
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