WHY

Almost one out of eight Americans are considered "food insecure." That does not mean they are starving but it does mean they often do not know where their next meal is coming from, they have to skip meals and can not afford to buy nutritious food. The recent jump in food prices has only made the situation much worse for millions of the poorest in our midst. What can we do to meet this crisis?

1. FOOD STAMPS: This program, which will be officially called SNAP (The Supplementary Nutrition Assistance Program) in October, is the first line of defense against hunger. More than 27 million people receive food stamps but the average benefit is only about $96 a month and more than a third of those eligible receive nothing. RECOMMENDATIONS: Improve the rate of participation to 75% in the next five years and increase the benefits by one-third.
   
   
2. SCHOOL MEALS: Government provides free books and transportation so that kids can get to school and learn. We know from numerous studies that nutrition aids cognition, which simply means kids need a nutritious breakfast and lunch in order to learn better. RECOMMENDATIONS: Provide free lunch and breakfast to all kids who are in a school that has more than 70% poor kids. This eliminates tons of paperwork and accounting, and those separate lunch lines that discourage kids from eating what they consider "poor food."
   
   
3. SUMMER MEALS: Summer is when kids are most hungry because the vast majority of them are not in school. The Summer Feeding Program reaches less than 20% of those eligible for school lunch. Four of the poorest states, Mississippi, Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma have the lowest rates, reaching only 6% to 8 %. RECOMENDATIONS: Increase outreach, reduce paperwork and pass state laws that mandate any school district with more than 50% of kids eligible for school meals to have a program. In states where there are extreme problems of distance, available sites or insurance problems, allow a pilot program to provide $100 a month per eligible child during the months of July and August. Test the program each year to see if it makes a difference in the children's nutrition and aptitude.
   
   
4. FOOD DESSERTS: There are a growing number of urban and rural areas where it is virtually impossible to buy fresh fruits and vegetables. These neighborhoods invariably have the highest rates of obesity and diabetes, and the highest prices for food. RECOMMENDATIONS: Secure government and private funding, and locations for farmers markets, youth markets, fresh produce pushcarts, community gardens, green bodega and grocery store programs, and community supported agriculture.
   
   
5. FARM TO FOODBANK PROGRAMS: Several states such as Ohio and Louisiana receive millions of dollars from their state governments for food banks to purchase fresh produce, dairy and meat from small and medium sized farmers that are then delivered to hundreds of food pantries, soup kitchens, and senior and child meal sites. This helps fight hunger and obesity, and supports farmers. RECOMMENDATIONS: All states that have a substantial number of farms should begin a campaign to pressure state legislatures to fund this program and have the feds match funding.
   
   
6. STATE FOOD TAXES: Fourteen states, including most of the poorest states, have a tax on food and several tax prescription medicines. These taxes especially hurt poor people by taking hundreds of dollars out of their pockets each year. RECOMMENDATIONS: Begin state campaigns to eliminate these taxes and find ways of raising the money to replace them that does not harm poor people.
   
   
7. THE EARNED INCOME TAX CREDIT (EITC): This program gives poor workers with children a refundable tax credit and single poor workers a much smaller one. This program provided almost $44 billion to some 23 million working families and individuals, and keeps more children out of poverty than any other. In addition, 24 states now have a state EITC that provides more than $2 billion to poor workers. RECOMENDATIONS: The federal EITC only gives the credit for two children. It should be given for each additional child. Workers who are responsibly supporting their children with child support should be given EITC that can only be used to pay child support. In addition, the states that do not have state EITCs should introduce them.
   
   
8. THE MINIMUM WAGE: Poverty is the root cause of hunger. If the Federal Minimum Wage had kept pace with inflation it would be in the range of $9.50 today. It has only been raised once in the past 10 years. Many of the poorest workers are not covered. State minimum wages cover some of these workers but several of the poorest states do not have a minimum wage (Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee) and others such as Kansas, Georgia and Wyoming have a level that is below the federal level. RECOMENDATIONS: Raise the Federal Minimum Wage to $9.50 an hour by 2111 and index it to inflation. Begin campaigns to enact state minimum wages in the states that do not have them.