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Special
Edition
Hunger Action Month
September, 2013
Visit
our website at: www.ccj-mi.org
Call Toll
Free: 800-481-4989
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Hunger Action Month
The Center for Civil Justice is
joining Feeding America,
food banks and other anti-hunger organizations throughout the country
to recognize and support Hunger Action Month. During September
we're urging everyone to take action in their communities and create a
lasting impact to help end hunger in this country.
More than one in five children in the
U.S. face hunger according to a report from the United Stated
Department of Agriculture (USDA). New USDA data released
shows that people in more than one in eight households in Michigan
struggled with hunger in 2010 to 2012. It's time to take action.
Here are some suggestions on how to
support Hunger Action Month:
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Organize a food drive to
benefit a local food bank, food pantry, soup kitchen or shelter.
·
Take the SNAP Challenge and
find out what it's like to live on $4.50 worth of food a day.
·
Skip a fancy coffee for a
week and donate that money to an anti-hunger charity or food bank.
·
Educate yourself and your
family and friends about hunger in your community.
·
Volunteer your time at a
local food bank, food pantry, soup kitchen or shelter.
·
Post a blog about hunger
or write a letter to your editor.
·
Donate a grocery store
gift card to your local food bank.
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Get the word out about
CCJ's Helpline 1-800-481-4989 and our eligibility calculator at www.foodstamphelp.org.
Some of us here at the Center for
Civil Justice and at Legal Services of
Eastern Michigan are taking the SNAP Challenge in honor of Hunger
Action Month. We'll have stories about our experiences in our
regular September newsletter at the end of the month.
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13.4
Percent of People in Michigan Households Struggle with Hunger
In one in eight households in Michigan, people struggled
with hunger in the years 2010 to 2012, according to new data
released. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Economic
Research Service's annual report on food
insecurity stated that nationally, more than 48.9 million people
lived in households that were food insecure in 2012 - 14.1 percent of
all adults and 21.6 percent of all children lived in food insecure
households.
These new food insecurity numbers
come as Members of Congress are deciding on the Farm Bill and debating possible cuts to the
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food
stamps). The House majority leadership is looking into cutting
$40 billion in funding throwing millions of people out of the program.
"Given the level of food
insecurity that continues to persist in this state, Congress needs to
stop asking how much to cut from SNAP and other low-income programs and
start acting on what is going to help struggling families," said
Terri Stangl, director of the Center for Civil Justice. "Far
too many people in our state continue to struggle with hunger, and we
urge our Members of Congress to pass a Farm Bill that doesn't cut
SNAP."
Among the 13.4 percent of people
living in households in Michigan considered to be food insecure during
the 2010-2012 period, 5.3 percent were considered to be in households
with "very low food security." That means adults and children
experienced deeper hunger and actually had to cut back on food or skip
meals.
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Voters Support SNAP!
Many voters support the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
(SNAP, formerly food stamps). Recent polling by Hart
Research Associates for the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC)
shows that many Americans oppose cuts to SNAP and they believe the
government should do more to address hunger.
As mentioned
above, data shows that despite an improving economy, hunger and food
insecurity remain serious problems for many American families.
Despite concerns about federal spending, there is a strong and stable
consensus that cuts to the program are the wrong way to reduce
government spending. In fact, seven in 10 voters are against
it. In the poll, voters also said they prefer cutting subsidies
to farmers over cutting food assistance.
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How Much Do We Pay for SNAP?
How much would you be  willing to
spend to help a friend or neighbor who is hungry? A dollar a
week? A dollar a day? As Congress debates what to do with
the Farm Bill and some lawmakers complain about the government spending
too much money on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP),
we thought we would bring out some statistics and show you what you're
really spending on food for the poor.
Last summer, CBS.com
and the Examiner came up with some figures from the White
House's official website. They found that the food stamp program
only costs each of us an average of ten cents a day. That's being
calculated for a married person with one child who makes $50,000 a
year. The money comes from our taxes and is taken out of the
"Job and Family Security" category. That category costs
us $190.05 a year. Of that amount only $36.82 a year goes toward
food and nutrition assistance. And, the food and nutrition
assistance program doesn't just include SNAP, it also includes the
school lunch program and the special supplemental food program for
women, infants and children as well.
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Caring
Senior Citizens are Staying Away from SNAP and are Missing out on
Much-Needed Food.
Picture an older woman, she walks a
little slower, her eyes may not be as sharp as they used to be, her
husband's gone and now she's on her own. She could be your
neighbor, a friend or a relative. Like many seniors she
probably has barely enough money to pay her bills, but she won't ask
for help and she sure won't take any, especially if she thinks it'll
impact someone else in need.
"Fewer than 40 percent of
eligible seniors in 2010 applied for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program benefits (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps)," says the
Legal Director for the Food Research and Action Center, Ellen
Vollinger. "One of the misconceptions we hear commonly
from the elderly is that they feel they don't want to take away from
someone else." In reality, a person's participation in the
program doesn't reduce the benefits available to others.
Seniors aren't the only ones missing
out on help. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
says that nearly
51 million Americans in 2010 qualified for SNAP, but only 38
million received benefits - about a quarter of eligible people didn't
apply.
"Some people don't know they're
eligible, for others it's difficult to navigate the process, for others
it's the stigma," says Vollinger.
Seniors receiving Social Security
benefits may also be reluctant to sign up because their monthly
retirement benefits are counted as income, thereby reducing the amount
of SNAP/food stamps they would receive each month. FRAC officials
say people are less likely to apply for the program if their benefits
are low.
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Have any
Questions or Want to Explore a Topic?
CCJ is looking for your input. If you want
questions answered or if you want us to write about specific topics let
us know. CCJ's newsletter is your newsletter. Let us know
what you're interested in. Contact Kimberlee at: kcharchan@ccj-mi.org.
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One Person can Make a Difference.
Your
donation helps us in the fight against poverty.
For
more information about the
Center for Civil Justice please visit our
website:
click
here
Please continue to support our work by using the
"make a donation" button below.
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OUR HELPLINES
Statewide
Food and Nutrition Programs
1-800-481-4989
Genesee
County
-
Heathcare Eligibility Law Project
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Family Economic Security Project
1-810-244-8044
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"Justice is
Truth in Action" - Benjamin Disraeli
436
S. Saginaw
Flint, Michigan 48502
(810) 244-8044 Ext. 306
800-481-4989
Fax: (810) 244-5550
Contact: Kimberlee
kcharchan@ccj-mi.org
320 S. Washington
Saginaw, Michigan 48607
Fax:
(989) 755-3558
Contact: Marybeth
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