Letter from Congressman George Miller to You!

For months the Food Bank has been talking about the upcoming Child Nutrition Reauthorization. We are happy to tell you that some exciting developments have recently taken place. Our Congressman George Miller from Contra Costa and Solano counties is chair of the committee that will be leading the reauthorization of child nutrition programs and has written a letter to all of you about this exciting news! For more information about the Child Nutrition Reauthorization visit http://foodbankccs.org/give%20help/advocate/advocateCNR.html.

October 14, 2009

Dear Friend,

Thank you for your support of for the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano. Times are tough for many working families, and without your support the Food Bank would not be able to carry out the good work that they do.

Many of you have expressed your concerns about reauthorizing the child nutrition programs that are a safety net for families who are struggling to make ends meet and I have updates to share with you.

This week, Congress enacted a short term extension of those child nutrition programs while my committee continues our efforts to reauthorize the programs completely by the end of next year. We also made some key investments to meet critical child nutrition needs, at no new cost to taxpayers

We know that that hunger does not take a vacation during the summer so we've invested $85 million for pilot summer food service program projects that will help expand nutrition benefits for low-income children during the summer.

We've also provided support to help increase the number of children who are automatically enrolled for free school meals and grant funding for school food service equipment to help schools store and prepare healthy foods.

And we set aside $8 million for competitive grants so that child care facilities can improve the quality of meals and promote healthy eating habits.

Giving our most vulnerable children access to healthy, safe, nutritious - and affordable - meals is one of the most important things we can do to help them thrive in school and in life. Learn more about the investments in child nutrition, please visit edlabor.house.gov.

Sincerely,

George Miller
Member of Congress


If you or anyone you know is interested in learning about new and exciting anti-hunger advocacy work please let us know at lsherrill@foodbankccs.org.

Summer Lunch Celebrations

During the summer months, school is out, but the need for lunch is not. The Summer Lunch Celebrations, held by the Food Bank throughout the month of July, embodied this idea. The Food Bank partnered with UC Cooperative Extension, Contra Costa Health Services, and Vallejo and Mt. Diablo Unified School Districts to hold two events hosted by Wren Avenue Elementary in Concord and Norman King Community Center in Vallejo. Children of all ages were invited to participate in various activities, games, and giveaways related to healthy eating and physical activity. Over 200 children played a relay game, learned about healthy food and drink choices, and enjoyed a snack of peaches and plums in addition to their free lunch. For the parents, there was information about food stamps and other food assistance programs provided by the Food Bank.

Many children rely on free or reduced-price school lunches as their main or only source of nutritious, balanced food. During the summer months, some kids go without a healthy meal for this reason. To rectify this, the USDA created the Summer Food Service Program that provides free lunches to any child under the age of 18. Free lunches are offered at various community centers, schools, and parks in low-income neighborhoods. With the budget crisis and many schools closing, there are fewer locations that offer free meals. Thankfully, despite these setbacks, free lunches were served at over 100 sites throughout Contra Costa and Solano counties.
You can help improve access to nutrition programs for kids -- like the Summer Food Service Program. This Fall, Congress will be making decisions about the Summer Food Service Program, School Meals, Child and Adult Care Food Program, and more in the Child Nutrition Reauthorization. What can you do? Write your members of Congress and ask them to expand and improve current federal child nutrition programs. Visit www.foodbankccs.org for more information.

Budget Update: Dismantling the Safety Net

The budget deal between Governor Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders passed both the Senate and Assembly on Friday, July 24. CalWORKs and other health and human service programs suffered deep and harsh cuts while nothing was done to bring in new revenue and therefore spread the sacrifice. Additionally, the deal expands finger imaging to In-Home Support Services, meaning the elderly and disabled will be forced to provide a fingerprint in order to receive services.

Despite the claims of legislative leaders, there is little doubt that these cuts go a long way in dismantling California's safety net. While the shock of these cuts begins to sink in, it appears, but has not been confirmed, that the California Food Assistance Program and the Brown Bag Program survived without cuts - a silver lining to an otherwise dark cloud of a budget.

CalWORKs
The deal cuts $528 million from CalWORKs by decreasing benefits and increasing sanctions for families that fail to meet work requirements. The bill also reduces children's grants for the first time in the history of the CalWORKs program. These cuts will punish low-income families who cannot find work and therefore force these families to make difficult choices between food, rent, utilities and other basic needs.

Cost of Living Adjustments
This budget repeals SSP and CalWORKs COLAs along with COLAs for almost every area of the state budget except K-12 education and requires any new COLAs be approved by a two-thirds vote.

Click here for more details on the budget from the Western Center on Law and Poverty.

State Budget Advocacy Action Items

What do we do now that the budget has left the Conference Committee and is in the hands of the Big 5? To answer that question, following is a message from California Food Policy Advocates (CFAP).

Action Items! What YOU can do!

1. Thank the budget conference committee for their positive actions to
save CFAP and eliminate SFIS (finger imaging). To see who was on the
budget conference committee: http://bit.ly/131K4h

2. Join with others in actions calling for the closing corporate tax
loopholes! Follow this link for more info: http://bit.ly/12EaHD

3. Support legislation from Senator Padilla and Senator Steinberg to
raise tobacco taxes and levies on oil extraction. Follow this link for
more info: http://bit.ly/14duKz

4. Tell the Big Five that revenue solutions must be part of the final
budget!

Contact Info for the “Big Five”:

Governor Schwarzenegger: http://bit.ly/pQ65C

Assembly Speaker Karen Bass: http://bit.ly/12Tzlj

Assembly Minority Leader Sam Blakeslee: http://bit.ly/EzAYI

Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg: http://bit.ly/eYHlN

Senate Minority Leader Dennis Hollingsworth: http://bit.ly/eMeFi

Taken from the St. Anthony Foundation Blog.
http://www.stanthonysf.org/blog/?p=991

California Budget

"Day 13 of Conference Committee completed our initial actions on the budget relating to human services... But the conferees did reject the governor’s proposal to eliminate CalWORKS. That is a line that California cannot cross..."

Read more about the Conference Committee Actions on Human Services and Public Safety posted by Assemblymember Noreen Evans at Assemblymember Evans' Budget Blog.

Then send your letters to the budget committee and governor opposing a cuts only budget. Find a sample letter here.

You're invited!

What: The first HUNGER FIGHTERS Community Advocates Against Hunger meeting.

Why: Learn what it means to be a community advocate and about the legislation the Food Bank supports. This is your chance to ask us questions!

When and Where: June 10 at 5:30 at the Food Bank warehouse in Concord and June 11 at 5:30 at the Food Bank warehouse in Fairfield. Visit our website for directions.

More info or to RSVP (by June 5): Lisa Sherrill, lsherrill@foodbankccs.org or 925-771-1304.

2010 Federal Budget Resolution

This week the House of Representatives and the Senate will each be considering their respective versions of the FY2010 Budget Resolution. The Budget Resolution sets guidelines for total spending and revenue for FY2010 and subsequent years.

As the Congress prepares to reauthorize and strengthen child nutrition programs, it is important that the Budget Resolution include significant additional funding to strengthen the quality and efficiency of all child nutrition programs, increase participation, and fill the gaps in food service for millions of low-income children so that all children will have access to a safe, nutritious, and healthy diet.

How You Can Help
Right now, we need your assistance in helping to ensure passage of a Budget Resolution that includes significant investments in child nutrition programs. Please call your Senators and House Members by the end of the day Wednesday (April 1), and urge them to support a budget resolution that includes significant added investments in child nutrition programs. You can reach your Senators and House Members by calling the Capitol Switchboard at 202.224.3121.

Please keep us informed on your progress and results by leaving a comment below.

QUESTIONS? For more information about how you can help take action against hunger, please contact Lisa Sherrill at (800) 870-FOOD ext. 206 or lsherrill@foodbankccs.org.

Find your Federal representative by visiting www.house.gov.

I'm just a bill

Anti-hunger and nutrition advocates from across the nation arrived on Capitol Hill early last week to urge Congress to build upon President Obama's request for additional dollars for child nutrition programs. Barbara Stanley and Lisa Sherrill from the Food Bank (far right) joined advocates from the School Nutrition Association and met with Congressman Miller (back left) to urge him to improve and expand the vital nutrition safety net for low-income children and families. We also took the opportunity to thank the Congressman for the boost to Food Stamps and The Emergency Food Assistance Program within the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.





We are looking forward to working with Congressman Miller and his staff on the upcoming Child Nutrition Reauthorization. To learn more about this important piece of legislation, visit http://www.foodbankccs.org/give%20help/advocate/advocateCNR.html.

Massive Economic Recovery Plan

Stimulus bill to create nearly 400,000 jobs in California, White House says. (read more here: http://www.contracostatimes.com/localnews/ci_11693832?nclick_check=1) What do you think of the bill? Leave us a comment and let us know!