Arkansas is experiencing a “food desert” problem in urban and rural communities, according to recent reports.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson formed the Arkansas Food Desert Task Force and issued a report recommending actions to reduce food insecurity in Arkansas.
Kathy Webb, CEO of the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance and co-chair of the 18-member working group, said the food desert problem has been exacerbated in recent years by nationwide grocery store closures. , said some grocery stores were closed. Communities without access to fresh fruits and vegetables.
She said that the group’s initial thought was that the recommendations would be centered around legislative change, but they found that change was centered around community action, and that the legislature would be more connected and better. It is to play a role through policy.
“We talked to people across the country and got ideas on how to make a difference,” Webb said. “And in my opinion, it starts at the community level: community leaders, locally elected officials, legislative bodies.”
The working group will support state fiscal policy by setting local and state tax incentives, creating revolving loan programs, and subsidizing pilot programs in areas with little or no access to fresh produce. recommended adding support for food access to
She had a working group travel to neighboring Mississippi and Tennessee to examine different models and study how some of them could be adapted to meet the needs of Arkansas. A key finding of the report highlighted that more than 82% of Arkansas counties have one or more communities in need of improved access to food.
“This is 62 of the 75 counties, and in some of those areas, brick-and-mortar grocers probably aren’t the solution,” Webb admitted. “But there are other solutions, and we are making all the different possibilities available to people in the community.”
She also noted that another recommendation in the report is for state legislatures to improve and virtually make access to supplemental nutrition assistance programs and state food benefit programs for women, infants, and children programs. did.
“Some of it has to do with work at the federal level,” Webb stressed. “Currently, I can’t use his WIC online. I would like to see that change to buy things online. Smaller retailers can accept his SNAP benefits online.” I hope it will be.”
Webb recalled that the group met online with retailers in Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia. These retailers are embracing his SNAP for online purchases, making a real difference in rural communities.
She added that the Arkansas government’s Food Desert Working Group will begin a focus group in January to see what the community responds to and launch a community survey to match needs with potential solutions. I was.
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Wintertime utility bills, ongoing inflation, and easing of pandemic-related support are putting pressure on household budgets in Ohio. Food banks report struggling to meet demand. A state legislator recently contributed her $25 million to a year-end spending bill to address the ongoing food shortage.
The staff of Joree Novotny, director of foreign affairs at the Ohio Food Bank Association, said that in the second half of 2021, when households increased their monthly child tax credit payments, families with children in need would have more money. It said it confirmed the number had dropped significantly. When those payments stopped, demand skyrocketed.
She said that amid inflation and soaring gas prices, more families are using up their emergency savings and swiping their cards more often to meet basic needs.
“Throughout 2022, we found that need continued to grow month by month as people used up their savings and started using their credit card limits. You can see a lot of reports about it.
according to the latest data
Household debt increased more than 2% in the third quarter of 2022 to more than $16 trillion, according to the Center for Microeconomic Data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Jump in over 20 years.
Communities continue to donate food generously, Novotny said, but many pantries do not have enough cash to continue operations at the pace necessary to meet the needs of families in all 88 Ohio counties. have not been able to bring
“There is a daily cost to not only buy the food, but also put the very expensive diesel into the semi-gas and transport the food to the warehouse,” says Novotny.
Novotny said cash donations are the best way to help A food bank in your area if that’s what you want to do.
“We can give so much more than we can at the grocery store. I want to rely on the fact that I do,” she said.
Nearly 7% of all U.S. households reported using a food pantry, up from about 4% before the pandemic, according to the USDA.
Disclosure: The Ohio Food Bank Association contributes to our fund for reporting on budgetary policies and priorities, hunger/food/nutrition, affordable wages/working families, and poverty issues.For the public good. If you would like to help with the news, please click here.
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Charity issues around meals are a common theme of the holiday season, but a potential sudden drop in federal benefits this year worries hunger advocates.
The federal response to the pandemic has increased supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits, so anyone in the program received the largest benefit per household size. Current federal health emergency at some point next year Thousands of Marylanders will receive less food assistance as things are likely to end.
Increased benefits have been one of the enduring parts of federal stimulus since the pandemic began.
Michael J. Wilson, director of Maryland Hunger Solutions, said the state has seen significant economic benefits from the program.
“Over the course of the pandemic, more than $2 billion was spent in Maryland through the SNAP program,” Wilson noted. “And given the impact not only on low-income people, but on grocery stores, farmers markets and street corner stores, it permeates our entire economy.”
Maryland Hunger Solutions estimates that every dollar of SNAP benefits spent in the community generates $1.85 in local economic activity.
The SNAP program will be revised in the Farm Bill, which is approved every five years, and will be negotiated in Congress next year. Wilson sees the upcoming debate on the bill as an opportunity for supporters to educate legislators on food insecurity and equity issues.
One example he gives is how SNAP recipients can’t buy hot pizza or rotisserie chicken at the grocery store, but they can buy frozen ones. Wilson wants the policy to change because it doesn’t consider people in different situations.
“People say they may be elderly, disabled or homeless and need to buy frozen chicken, but rotisserie chicken is unaware of the changes that exist in society and the world. Department,” Wilson insisted.
In November, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated that in 2022, grocery store food price inflation will be at least 11%. The forecast predicts inflation will slow in 2023, but food prices are expected to rise another 3% next year, Wilson said. Those in need will continue to rely on a generous spirit.
“We want to make sure that philanthropic spirit doesn’t just stop at vacations,” Wilson said. Instead, focus on ways to address food insecurity in a sustainable way.
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This month, Congress finalized plans to encourage more food donations and reduce waste.
A local grocery store in South Dakota says individuals can do their part by following key tips before delivering merchandise.
Federal policy extends liability protections to businesses, farmers, restaurants and others who want to donate excess food but are concerned about the legal consequences if someone gets sick.
At the local level, those wishing to help are asked to keep a few things in mind.
Fresh produce is something everyone needs, but it can sometimes be a risky gamble for donations, said Mary Erickson, a staff member at Alcester Hudson Food Pantry in eastern South Dakota. Told.
“Fresh fruit and other items spoil quickly because you never know when they will arrive,” says Erickson. “So we make canned fruits and canned vegetables.”
The Fighting Hunger group says it depends on the scale of the activity, the type of system needed to keep things cool, and how often they serve clients.
Donors are encouraged to ask in advance if they are unsure of anything.
Erickson said monetary donations are also important. Because it helps cover the operating costs of the pantry.
Erickson says places like hers always allow non-food items.
“Personal items like shampoo, toilet paper are big things,” Erickson said. “Things you can’t buy on food stamps”
She refers to what is now called the SNAP benefit.
Federal efforts and local guidance have come amid concerns about rising trends in food insecurity.
A recent census found 12 million U.S. households with children reporting not getting enough to eat, compared with just under 10 million a year ago.
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