Hunger/Food/Nutrition / Public News Service

Federal waivers allowed every K-12 student to receive free school meals for two years during the pandemic. (Dennis M. Swanson/Adobe Stock)

Thursday, February 2, 2023

WA Bill Provides Free School Meals, But Worker Shortage is Hurdle

A measure in the Washington State Legislature would provide free school meals to K-12 students, but nutrition service workers are worried they are …

Americans spend more than $1 billion per year to import organic food, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. (Adobe Stock)

Thursday, February 2, 2023

Organic Growers Support New USDA Fraud Rules

New U.S. Department of Agriculture rules will target fraud and increase oversight of the $64 billion-a-year organic food industry. In Iowa, the …

A survey found 62% of Nevadans surveyed had to skip a meal or cut portions during the past year. (Adobe Stock)

Wednesday, February 1, 2023

Survey Results Show State of Hunger in Northern NV

A recent survey offers insight into the challenges with hunger many Nevada families are facing on a daily basis. The "Feeding Our Community" survey …

The most recent Arkansas Food Desert Working Group report found the state has

Grocery Chain Mega-Merger Could Affect Rural Arkansas

The proposed merger between the grocery chains Albertsons and Kroger has antitrust laws in the spotlight, as the supermarket companies are already …

A three-pound sockeye salmon filet is now one of the options in the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations for the Lummi Nation. (O'Kelly Photography/Adobe Stock)

Monday, January 30, 2023

Locally Caught Salmon Provide Step Toward Food Independence for WA Tribe

Under a new project, locally sourced food is part of a food assistance program for members of the Lummi Tribe in northwest Washington. The Food …

Data shows an increase in development has resulted in 19 acres per day, or 7,000 acres per year of New England agricultural land being lost or threatened between 2001 and 2016, according to a report from the American Farmland Trust. (Adobe Stock)

Maine’s Small Farmers See Benefits from USDA Census

Maine's small farmers are encouraged to complete the latest U.S. Department of Agriculture census to ensure they have a voice in federal decisions …

94% of New Hampshire's more than 1,300 senior farmers do not have a young (under 45) farm operator working with them suggesting an uncertain future of many of these operations, according to American Farmland Trust. (Adobe Photo)

Monday, January 30, 2023

Granite State’s Small Farmers Reap Benefits from USDA Census

New Hampshire's small farmers are encouraged to complete the latest U.S. Department of Agriculture census to ensure they have a voice in federal …

The 2018-2023 Farm Bill is projected to cost around $428 billion, according to the estimates from the Congressional Budget Office. (Adobe Stock)

Push to Rebuild Regional Food Systems as 2023 Farm Bill Takes Shape

Next week, Ohio farmers and their advocates head to Washington, D.C., to push for shifting federal programs toward growing nutritious food, as …

The Jacobs and Cushman San Diego Food Bank distributes fresh produce in the rural area in the mountains near San Diego. (Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank)

$100K Grant Will Fund CA Food-Box Program to Fight Child Hunger

San Diego may seem like a wealthy area, but the mountain communities in the eastern part of the county still struggle with hunger and poverty. Now…

In the past year, consumers saw the biggest inflation hike in 40 years, which took a bite out of grocery budgets. (Adobe Stock)

SD Enters Debate Mode on Grocery Tax Repeal

A South Dakota legislative committee has begun discussions on a plan to repeal the state's grocery tax. It has been a politically divisive issue …

Volunteers pack boxes at Mountaineer Food Bank in Gassaway, West Virginia. (Mountaineer Food Bank/Facebook)<br />

DoorDash Partnership Brings Food to WV Families in Need

Mountaineer Food Bank is partnering with DoorDash to home-deliver groceries to Mercer County's neediest families. The pilot program is one of a …

According to data from UNC-Chapel Hill, more then 30% of kids living in Robeson County live in food-insecure homes.

NC Housing Authority Launches 'Pay What You Can' Mobile Food Bus

One North Carolina Housing Authority in Robeson County has plans to launch a mobile "pay-what-you-can" food bus loaded with fresh fruits, vegetables …

SNAP helps hundreds of thousands of Oregonians but excludes people with undocumented immigration statuses. (jetcityimage/Adobe Stock)

Bill Extends Food Aid to All Oregonians Regardless of Immigration Status

A big gap exists in who can receive food assistance in Oregon, and some lawmakers want to bridge the divide this session. Federal law excludes …

In 2021, the total cost of the U.S. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) was around $113 billion. The significant increase from the previous year's total of $79 billion was in large part the result of extra pandemic-related benefits. (Adobe Stock)

IA Lawmakers Propose Severe Restrictions for Food Assistance

A Republican-backed bill in the Iowa Legislature seeks to put strict new limits on which foods people could buy at the grocery store using public-assi…

Child poverty rates worsened nationwide in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, but improved slightly in New Mexico. (Rawpixel.com/AdobeStock)<br />

Report: NM Child Well-Being Fared Better Than Expected During Pandemic

New Mexico's Voices for Children has released its latest Kids Count Data Book - noting some quality-of-life improvements despite COVID, but also …

A Poor People's Campaign report examining the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic found the 300+ counties with the highest death rates have a poverty rate of 45%, which is 1.5 times higher than in counties with lower death rates. (PPC)

Advancing MLK’s Dream of Economic Justice in MA

Advocates for low-income workers in the Commonwealth said today is a reminder of the need to continue to advance Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream …

Taro plant leaves growing on a North Carolina Farm. (Utopian Seed Project)

As North Carolina Warms, One Farm Turns to a Tropical Crop: Taro

By Lina Tran for Grist.Broadcast version by Nadia Ramlagan for North Carolina News Service reporting for the Grist-Public News Service Collaboration …

The Utah Food Bank says updating its infrastructure will enhance its ability to establish a delivery baseline for the top 15

UT Food Bank Receives $100K for Culturally Responsive Foods

Utah Food Bank has received funding for distributing what it calls more "culturally responsive" foods. The $100,000 dollar grant from KeyBank will …

The California Food Assistance Program currently works alongside CalFresh to benefit many income-eligible people who hold green cards. (JetCityImage/Adobe Stock)<br />

CA Anti-Hunger Groups Slam Governor’s Proposed Budget

Groups that fight hunger say they're "deeply disappointed" in the new budget proposal released Tuesday by Gov. Gavin Newsom. Last year, the …

Advocates for Colorado's new Healthy School Meals for All program say it can help end lunch-line shaming currently experienced by many students from low-income families. (Adobe Stock)

Some Colorado School Districts on Fence about Free Meals

A new law going into effect this year provides money and other support to help Colorado school districts provide free meals to all students regardless…

Starting in 2023, the pay rate for tipped service workers in the Commonwealth will increase from $6.15 an hour to $6.75, while time-and-a-half pay on Sundays and holidays will be eliminated completely. (Adobe Stock)

MA Minimum Wage Hike Not Enough for Costly Housing Market

At least 25 states are raising their minimum wage in the new year - including Massachusetts, where the minimum wage increases to $15 per hour…

More than 444,000 Arkansans are not always sure where their next meal is coming from, according to Feeding America, and more than 138,000 of them are children. (Monkey Business/AdobeStock)">

Report: Group Works to Alleviate Arkansas Food Deserts

A recent report shows Arkansas has a "food desert" issue in urban and rural communities. Gov. Asa Hutchinson formed the Arkansas Gov.'s Food Desert …

60 days notice when the decision is made to terminate or allow the current public health emergency to expire. (Adobe Stock)">

Food Insecurity Looms Amid Inflation, End of COVID Era Supports

The issue of charity around meals is a common theme during the holidays, though this year the prospect of a sudden drop-off in federal benefits has …

In 2022 Ohio food banks distributed more than 242 million pounds of food and grocery items to residents in all 88 counties. (Adobe Stock)

More OH Families Max Credit Cards, Turn to Food Banks for Groceries

Winter utility bills, ongoing inflation and easing pandemic-related supports are putting pressure on Ohioans' household budgets. Food banks report …

To avoid waste and illness, people involved with distribution of food donations say it's best to give items that are not damaged and are in their original packaging. (Adobe Stock)

SD Food Shelf Shares Ways to Make Impactful Donations

This month, Congress gave final approval to a plan to further promote food donations and reduce waste. In South Dakota, a local food shelf says …

An estimated 52% of immigrant-owned businesses were started by people using their personal savings, according to the Immigration Research Library. (Adobe Stock)

A Taste of Home: How Ethnic Grocery Stores Create Community

Michelle Chen wrote the original version of this story for Yes! Magazine.Broadcast version by Mark Moran for California News Service reporting for …

In a 2018 ruling, a state District Court judge found New Mexico was failing to prepare students equally for college and a career, specifically citing a lack of sufficient education for Native Americans. (AdobeStock/mmg1design)

NM's Boost in Early Education Funds Included in Federal Omnibus Bill

New Mexico voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot question in November to spend more money on early childhood education and public schools, and now …

Central Washington University and its Wildcat Pantry are located in the small town of Ellensburg. (IanDewarPhotography/Adobe Stock)

WA University Student Pantry Confronts Root of Hunger on Campus

Hunger is pervasive on college campuses across the country, including in Washington, and a university in the state is one example of how students are …

In September 2022, SNAP benefits helped 156,000 Nebraskans with food security, up 1% from a year prior. (Adobe Stock)

Nebraskans Will Lose SNAP Benefits If Pandemic Eligibility "Sunsets"

Almost one in ten Nebraskans receives Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, formerly known as food stamps, but that could change …

When Congress elected to let the Child Tax Credit expire, child poverty rose by 40%, according to the Coalition on Human Needs. (Adobe Stock)

Utahns Call on Congress to Expand Child Tax Credit

Utahns are calling on Congress to expand the Child Tax Credit and say it should be a priority in a year-end tax package. The debate comes as …

Jon Kent (kneeling) and a cadre of volunteers are raising vegetables and feeding the community from their urban farm at Charlevoix and Lakeview streets in East Detroit. (Sanctuary Farms)

Young Farmers of Color: Feed Detroit, Fight Injustice, Protect Climate

By Britny Cordera for Yes! Magazine.Broadcast version by Mark Richardson for Michigan News Connection reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-…

When the 2023 legislative session convenes, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham says she'll push lawmakers to ensure all public school students get free school meals. (vejaa/AdobeStock)

Post-Pandemic, Hunger in NM Still a Critical Concern for Thousands

Holiday preparations are underway, and those who battle hunger in New Mexico are urging communities to remember their neighbors at a time when food …

A report headed to the Texas Legislature urges state lawmakers to expand

Report: Addressing Non-Medical Factors a Game-Changer for Texans

Investing in factors outside the doctor's office could improve Texans' health and save the state money, according to a report from a group appointed …

Supporters of providing free school meals to all students say it removes administrative and registration headaches for both schools and parents. (Adobe Stock)

Amid Rising Hunger, MN Sees Renewed Calls for Universal Lunches

On the heels of last week's news that Minnesota's budget surplus has grown larger, there are renewed calls to approve free school meals for all …

Direct payments under the 2021 Expanded Child Tax Credit program cut in half the number of American children living in poverty. (Wikimedia Commons)

Indiana Child Advocates Demand Action on Renewing Child Tax Credit

As Congress moves toward the mid-December deadline to pass a new budget, advocates are urging lawmakers to reinstate the Enhanced Child Tax Credit…

A new report says more than one million residents of the Los Angeles area experienced food insecurity at least once in 2021. (Liliya Trott/Adobe Stock)

L.A. County, Nonprofits Team Up to Tackle Food Insecurity

Before the pandemic, one in five people in Los Angeles County lacked consistent access to food - and in 2021, one in four low-income families …

FLOC was founded in 1968 to defend the rights and basic human dignity of farm workers regardless of immigration status. (Heather Craig / Adobe Stock)

FLOC Convention Resolves to Make Common Cause with Small Farmers

Leaders of the Farm Labor Organizing Committee want to change the narrative about agriculture in America. FLOC members who gathered in Toledo, Ohio…

Around 21 million American children receive free or reduced-price lunch at school, but only half of them receive free breakfast despite being eligible, according to New Hampshire Hunger Solutions. (Adobe Stock)

Advocates Say Loss of Federal Funds Means NH Kids Go Hungry

Advocates for children say up to 7,000 students in New Hampshire public schools are going hungry following the rejection of a federal program for low-…

Almost 60% of Black students and 50% of Latino students experience food insecurity, compared with 30% of their non-Hispanic white peers, according to a study by the Wisconsin HOPE Lab. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Ohio College Students Cope with Food Insecurity

By Jala Forest / Broadcast version by Nadia Ramlagan Reporting for the Kent State-Ohio News Connection Collaboration Nearly 40% of college students a…

The city-run Engagement Center is a low-barrier day facility, which serves a few hundred people each day from the nearby

Engagement Center Finding Success Near Boston’s Troubled 'Mass and Cass'

Boston's 'Mass and Cass' area, with its large homeless population and open-air drug market, remains a trouble spot for city officials, but staff at …

One in eight people in North Carolina faces hunger, according to Feeding America. (Adobe Stock)<br />

NC Food Justice Advocates, Faith Leaders ‘Come to the Table’ to Address Hunger

Food pantries run by rural churches are often a lifeline for older, retired residents or those living with a disability. Come to the Table is a …

More than 200 children participated in the annual Kids Cafe Thanksgiving meal at nine of Utah Food Bank's cafe sites. (Utah Food Bank)

Utah Food Bank Braces for Challenging Holiday Season

The Utah Food Bank is responding to what it calls record levels of need for food assistance across the state. Lingering economic effects of COVID-19 …

More than 37 million Americans (about 1 in 10 people) live with diabetes, according to the CDC. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Affordable Insulin, Better Clinic Experience Could Improve Diabetes Care

November is National Diabetes Month, and one in five people in Appalachian Ohio lives with diabetes. Despite increasing prevalence, providers in …

Every year, about 53,000 Washingtonians are diagnosed with diabetes. (Photographee.eu/Adobe Stock)

Diabetes Month: Disease A Challenge for Millions in US

November is national diabetes month, spotlighting a disease that affects millions of Americans. In Washington state, more than 580,000 people have …

One in eight individuals in Wyoming, and one in six children, do not know where their next meal will come from. (Adobe Stock)

Food Bank Ramps Up Thanksgiving Food Assistance

Turkeys and other holiday standards are still available for struggling families through food pantries, senior centers, school districts and other …

Western Nebraska is home to food deserts, where there is no easy way to get good, healthy food regularly, which disproportionately impact seniors in rural areas. (Adobe Stock)

Reimagining Ways to Get Struggling Nebraska Families Back on Track

With a new legislative session on the horizon and new legislators after the November elections, the Coalition for a Strong Nebraska is bringing …

Minnesota leaders say they received strong demand for new grants that help food shelves stock on up culturally preferred foods in BIPOC communities. They say they might have to increase the budget in the next cycle. (Adobe Stock)

MN Ramps Up Support for Food Shelves Short on Culturally Relevant Supplies

Amid a wave of higher demand at food shelves, some locations in greater Minnesota are also trying to meet the needs of increasingly diverse …

A farmers market is a few miles from Beavercreek in Oregon City. (alisonhancock/Adobe Stock)

OR Counselor Helps Ensure Students Don't Go Hungry

An Oregon school counselor is helping families get the food they need, so students can be ready to learn. Laura Minato, a counselor at Beavercreek …

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