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Middlesex County has among the highest food costs in Connecticut ($3.26 per meal) , with New Haven County having the highest (14.4%) food insecurity rate in the state.  In Connecticut Food Bank’s service area, 48 percent of the food insecure population does not qualify for food stamps or other federal food assistance program.  In Connecticut, the overall number is 57 percent, up 5 percent over last year’s data.   

Child Food Insecurity rate on rise

In Connecticut Food Bank’s service area, which includes Fairfield, Litchfield, Middlesex, New Haven, New London and Windham Counties, the child food insecurity rate is 19.2 percent, or 99,670 children. Connecticut’s county-level data of child food insecurity ranges from a low of 14.2 percent in Tolland County, to a high of 20.9 percent in Windham County.  The state’s overall rate is 157,550 children, or 19.8 percent.  Nationally, the child food insecurity rate is 22 percent.

“These numbers are no surprise to Connecticut Food Bank and our network of soup kitchens and pantries who continue to see an increase in demand for their services,” said Nancy L. Carrington, Connecticut Food Bank’s President and CEO.  “If food insecure people do not qualify for federal assistance, they often must rely on sources such as Connecticut Food Bank’s member programs to feed themselves and their families.  For example, of the 107,010 food-insecure residents of Fairfield County, 50 percent are ineligible for food stamps because they earn over the income limit to qualify.  This means that their primary source of emergency food is a local food pantry or soup kitchen.”

 View an online interactive map which provides data for each county.

Covenant Soup Kitchen & Pantry - May 28, 2013

It was a long drive to Covenant Soup Kitchen & Pantry on a record breaking 90 degree day. My GPS kept telling me to switch from one highway to another, and finally, turn onto a small street that led into the town of Willimantic. At first, I thought that the church with the crowd of people in the parking lot with shopping bags was the survey location, but I did not spot the bright neon yellow volunteer T-shirts anywhere and I saw the Connecticut Food Bank Mobile Pantry truck parked in the lot when I arrived. I approached a group of people who were chatting near some tables set up close to the truck. They were unaware of the survey, but directed me to the large gray stone church across the street. After trying the bright red front doors of the gray stone church, which didn’t budge, I walked around the back of the building and saw a small sign that signified the food pantry. Inside, Alex was starting to set up the tablets with a volunteer. One of his tablets was not working properly, so I set up both of the ones that I had with me. Immediately, two clients began to take the survey.

Many of the clients that we asked to do the survey that day agreed to do it, and even some who were not picked wanted to take the survey. We had to gently decline their offer and explain that the survey was set up to select a certain client number in order of appearance. The wait for the food was long. Clients sat patiently around the tables that were usually used for meals.  Some of the clients were Spanish speaking, and there were a few families and single men. One man who was helping to consolidate the free bakery products put out on the tables told us that this pantry gave out a lot of broccoli, which apparently he was not fond of, so he goes to another pantry for his food.  I can’t imagine being a picky eater and being food insecure.

Near the end of the two hours when the pantry was open, a tall, rail-thin figure appeared. The figure wore tight black nylon bicycle pants, slim bicycle shoes, and a matching black zip up nylon jacket. The most fascinating article of clothing, however, was the contoured black and gray bicycle headgear. It sported a double spot light in the front, with a rear-view mirror, and a large continuously flashing red light on the back. The helmet encased the head almost completely, the eyes were hidden behind large dirt stained goggles, and a few strands of stringy pepper and salt hair spilled down almost to the waist. At this point, I wondered whether this was a man or a woman. Once the helmet and the goggles came off, a clean shaven man’s face appeared, weather beaten, darkly tanned, and deeply lined. He was carrying several empty plastic bags and a large backpack. After agreeing to take the survey without hesitation, I led him to a tablet setup. When I told him that it was an anonymous survey, he said, “That’s good. I love when things are anonymous.” I suspect that this man may be a loner, someone who lives on his own and answers to no one. Perhaps he has little or no family. I imagined that he rides his bike all over town and through Connecticut’s back roads and forest paths, free from everyday concerns, at least for a while. After he took the survey, he disappeared in the food pantry area to get his food.

 A while later, he emerged from the pantry with several bags stuffed with groceries. I asked him if he was going to be able to carry all of that food on his bicycle and he assured me that he could.  This obviously was not the first time that he packed his bicycle with pantry food.

To read more blog entries from Patty, click here.

The following guest blog entry is by one of the client survey leaders, Patty, who works with volunteers to gather this important data onsite at some of our member food-assistance programs.   

Women’s Mentoring Network – May 23, 2013

I knew when I signed up for this food pantry, it was going to be a challenge to deal with the traffic on I-95, and so it was. I did leave very early, around 6:30 AM, so that I could be there on time when the pantry opened at 9:30. I arrived at 8:00 AM, after sitting in near bumper-to-bumper traffic from Bridgeport all the way to Stamford, so I took a walk around the neighborhood. When I first came to CT in 2000, my job was in Stamford, on Washington St. just around the corner from where WMN is located. So, I took a walk and was amazed at all of the changes in the neighborhood. The building where I worked is still there, but is now a medical complex. There are lots of luxury condos and apartment buildings along Washington Avenue that were non-existent when I was working there. Why, then, are so many in need, I wanted to know.

Stamford, like many other cities and towns in CT, has problems with unemployment as it turns out. WMN assists low-income women to develop employability and personal skills, aids in parenting skills, and teaches women how to take control of their lives and transitions women from government support to financial independence.  WMN also opens doors to education and workplace advancement.

Women’s Mentoring Network is run by a small, but dedicated group of women headed by Louise Moss. Louise quickly introduced me and my volunteer Kim to her staff at the tiny food pantry on the second floor. Louise then proudly pointed to several 8×10 collages lining the walls above the shelves of food in one room. The collages depicted each of the smiling clients with words of uplifting encouragement and pride pasted around their photos. Her words tumble out of her mouth with excitement and enthusiasm as she describes the mission of WMN and the work that they do. Louise told us that she left a well paying corporate job to dedicate her life to WMN. What a brave and interesting woman!

Once she gave us a tour, Louise found us two small tables that we could set up in the hallway for the surveys. She insisted on putting some bright table cloths on the tables though it was not necessary. I think that Louise does all that she can to make friends and clients feel comfortable. As we did our surveys, Louise directed clients to us and introduced us to them and to each other. Everyone was friendly and kind.

The clients used large bins to transport the bags of food down to the first floor each time a client picked up food.  If not for one of her friends coming by and insisting, Louise would not take time to have lunch. She is a busy bee, always making sure that all of her clients are attended to. What a role model for these women!

 To read more about Patty’s experiences when visiting local food assistance programs, click here.

Rev. Bonita Grubbs, Executive Director at Christian Community Action tells U.S. Senator Chris Murphy what clients on SNAP experience.

Connecticut Food Bank was the site of an enlightening roundtable discussion this morning about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps), hosted by U.S. Senator Chris Murphy.

Today is the last day of Senator Murphy’s SNAP Challenge, where he is trying to live on $4.80 a day for food, which is what the average SNAP recipient in the state receives.  Though he said he could never truly walk in shoes of someone who is not certain where their next meal is coming from, he shared how he budgeted his dollars each day to try to eat healthy, and cannot imagine trying to feed his two small boys on a food stamp budget.

Among the information shared at the roundtable:

• A young woman who is employed, but receives SNAP, said people who are in need, such as the elderly, may have trouble trying to navigate through the system and waiting in long lines for assistance.  She pointed out that she had trouble completing the complex 12-page application and sought help to finish the paperwork.
• Connecticut Food Bank stressed the fact that if the proposed government cuts were made to SNAP, the country would not be able to food bank its way out of the resulting crisis.
• Rev. Bonita Grubbs of Christian Community Action in New Haven agreed that charity cannot do it alone, and that while the economy may be improving overall, the number of people affected by poverty continues to escalate
• CitySeed spoke about the stigma that those who rely on SNAP to feed themselves and their families feel at grocery stores.

While there were many other issues discussed, we want to point out some cold hard facts about SNAP  from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities:

• 427,000 Connecticut residents receive SNAP
• Nearly 61 percent of all SNAP participants in Connecticut are families with children
• More than a third of all Connecticut SNAP recipients are in families with elderly or disabled members, and
• About 33 percent of all SNAP participants are in working families

SNAP recipients are in every community throughout the state.  We must do all we can to protect the safety net that helps our neighbors who are struggling with hunger.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which administers the Food Stamp Program, the average monthly benefit in Connecticut is $143.89 per family member, which is $4.80 per day or $1.60 per meal.  Nearly 61 percent of SNAP participants are in families with children, and more than 33 percent of SNAP participants are in families with elderly or disabled members. About 33 percent of SNAP participants are in working families.  

“427,000 people in Connecticut rely on SNAP benefits to feed themselves and their families,” said Murphy. “Spending some time living on this budget gives policymakers a firsthand look at the realities of maintaining a balanced and nutritious diet on an extremely limited budget. It’s not easy, but it’s important for people in Washington to understand what our constituents who rely on SNAP face every day. Some lawmakers have proposed steep, damaging cuts to SNAP as part of the Farm Bill here in Congress, and we owe it our constituents to face up to the reality of those cuts.”

You can track Senator Murphy’s meals and observations throughout the week via Twitter/ChrisMurphyCT and Facebook/ChrisMurphy/CT.  

 “These cuts to SNAP will take food from the refrigerators and kitchen tables of vulnerable low-income families struggling to get back on their feet in the wake of the recession, said Nancy L. Carrington, President & CEO, Connecticut Food Bank. “On behalf of Connecticut Food Bank and our network of food assistance agencies, I urge our Connecticut congressional delegation to oppose cuts to SNAP in the House Farm Bill and to work to restore the cuts on the House floor.”

Under the proposed cuts, two million people nationally will lose benefits entirely, 210,000 children will lose access to free school meals and another 850,000 households will see their benefits cut by an average of $90 per month. More than 400,000 people in Connecticut rely on SNAP to help feed themselves and their families.

Carrington said the cuts come on top of across-the-board cuts for all SNAP beneficiaries beginning in November that will lower benefits by about $25 for a family of three. “That may not seem like much to you or me, but for a family scraping by, it matters a lot. Pulling the rug out from under low-income families by cutting SNAP at a time when the need for food assistance has never been greater is unfair and short-sighted.

“Local charities are already stretched to the breaking point with trying to keep up with increased need as families in Connecticut continue to feel the impact of the recession. Every day Connecticut Food Bank sees the generous support of our volunteers and donors. But charity alone cannot meet the need. We also need a strong federal commitment to SNAP and other hunger relief programs.” 

Connecticut Food Bank serves approximately 300,000 people each year through a network of more than 650 food pantries, soup kitchens and other food assistance agencies.

Those served by the food assistance network include households who earn too much to qualify for assistance or those who have too much in assets for SNAP but who still struggle to feed their families. In addition, there are SNAP participants whose benefits are inadequate to get them through the month. SNAP benefits average less than $1.50 per person per meal and more than 90 percent of benefits are spent by day 21 of the month, leaving many families to turn to local charities to make ends meet. SNAP is targeted at our most vulnerable: 76 percent of SNAP households include a child, elderly person, or disabled person, and 91 percent of benefits go to households with gross income at or below 100 percent of the poverty line.

The House Agriculture Committee, will mark up its Farm Bill on May 15.  We expect the House to cut SNAP (formerly Food Stamps) by approximately $20 billion – which equals 8 billion meals  This is an additional $4 billion in cuts compared to last year’s version. Cuts to SNAP could be devastating to our clients and our ability to meet the need in Connecticut. We cannot let this happen without a fight.

If your representative is a member of the Agriculture Committee, they are in a position to stop these cuts from happening. To do that, they need to hear from you today, May 14, as it is an organized National Call in Day!

Here is what you need to do:

• Call this toll-free hotline at 866-527-1087. Listen to the pre-recorded message and enter your zip code when prompted.  You will be connected to your Representative.  
• Once you are connected, state that you are a constituent and give your name and the town you are calling from.   
• Let them know you are calling about the Farm Bill and deliver this important message:

As my representative in Congress, I urge you to vote for amendments to restore the SNAP cuts in the House Agriculture Committee’s Farm Bill and against the bill if those cuts are not restored.  The $20 billion cuts to SNAP are unconscionable and will put a tremendous strain the ability of food assistance programs to meet the need of families they serve.  Please don’t hurt struggling families who truly need help by taking food from their dinner tables.

• Spread the word by sharing with your local networks and on social media.

 With your help, we can influence the process and fight back against cuts to SNAP.  Thank you for your help!

Among the findings:

• Seven in 10 voters say that cutting food stamp funding is the wrong way to reduce government spending and nearly three in four (73 percent) voters believe the food stamp program is very or fairly important for the country.

• When voters learn that Congress is considering cutting billions of dollars from the food stamp program to reduce government spending, 70 percent say this is the wrong way to reduce spending—more than half (51 percent) feel strongly about this—while just 30 percent favor the cuts. Women oppose cuts by 73 percent.
• Voters in rural communities and small towns reject cuts decisively, by 68 percent to 32 percent.  Support for food stamps also crosses generational lines—67 percent of both young voters (under age 35) and seniors reject food stamp cuts.
• Rural and small town voters also are more likely to favor greater government spending to address hunger (39 percent) than less (31 percent), as are voters with children under 18 (48 percent to 23 percent).
• Republican support for cuts is modest at best: 37 percent of Republicans say that the federal government should spend less, while 63 percent of Republicans want to see current spending levels continue (34 percent) or increase (29 percent).  

“Any cut to SNAP means less food in the refrigerator for struggling seniors, families with children, veterans, people with disabilities, and unemployed people in Connecticut. Voters recognize the harsh impact of such cuts, and it is time for Congress to come to the same conclusion,” said Connecticut Food Bank President & CEO Nancy L. Carrington.

The poll of 850 registered voters was conducted online from April 29, to May 1, 2103, by Hart Research Associates on behalf of FRAC.  Read FRAC’s news release and the poll findings.

Held each year on the second Saturday in May, the event helps replenish food banks and pantries in more than 10,000 communities. Last year’s drive marked the ninth consecutive year that people donated more than 70 million pounds of food to the Stamp Out Hunger food drive.

“Connecticut Food Bank thanks the letter carriers for efforts to help us alleviate hunger in Connecticut,” said Nancy L. Carrington, Connecticut Food Bank’s President and CEO.  “This food drive is needed because more than half of the people in Connecticut who struggle with hunger do not qualify for federal assistance, such as food stamps. They rely on our network of food pantries and soup kitchens for help.”  

Participating letter carriers are sending post cards to residents along their postal route to encourage them to leave a sturdy bag containing non-perishable food items, such as canned soup, canned vegetables, canned fish or meats, pasta, peanut butter, rice or cereal next to their mailbox prior to the regular mail delivery time on Saturday, May 11.  The food donations are collected as letter carriers deliver the mail and are donated to a local agency or Connecticut Food Bank. The NALC is planning a kick-off ceremony on the New Haven Green, Friday, May 10, from noon to 2 p.m.

The need for food assistance continues to exist in every community in America, no matter how rich or poor. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, more than 50 million Americans are food insecure, meaning they live at risk of hunger. Perhaps most alarming is the fact that nearly 17 million children in America, are struggling with hunger.  In Connecticut there are nearly 500,000 who don’t always know where their next meal is coming from; 151,000 of them are children.

 For more information about the Stamp Out Hunger food drive in Connecticut, ask a letter carrier, contact a local post office, or visit http://www.helpstampouthunger.com/, www.facebook.com/StampOutHunger, or www.twitter.com/StampOutHunger.