Update and Action Alert from AHNC: We're Thankful for Your Advocacy

Updates & Action Alert  We're Thankful for Your Advocacy! Farm Bill Update: Late last week, talks between the lead negotiators on the Farm Bill broke down. At the heart of the disagreement is division over both reforming the crop subsidies program and SNAP. The lead negotiators, (the Chairs and Ranking Members of both the Senate and House Agriculture Committees) are continuing their talks over conference calls this week while Congress is on Thanksgiving recess. When Congress reconvenes next week, there will be two short weeks for the Farm Bill Conference Committee to come to an agreement on a new five-year Farm Bill as Congress will break for the rest of the year after Dec. 13. If no agreement can be attained in that time, then both the Senate and the House will have to agree on a continuing resolution on the 2008 Farm Bill to reauthorize spending for all programs in the Farm Bill in the new year. The Farm Bill could also be picked up by the Budget Conference Committee, led by Senate and House Budget Chairs, Sen. Patty Murray and Rep. Paul Ryan, because the Farm Bill could be a source of savings in the federal budget. The bottom line remains simple: hungry Americans can't afford further cuts to SNAP in either a new Farm Bill or in the federal budget. SNAP cuts that took effect on Nov. 1 already mean that SNAP spending will be cut by $11 billion over the next three years. The cut to Washington's SNAP equates to the loss of 47 million meals over the next year alone. In  fact, on Tuesday, the White House spoke out against additional cuts to SNAP in the Farm Bill. Obama Administration representatives said that the cuts amount to a "fundamental difference in values" and commented on the injustice of discussing cutting SNAP at a time when families will gather together to celebrate around Thanksgiving dinner tables. Please continue your efforts to urge Rep. Suzan DelBene (Washington's representative on the Farm Bill Conference Committee), Sen. Patty Murray, and your member of Congress, asking them to pass a Farm Bill that meets the following criteria: brings SNAP and the programs in the Nutrition Title back up to a five year extension period and makes no additional cuts to SNAP! Take Action: Your SNAP Stories Help Us Protect SNAP Stories of the effects of the Nov. 1 cuts to SNAP and about the impact of the most harmful cuts to SNAP that are still under consideration by the Farm Bill Conference Committee are vital tools to help Rep. DelBene and our Congressional delegation oppose additional cuts to SNAP in the Farm Bill or in the budget. 1. Use this SNAP story collection tool  from our friends at Northwest Harvest to find SNAP client stories that will be particularly helpful for fighting harmful SNAP cut proposals. This tool provides descriptions of the kind of client profiles and questions to ask that will help us target the stories we send to Rep. DelBene to provide evidence of how additional SNAP cuts will hurt hungry families. It was designed based on requests for information from Rep. DelBene herself. Please send your stories to Christina. We'll send the stories to key Congressional members and some stories will be featured on AHNC's website to make it easier for organizations to tweet to their networks. 2. Join the White House in calling out the injustice of the SNAP cuts during Thanksgiving by writing a letter to the editor of your local paper. Letters should in general be around 200 words. Talking points include the following: Thanksgiving is a time when we celebrate all that we should be thankful for-shelter, family, food. Yet there are those in Congress who want to take more food away from families in need by cutting food stamps in the Farm Bill. SNAP has already been cut by $11 billion over the next three years due to the end of economic stimulus money to the program. That's money that isn't coming back and is already showing signs of harmful impact-lines at food bank doors are long. Food banks can't make up for the 47 million meals that will be missed in Washington next year due to the Nov. 1 cuts alone. We need a five year Farm Bill-one that reauthorizes SNAP and nutrition programs on the same five year timeline as the other Farm Bill programs and one that makes no additional cuts to SNAP. 3. Tell your story or reasons why we should protect SNAP, using one of these Thanksgiving or Hanukkah e-cards that can be sent to Congress or to the White House, courtesy of our friends at the Food Research Action Center. Announcing the AHNC 2014 State Legislative Agenda Thank you for taking part in our member survey to approve items for the AHNC 2014 Legislative Agenda! Here's what we'll be fighting for together during the upcoming regular session, scheduled to convene on Jan. 13, 2014.  Restore full funding for the State Food Assistance Program (SFA) Food stamps are our first line of defense against hunger. That's why we're continuing the campaign to restore this program that provides state funded food stamp benefits for legally residing, Washington immigrants who are ineligible for SNAP so that their benefits will be equal to what Washington households on Basic Food receive, just as the law creating SFA intended. Strengthen the Emergency Food Assistance Program (EFAP) Food banks have already been taking the hit, seeing longer lines of clients and deeper need for services during this sluggish economic recovery after the recession. The need will only deepen as clients face cuts to SNAP/Basic Food. We're asking the state to increase funding for food banks to help provide some back fill for these cuts to SNAP. Reinvest funding in the Farmers Market Nutrition Program for WIC and Seniors (FMNP) FMNP provides vouchers for low-income seniors and families on WIC to purchase fresh, locally sourced produce at farmers markets. Both of these programs are very popular yet funding has not kept up with demand. Increasing funding for these programs will enable DSHS and the Dept. of Health to provide more vouchers to clients. More vouchers will mean more nutritious food for those most in need of that support and more income to help our state's small farms. Revenue The most recent economic forecast shows some but very little growth in anticipated state revenue such that economists are saying that growth is essentially flat. We need additional, sustainable sources of revenue to fund the priorities that we've determined are necessary to move the needle on reducing hunger in Washington and to restore and strengthen other important programs and services that help low-income families meet their basic needs. We are thankful to every single one of you who voted in our member survey-you gave us 100% support to advocate for efforts to close outdated tax expenditures, increase transparency in the creation of tax expenditures, and find new, sustainable sources of revenue that increase fairness to our tax code. Be sure to mark your calendars for Hunger Action Day to join us in telling your legislators to support these programs that help fight hunger in Washington state! Our annual lobby day will be Feb. 7, 2014 at the United Churches in Olympia. Keep an eye out for an announcement in December to register for HAD 2014!     Follow us on

Meet Our Members: Thurston County Food Bank

By Stephanie Marin, Advocacy Assistant

Executive Director Robert Coit in the
Thurston County Food Bank Receiving Area

Food donations are sorted by type and
input in a custom database that helps
TCFB more accurately calculate the
dollar value of in-kind donations

Down in Olympia, Thurston County Food Bank (TCFB) under the direction of Robert Coit, continues to provide innovative services to meet the needs of their community.  The main food bank in downtown Olympia serves clients three days a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.  Satellite food pantries, however, allow the food bank to reach a wider variety of clients.  TCFB utilizes their network of volunteers to sort food and provides this food to their 17 satellite sites.  Not having to source food or volunteers makes it easier for these small food pantries to provide aid and gives Thurston County residents options to find food seven days a week.

Different Color Tickets Designate the
number of each type of food clients can pick up

Specialty Foods and Baby Care Shelf

If clients decide to go to the TCFB over one of the satellite locations, they are checked in and given tickets for each individual section based on family size.  Clients can also request separate tickets if someone in their family has a special dietary need such as sugar free or gluten free foods.  Staple items are separated onto three identical shelves.  This prevents overcrowding and makes sure everyone gets through the food bank in a timely fashion. 

Odd items and coveted items like coffee have a special place in the food bank in the “bonus” section.  This section is only for people who remember to bring their reusable shopping bags.  So far, the incentive has worked and saved the food bank time and money for plastic grocery bags!

The Repack Kitchen

TCFB relies on a variety of methods to keep their shelves stocked and minimize waste.  Due to the large contingency they serve, much of TCFB’s food comes from bulk purchases of staples such as cereal and canned goods.  Produce and other fresh foods are often donated from grocery stores and gleaning projects while food drives are relied on to provide variety in the type of food offered.  TCFB also works with restaurants and a local school district to recover unserved food in a program they call “restaurant rescue.”

This box machine allows TCFB to repackage
 Restaurant Rescue Meals in a snap!

  This food is taken from the restaurants and school district back to TCFB’s repack kitchen and boxed into family size servings for food bank clients.  The food bank also makes sure to take advantage of their influx of volunteers and squash this time of year by scooping, cutting, and otherwise prepping the winter squash to make it easier for clients to cook and eat.  This means more squash is taken and less becomes compost!

Presorted boxes of food for the ForKids Backpack Program

 On top of all this, TCFB provides 2000-3000 children food per week through their backpack program ForKids, has an in person assister for health care, and processes basic food applications!  Now in the middle of a capital campaign, they expect to expand square footage and services even more. A new warehouse off-site will free up some space inside the current building.  With this extra room, they hope to enhance client experience with a better waiting area and even more office spaces for services.  To learn more about Thurston County Food Bank, Please visit: http://thurstoncountyfoodbank.org/

Volunteers are well appreciated at TCFB!

Volunteers help sort food and organize the storage space

Cranberry sauce in time for Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving essentials bags prepped for satellite food pantries

Some of the produce offerings at TCFB

Food Lifeline Update: Local Budgets and Visiting Olympia

ADVOCACY UPDATE It's a busy time of year for Food Lifeline and the food banks and meal programs we support as we head into the busy holiday season. We're still busy fighting for funding for hunger relief programs and right now local city and county governments are finalizing their budgets for 2014. For Food Lifeline, the City of Seattle and King County are key partners in our efforts to relieve hunger. We've provided a quick update about their budgets and the important support they provide for the agencies and clients we serve. During the holiday season Food Lifeline partners with many local organizations to help raise food and funds during what can be a challenging time of year. In the coming weeks, stop by your local QFC where you can support Food Lifeline in a variety of ways through Bringing Hope to the Table. Sincerely, Gina Clark and Katharine Ryan Food Lifeline Public Policy Team  CITY OF SEATTLE AND KING COUNTY BUDGETS APPROVED  King County On November 13th, the King County Council adopted an $8.9 billion budget for 2014 including $718 million for the general fund. Out of the general fund, 4% will go towards public health and human services, including $1.3 million of one-time fundingto countywide regional services for domestic violence shelters and housing, among others. The total human services funding remained fairly level at $2.4 million, however, the budget included no new funding for food banks or other programs that would improve access to emergency food. In passing the budget, the council noted that many programs remain underfunded due to the lingering effects of the Great Recession. The slow recovery underscores the need for new sources of revenue to fully support those programs. City of Seattle The City of Seattle's $4.4 billion budget passed yesterday, November 25, includes a 3.4% general fund increase for a total of $1 billion. This budget is the first one since the start of the Great Recession in 2009 that maintained program funding, and in some cases increased funds. The Mayor's proposed budget includes investments in public safety,transportation and human services. The city's Food Action Plan strategy to provide "Healthy Food for All" will receive $136,000 to further advance the goals of the Healthy Food for All strategy. This strategy provides access to healthy local food for at least 1,250 children and older adults, and connects 30 senior and child care programs to local farms and locally grown produce. Additionally, $28,000 is provided for the Human Services Department to glean fresh fruits and vegetables to be distributed to Seattle food banks. These funds are in addition to the $200,000 in funding for the emergency food system and food banks in last year's 2013 fiscal budget and continues into next year. The Seattle city council is set to vote on the final budget at the end of November. CONNECTING WITH LAWMAKERS IN OLYMPIA Each November, prior to the start of the state legislative session, legislators meet for two days in Olympia. This provides an opportunity to ease back into legislative issues and to meet with lawmakers who can be difficult to connect with in the interim. Through several meetings Food Lifeline continued to talk with both Representative and Senators, Democrats and Republicans about the key state programs that help alleviate hunger in Washington. Want to come help us advocate for food bank funding and other key hunger relief programs? Hunger Action Day is scheduled for Friday February 7th - so save the date! More information to come. ON THE HORIZON A quick snapshot of upcoming hunger relief issues! Farm Bill Conference Committee continues to meet but is unlikely to meet theDecember 13 deadline  State Legislative Session starts January 13 Hunger in America 2014 Study results released in May Food Lifeline feeds hungry people. We stock the shelves and fill the tables of 275 food banks, meal programs and shelters throughout Western Washington.  Food Lifeline thanks MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, for supporting our advocacy program.

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Meet Our Members: Northwest Harvest-Central Washington, Yakima Warehouse

Northwest Harvest Staff and Board Members cutting
the ribbon to commemorate the newly expanded Yakima facility!

Expanded Cold Storage

By Stephanie Marin, Advocacy Assistant

Last Thursday, Northwest Harvest celebrated their newly expanded facility in Yakima with an open house and ribbon cutting ceremony.  They were lucky enough to obtain the warehouse space directly adjacent to their previous facility a few months ago.  This meant that they only had to punch a few holes in the walls to connect the spaces and could avoid the hassle of having to move food to a whole new location!

Expanded Dry Storage

The 9000 square feet of additional storage space almost doubled their previous space, giving them a total of 20,000 square feet in this facility.   With a 90% increase in food distribution since 2008, the extra breathing room is clearly appreciated by staff who struggled to maneuver around the previously packed warehouse.
This expansion will not only support the continued growth of Northwest Harvest, but also support the efficiency of their collections and distributions.  Staff hope that the expanded facility will allow them to take in more produce donations and do more sorting on site instead of transporting donations directly to the Kent Facility.  This is an exciting step for Northwest Harvest and Washington’s food distribution network!

Northwest Harvest Volunteers provide tremendous support to the organization!

Plenty of Room to Grow in the expanded facility

The sorting stations now have room to breathe!

This new entryway also houses offices that provide a
quiet space for employees to complete paperwork and warm up!

To learn more about Northwest Harvest, Please visit: http://www.northwestharvest.org/