Looks like only half of Burbank, who are eligible for food stamps, participate. Why is that? The why is exactly what my doctoral project was going to focus on. If you are eligible or think you are, please apply .. don't walk RUN and apply on the internet. If you're one of these people, I am here to give you that final push to overcome the barriers that keep you applying. [7109 Burbankers need food stamps but do not have them ... tsk, tsk].
In this blog, I will give you the history of food stamps and the importance of using them, along with why people shy away from them. Might take me a couple of days, but I will finish. Let me start here: Do you like to eat? Do you enjoy the roof over your head and the ability to pay your bills? Most people do, but because of inflation, doing all three is sometimes a struggle .... "because of inflation" which is not your fault, so why let the need for a way to eat better embarrass you. Get rid of that thinking right now. Getting a much needed assistance to buy good food should be something to celebrate and something to be grateful for. The US is the best country, so it shouldn't surprise that we have this wonderful program.
| Year | Flour (5 lbs) | Bread (lb) | Round steak (lb) | Bacon (lb) | Butter (lb) | Eggs (doz.) | Milk (1/2 gal.) | Oranges (doz.) | Potatoes (10 lbs) | Coffee (lb) | Sugar (5 lbs) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | $2.63 | $1.44 | $6.18 | $5.47 | n.a. | $2.09 | $3.50 | $1.19 | $6.46 | $4.91 | $3.30 |
| 2011 | $2.75 | $1.48 | $4.69 | $4.82 | $3.67 | $1.95 | $1.86 | $6.00 | $7.35 | $5.65 | $3.51 |
| 2010 | $2.36 | $1.41 | $4.41 | $4.77 | $3.63 | $1.47 | $1.66 | $6.00 | $5.79 | $4.16 | $3.11 |
| 1970 | 58.9 | 24.3 | $1.30 | 94.9 | 86.6 | 61.4 | 65.9 | 86.4 | 89.7 | 91.1 | 64.8 |
| 1965 | 58.1 | 20.9 | $1.08 | 81.3 | 75.4 | 52.7 | 52.6 | 77.8 | 93.7 | 83.3 | 59.0 |
| 1960 | 55.4 | 20.3 | $1.05 | 65.5 | 74.9 | 57.3 | 52.0 | 74.8 | 71.8 | 75.3 | 58.2 |
| 1955 | 53.8 | 17.7 | 90.3 | 65.9 | 70.9 | 60.6 | 46.2 | 52.8 | 56.4 | 93.0 | 52.1 |
| 1950 | 49.1 | 14.3 | 93.6 | 63.7 | 72.9 | 60.4 | 41.2 | 49.3 | 46.1 | 79.4 | 48.7 |
| 1945 | 32.1 | 8.8 | 40.6 | 41.1 | 50.7 | 58.1 | 31.2 | 48.5 | 49.3 | 30.5 | 33.4 |
| 1940 | 21.5 | 8.0 | 36.4 | 27.3 | 36.0 | 33.1 | 25.6 | 29.1 | 23.9 | 21.2 | 26.0 |
| 1935 | 25.3 | 8.3 | 36.0 | 41.3 | 36.0 | 37.6 | 23.4 | 22.0 | 19.1 | 25.7 | 28.2 |
| 1930 | 23.0 | 8.6 | 42.6 | 42.5 | 46.4 | 44.5 | 28.2 | 57.1 | 36.0 | 39.5 | 30.5 |
| 1925 | 30.5 | 9.3 | 36.2 | 47.1 | 55.2 | 55.4 | 27.8 | 57.1 | 36.0 | 50.4 | 35.0 |
| 1920 | 40.5 | 11.5 | 39.5 | 52.3 | 70.1 | 68.1 | 33.4 | 63.2 | 63.0 | 47.0 | 97.0 |
| 1915 | 21.0 | 7.0 | 23.0 | 26.9 | 35.8 | 34.1 | 17.6 | n.a. | 15.0 | 30.0 | 33.0 |
| 1910 | 18.0 | n.a. | 17.4 | 25.5 | 35.9 | 33.7 | 16.8 | n.a. | 17.0 | n.a. | 30.0 |
| 1905 | 16.0 | n.a. | 14.0 | 18.1 | 29.0 | 27.2 | 14.4 | n.a. | 17.0 | n.a. | 30.0 |
| 1900 | 12.5 | n.a. | 13.2 | 14.3 | 26.1 | 20.7 | 13.6 | n.a. | 14.0 | n.a. | 30.5 |
| 1895 | 12.0 | n.a. | 12.3 | 13.0 | 24.9 | 20.6 | 13.6 | n.a. | 14.0 | n.a. | 26.5 |
| 1890 | 14.5 | n.a. | 12.3 | 12.5 | 25.5 | 20.8 | 13.6 | n.a. | 16.0 | n.a. | 34.5 |
NOTE: n.a. = not available.
price listed is per gallon.
price listed is per pound.
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, Historical Statistics of the United States, Colonial Times to 1970, Bicentennial Edition, Part 2., Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2011; 2015.
Having the ability to eat good food & pay bills should not be a luxury, but inflation effects a lot of households; how can anyone keep up? When you eat good your outcome for good health increases; especially important for kids growing up. Why should healthy food cost so much?? It's really a crime.
Most colleges have access to food stamp application, especially UCLA, the students requested a sign-up office on campus. Glendale College has a food pantry. High prices and inflation coupled with greed has led to a homeless pandemic:
Seventeen percent of community college students experienced homelessness in the last year, according to a 2019 survey of close to 167,000 college students by The Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice in Philadelphia. Feb 21, 2020
... and the inability to purchase enough food after housing, tuition, and books with the college population. It's a systemic problem when there are homeless students and food poverty even on local UC campuses.
[https://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-blog/why-college-students-face-hunger]
Breadcrumb
Hunger Blog Why College Students Face Hunger
Why college students face hunger
August 20, 2021
by Olivia Thoelke
Many of us remember being “broke” college students with tight grocery budgets and knowledge of all the best student discounts. But for the 39 percent of U.S. undergrads who are low-income, affording food and housing is more than just living on a limited budget—it’s a huge challenge. With over 20 million college students in America alone, this means that millions of college students are at risk of facing hunger.
College students are trying to better their lives through education. But for students facing hunger, having to also deal with the tough decision of paying for tuition or groceries makes it even harder to balance work and school. Rising tuition and housing costs, financial independence, and accessibility to food are all reasons many college students are facing hunger.
What happens when college students can’t afford food
For low-income college students, hunger can have lasting physical and mental effects. These students frequently skip meals or going without food. Without enough food to fuel long days of classes and long nights of studying, students are more likely to have a lower grade point average than students who don’t have to worry about having enough food. Students facing hunger are also more likely to report their overall health as being “poor,” and struggle with depression.
Five reasons students on college campuses are struggling to afford food
1. Rising tuition costs. College is more expensive than ever. Adjusted for inflation, the cost of college increased by more than 25% in the last 10 years. Even though most students are working part-time or full-time jobs while in school, tuition and room & board have become too expensive for many students to pay for on their own.
2. College meal plans are expensive. The average college meal plan costs about $4,500 per year or $18.75 per day for a three-meal-a-day plan that covers the eight months or so of a typical academic year. Many colleges require students to have a meal plan if they plan to live on campus. That’s a lot to pay for when your financial resources are limited.
3. Even when you have a meal plan, food isn’t always available. When dining halls close, low-income students often struggle to find affordable food. According to a study from Harvard, many students can’t afford to go home or take the time off work during school breaks when the majority of college dining halls close. And college campuses often don’t have affordable options for groceries nearby, especially if students don’t have their own car.
4. The “traditional” college student is changing. Over the years, the proportion of “non-traditional” college students to “traditional” students has grown. This includes students who are financially independent, enrolled part-time in school while working full-time, or did not receive a traditional high school diploma. Students aren’t starting college right after high school, with the average age of college students being 26 - including people like Mary Ann (pictured above), who went back to school to brighten her family's future but needed some help from a college food pantry.
This changing face of the average college student brings new challenges. 1 in 5 students is caring for a child and many as single parents. Between rising tuition costs, parenting, and working full-time, making ends meet can be tough.
5. Colleges don’t know students are going hungry. Even though so many students struggle, many college administrators think of hunger on campus as an uncommon exception. Because low-income students often can’t afford meal plans (which on average run $4,500 per year,) administrators are mostly exposed to students who can afford to eat on campus.
Perks to using food stamps
Discounted Amazon Prime membership price
The ability to use your food stamps online at Amazon for delivery
You can use your card in self-checkout
You can use your extra money for rent and bills
Your health can get better
Your kids can do better in school with proper nutrition
Market Match [https://marketmatch.org/]
Market Match is California’s healthy food incentive program, which matches customers’ federal nutrition assistance benefits, like CalFresh and WIC, at farmers’ markets and other farm-direct sites. Market Match is available at over 240 sites, spanning 40 counties, that are run by nearly 60 community-based organizations and farmers’ market operators.
Burbank Certified Farmers' Market
150 N 3rd St
Burbank, CA 91502
Year Round
Saturday
8:00am - 12:30pm
Accepts
CalFresh, WIC & Senior FMNP
No. Hollywood
5331 Bakman Ave
Los Angeles, CA 91601
Year Round
Saturday
9:30am - 2:30pm
Accepts
CalFresh, WIC & Senior FMNP
Terminology
SNAP: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
CalFresh: The name for California's food stamp program [each state has their own name]
EBT: Electronic Benefit Transfer
The name of the plastic food stamp card: Golden State Advantage EBT card
President Johnson signing the Food Stamp Act of 1964.
1939 – The First Food Stamp Program
The idea for the first Food Stamp Program (FSP) is credited to various people, most notably Secretary of Agriculture Henry Wallace and the program's first Administrator Milo Perkins. The program operated by permitting people on relief to buy orange stamps equal to their normal food expenditures. For every $1 worth of orange stamps purchased, 50 cents worth of blue stamps were received. Orange stamps could be used to buy any food. Blue stamps could only be used to buy food determined by the Department to be surplus.
The first recipient was Mabel McFiggin of Rochester, New York on May 16, 1939. The first retailer to redeem the stamps was Joseph Mutolo, and the first retailer caught violating the program was Nick Salzano in October 1939. Over the course of nearly 4 years, the first FSP reached approximately 20 million people at one time or another in nearly half of the counties in the United States, peak participation was 4 million, at a total cost of $262 million. The program ended in the spring of 1943 "since the conditions that brought the program into being--unmarketable food surpluses and widespread unemployment--no longer existed."
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1964 – Food Stamp Act
On Jan. 31, 1964, President Johnson requested Congress to pass legislation making the FSP permanent. Secretary Orville Freeman had submitted proposed legislation to establish a permanent FSP on April 17, 1963. The bill that was eventually passed by Congress was introduced by Congresswoman Sullivan. Among the official purposes of the Food Stamp Act of 1964 (PL 88-525) were strengthening the agricultural economy and providing improved levels of nutrition among low-income households; however, the practical purpose was to bring the pilot FSP under Congressional control and to enact the regulations into law. The major provisions were:
Required a state plan of operation and development of eligibility standards by states;
Required that recipients purchase their food stamps, paying an amount commensurate with their normal expenditures for food and receiving an amount of food stamps representing an opportunity more nearly to obtain a low-cost nutritionally adequate diet;
Established eligibility for purchased with food stamps of all items intended for human consumption except alcoholic beverages and imported foods (the House version would have prohibited the purchase of soft drinks, luxury foods, and luxury frozen foods);
Prohibited against discrimination on bases of race, religious creed, national origin, or political beliefs;
Divided responsibilities between states (certification and issuance) and the federal government (funding of benefits and authorization of retailers and wholesalers), with shared responsibility for funding costs of administration; and
Appropriated for the first year funding limited to $75 million; $100 million for the second year; and$200 million for the third year.
The Department estimated that participation in a national FSP would eventually reach 4 million at a cost of $360 million annually.
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The Hunger Prevention Act of 1988
(PL 100-435) and the Mickey Leland Memorial Domestic Hunger Relief Act in 1990 (PL 101-624) foretold the improvements that would be coming. The 1988 and 1990 legislation accomplished the following:
Increased benefits by applying a multiplication factor to Thrifty Food Plan costs;
Made outreach an optional activity for states;
Excluded advance earned income tax credits as income;
Simplified procedures for calculating medical deductions;
Instituted periodic adjustments of the minimum benefit;
Authorized nutrition education grants;
Established severe penalties for violations by individuals or participating firms; and
Established EBT as an issuance alternative.
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1988 through 2004 – Development of Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT)
Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) is an electronic system that allows a recipient to authorize transfer of their government benefits from a federal account to a retailer account to pay for products received. Benefits are delivered to clients on a debit card. The first Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) pilot began in Reading, Pennsylvania, in 1984.
The Hunger Prevention Act of 1988 (PL 100-435), was signed into law on Sept. 19, 1988, and permitted one or more pilot projects to test whether the use of benefit cards or other automated or electronic benefit delivery systems could enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of operations for both program administrators and recipients.
Following this initiative, the Mickey Leland Memorial Domestic Hunger Relief Act of Nov. 28, 1990 (PL 101-624), established EBT as an issuance alternative and permitted the Department to continue to conduct EBT demonstration projects.
On Aug. 10, 1993, the Conference Report for the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 (PL 103-66), included a manager’s statement strongly urging the Secretary to encourage state agencies to develop and establish EBT systems.
This was followed by the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of Aug. 22, 1996 (PL 104-193), which mandated that states implement EBT systems before Oct. 1, 2002.
A national standard of interoperability and portability applicable to electronic food stamp benefit transactions was established by the Electronic Benefit Transfer Interoperability and Portability Act of 2000 (PL 106-171) on Feb. 11, 2000. In Puerto Rico, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program was replaced in 1982 by a block grant program, called the Nutrition Assistance Program. Consequently, Puerto Rico is not interoperable with other states.
The Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 of May 13, 2002 (PL 107-171), allowed group homes and institutions to redeem EBT benefits directly through banks in areas where EBT has been implemented rather than going through authorized wholesalers or other retailers. This Act also required USDA to submit a report not later than Oct. 1, 2003, to the House and Senate Agriculture Committees describing the status of EBT systems in each state.
State food stamp agencies worked with contractors to procure EBT systems for delivery of Food Stamp and other state-administered benefit programs and benefitted from technological innovations in the commercial sector. As of July 2004, all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, and Guam operated statewide, citywide, and territory-wide EBT systems to issue SNAP benefits.
EBT helped cut back on food stamp fraud by creating an electronic record of each food stamp transaction, making it easier to identify violations. The rate of trafficking (primarily the exchange of food stamps for cash) went from nearly 4 percent in the 1990’s down to around 1 percent after EBT was fully implemented.
In many states, EBT is also used to deliver the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program, the federal block-grant program operated by the Department of Health and Human Services, and other state programs.
USDA will rollout EBT Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) for all states and territories by 2020.
2008 – The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act
2009 – American Recovery & Reinvestment Act
2010 – Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act
2014 – Agricultural Act
[https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/short-history-snap#1960s]
D-SNAP
The Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is also called food stamps for disaster situations. D-SNAP provides one month of benefits on a debit-type card that you can use at most grocery stores.
Once your state sets up a D-SNAP program, you have about a week to apply.
If you qualify, you receive benefits within three days.
State Food Programs for Seniors
You may be eligible if you're:
60 or older
Have an income at or below 185% of the federal poverty income guidelines
Live in an area that offers either program
Check the Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program map (PDF, Download Adobe Reader) to see if your state offers the program.
All 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and five Indian Tribal Organizations participate in the Commodity Supplemental Food Program
Free School Meals for Children
Children from qualified households with a low income can get healthy meals or milk.
Two programs provide free or reduced-price meals at school:
The National School Lunch Program
The School Breakfast Program
Schools that don't offer meal programs may provide milk to children at school.
The Summer Food Service Program offers free breakfast and lunch over summer break.
General Info: https://www.usa.gov/food-help
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Barriers
- Embarrassed
- Afraid others will find out
- Social & peer judgement
- Makes me feel inadequate, imperfect, less than
- Goes against religion or how I was raised
- Don't want to be lumped in the welfare group
The above are all bullshit reasons that will keep you from eating healthier. Why do that yourself?
Go and see if you are eligible. The money is there for each state. It was designed to help not stigmatize.
If you need assistance, try the library or Joslyn center if you're a senior. Take advantage of one of the best programs in the U.S.!!
Benefits of Healthy Eating for Adults
Picture of body identifying benefits of healthy eating for adults.
May help you live longer
Keeps skin, teeth, and eyes healthy
Supports muscles
Boosts immunity
Strengthens bones
Lowers risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers
Supports healthy pregnancies and breastfeeding
Helps the digestive system function
Helps achieve and maintain a healthy weight
Download: Benefits of Healthy Eating for Adultspdf icon [PDF-631KB]
Benefits of Healthy Eating for Children
Picture of body identifying benefits of healthy eating for children.
Keeps skin, teeth, and eyes healthy
Supports muscles
Helps achieve and maintain a healthy weight
Strengthens bones
Supports brain development
Supports healthy growth
Boosts immunity
Helps the digestive system function
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Food insecurity:
the state of being without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food.
"more than 800 million people live every day with hunger or food insecurity as their constant companion"
This year’s The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) summarizes the first global assessment of food insecurity and malnutrition for 2020 and offers some indication of what hunger and malnutrition would look like by 2030, in a scenario further complicated by the enduring effects of the pandemic.
Nearly one-tenth of the world population – up to 811 million people went hungry in 2020. After remaining virtually unchanged for five years, world hunger increased last year. Further, it is projected that around 660 million people may still face hunger in 2030, 30 million more people than in a scenario in which the pandemic had not occurred, due to lasting effects of COVID-19 on global food security. The setback makes the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal for zero hunger and ending all forms of malnutrition more challenging.
The report indicates that progress has been made for some forms of malnutrition, but the world is not on track to achieve any global nutrition targets by 2030. Globally, 44 percent of infants under 6 months of age were exclusively breastfed in 2019 – up from 37 percent in 2012 but the practice varies considerably among regions. Child malnutrition still persists at an alarming rate –an estimated 149 million children were stunted, 45 million were wasted and 39 million were overweight in 2020. The report presents new projections of potential additional cases of child stunting and wasting due to COVID-19. Based on a conservative scenario, it is projected that an additional 22 million children in low- and middle-income countries will be stunted, an additional 40 million will be wasted between 2020 and 2030 due to the pandemic. Comprehensive and urgent efforts are required to address the detrimental effects of the pandemic and achieve the 2030 global targets.
Overcoming hunger and malnutrition in all its forms, including undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies and overweight, is about more than securing enough food to survive: what people – and particularly children – eat must also be nutritious. Over the past year, COVID-19 — and the unprecedented measures to contain it have exposed and intensified the vulnerabilities and inadequacies of global food systems. Recognizing that food systems bear a critical responsibility for the nutritional quality, safety, affordability, and sustainability of diets, this year’s report outlines six pathways to transform food systems and achieve healthy diets for all. [https://data.unicef.org/resources/sofi-2021/]
In 2019, the overall food insecurity rate was the lowest it had been in more than twenty years.
1 in 9 individuals (10.9%) and 1 in 7 children (14.6%) lived in a food-insecure household.
Yet, more than 35 million people overall, including nearly11 million children, were food insecure.
1 in 12 white, non-Hispanic individuals (8.1%) lived in a food-insecure household.
Food insecurity is experienced in greater proportion by these racial and ethnic groups due to a number of factors – a key one being structural racism and discrimination. These disparities are also apparent in the underlying factors that contribute to food insecurity.
While the overall poverty rate in 2019 was 10.5%, poverty among white individuals was 9.1% compared to 18.8% for Black individuals and 15.7% for Latino individuals. More research is needed to untangle the complex relationship between systemic racism and food insecurity.
Compared to:
1 in 4 Native American individuals (23.5%)
1 in 6 Latino individuals (15.8%)
1 in 5 Black, non-Hispanic individuals (19.3%)
The Impact of the Coronavirus on Food Insecurity in 2020 & 2021
FOOD INSECURITY BEFORE COVID-19
Two factors that influence food insecurity rates include unemployment and poverty, which were both at recent lows heading into the pandemic. The overall unemployment rate was 3.7% at the end of 2019 and the overall poverty rate was 10.5%.
However, underlying these national figures, significant disparities existed. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the spread of COVID19 a global pandemic. In the days and weeks that followed, cities and states across the U.S. issued stay-at-home mandates and ordered the closure of nonessential businesses in an effort to curb transmission of the virus.
The result of the COVID-19 pandemic was the first economic recession in the United States since the Great Recession of 2007. Within weeks, tens of millions of people lost jobs or saw declines in hours worked. For the week ending March 28, 2020, the number of initial claims for unemployment insurance was nearly 7 million, a record high. The official unemployment rate for April rose to 14.7%, reflecting the largest monthly increase and the highest rate since 1948 when such data was first collected. Before the start of the pandemic, the overall food insecurity rate had reached its lowest point since it began to be measured in the 1990s, but those improvements were being upended by the pandemic.
To understand how COVID-19 has impacted the need for food in the United States, Feeding America, in partnership with Dr. Craig Gundersen, has leveraged our annual Map the Meal Gap (MMG) study, the source for local-level estimates of food insecurity. The same model that is used to estimate local food insecurity can also predict food insecurity using projected changes to variables in the model.
To predict changes in food insecurity as a result of COVID-19, we have used projected changes to unemployment and poverty, two variables that have a statistically significant and substantial effect on food insecurity estimates and are likely to be most directly affected by COVID-19.
Feeding America first released food insecurity projections for 2020 in the spring of 2020, and then released updated projections in October 2020 as it became evident that economic conditions would be more positive than experts originally predicted. The Impact of the Coronavirus on Food Insecurity in 2020 & 2021 [https://www.feedingamerica.org/sites/default/files/2021-03/National%20Projections%20Brief_3.9.2021_0.pdf]
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Food Desert
an urban area in which it is difficult to buy affordable or good-quality fresh food.
"many poor people live in food deserts—where they have plenty of food but none of it healthy"
In the Food Desert Locator developed by USDA's Economic Research Service, a food desert census tract is defined as a low-income tract where a substantial number or substantial share of residents does not have easy access to a supermarket or large grocery store. Apr 30, 2021
Example, South LA. The area is the most underserved community in the United States. Because of what happened with Rodney King, in So. LA, grocery markets are still hesitant and not willing to invest in the area. There is too much crime, extra lighting would have to be installed & around the clock security guards. What there are, is bodegas, liquor stores, small markets but their prices is super high and they market unhealthy food. It's totally pathetic. People of So. LA would have to travel for miles, on the bus more than likely, to access a Vons or Ralphs. In short, their dollar and food stamp amount doesn't go very far.
Food Deserts in Los Angeles County
What and where are food deserts?
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines a food desert is as “a low-income census tract where either a substantial number or share of residents has low access to a supermarket or large grocery store” (n.d.). There is a high concentration of census tracts in Los Angeles County considered to be food deserts in Antelope Valley and San Fernando Valley. The population of food deserts is predominantly Hispanic or Latino, followed by Black and White, respectively.
Methodology
“Low income” tracts are defined as those where at least 20% of the people have income at or below the federal poverty levels for family size, or where median family income for the tract is at or below 80% of the surrounding area’s median family income. Tracts qualify as “low access” tracts if at least 500 persons or 33% of their population live more than a mile from a supermarket or large grocery store (for rural census tracts, the distance is more than 10 miles). This definition was developed by a working group comprised of members from the departments of Treasury, Health and Human Services, and USDA, which is partnering to expand the availability of nutritious food.
The big picture
While increasing access to nutritious food by opening new grocery stores is important, access alone is not enough to address food insecurity. Recent USDA research suggests that low-income families such as SNAP beneficiaries were more sensitive to price than grocery store access. “Building a new store does not mean people will shop there; the store has to offer the products, prices, and other characteristics that shoppers value,” the USDA recommends (May 2016).
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THE USDA'S NEW FOOD DESERT LOCATOR: MAP YOUR BAD FOOD DAY
If you live in Los Angeles, you may sometimes feel like you're in a food desert. It is often maddeningly hot. You may find yourself bereft of food trucks, or good ones at any rate. You may be reading this right now from the overheating concrete of a Denny's parking lot in Monrovia. But you are not in a real food desert, as pissed off and as hungry as you may be. A food desert, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is an area where people do not have easy access to affordable, healthful food. Which is not, as much as it may seem sometimes, where you likely are right now. It's also a lovely term that, as we've noted before, sounds more like a Ben Marcus short story than a USDA category.
A food desert, more specifically, is “a low-income census tract where either a substantial number or share of residents has low access to a supermarket or large grocery store.” According to Food Safety News, that would be about 10% of 65,000 census tracts, which are home to 13.5 million people.
Not only has the USDA's Economic Research Service (ERS) developed this category for us, but yesterday they launched this handy Food Desert Locator. Just in case you want to map that Denny's parking lot. Where are the nearest food deserts? You might be surprised. San Bernardino. San Diego. Santa Barbara. Somebody should probably tell Oprah about that last one, so she can buy somebody else a car. A supermarket. [https://www.laweekly.com/the-usdas-new-food-desert-locator-map-your-bad-food-day/] [https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-access-research-atlas/go-to-the-atlas/]
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Hunger Data
California produces nearly half of the nation’s fruits and vegetables, yet 1 in 5 Californians — that’s about 8 million — currently struggle with food insecurity. “Food insecurity” is the occasional or constant lack of access to the food one needs for a healthy, active life.
Food insecurity has serious impacts on an individual’s well-being, which may result in poor school attendance and performance, lowered workplace productivity, and physical and mental health problems. Individuals struggling with food insecurity have to make tough decisions that no one should face. No family should have to decide between buying groceries or paying rent, no senior should have to choose between food and medicine, and no parent should have to skip a meal in order for their children to eat.
The Need
California Food Insecurity Rate: 20%
Californians facing food insecurity: ~8 million
On average, 1 out of every 5 Californians does not know where their next meal will come from — with greater levels of hunger experienced by Black and Latinx families.
Food insecurity rates by county: SEE HERE
This data is based off of the Census Surveys, and it’s important to note that Phase 1 is not comparable to Phase 2. Even though the questions related to food insufficiency are identical, the Census Bureau added more questions to the survey, which affected response rates, especially for Black and Latinx individuals. Due to data limitations, survey data may underestimate food insufficiency.
***
The point of all this information is to
- Inform
- Educate
- Reduce racism
- Reduce judgement
- Increase empathy, sympathy, and understanding for others
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Welfare Fraud Statistics
Less than 50% of American adults trust the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and many believe most users abuse it. The latest welfare fraud statistics, however, show that the payment accuracy of SNAP is over 92%, while the food stamp trafficking rate in the past few years has been only 1-1.5%. These figures show that the US authorities have found efficient solutions to food stamp fraud.
Would you like to discover the social assistance program fraud rates at home and abroad?
Are you interested in which US states note the most considerable welfare fraud rate?
Can you guess how much money the federal and state authorities save by fighting SNAP abuse? Discover these and many other curious stats on welfare exploitation.
Welfare Fraud Statistics (Editor’s Choice)
Most developed countries have welfare fraud and error rates between 1-5%.
In 2012, SNAP payment inaccuracy was under 4%.
In the past decade, the amount of improper and fraudulent SNAP payments dropped by $3.67 billion.
The average SNAP fraud amount per ADH disqualification is about $2,000.
American authorities have collected about $1.6 billion in delinquent and fraudulent SNAP claims since 1992.
Georgia recorded the highest amount of $7,155,867 in claims collected.
Global Welfare Fraud Facts and Stats
https://balancingeverything.com/welfare-fraud-statistics/#:~:text=1.%20Australia%20prosecuted,by%20welfare%20abusers.
References: AIC, NAO, NAO, SNAP To Health, USDA, FAS, FNS, YouGov
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If you spend any time on social media, you might read about people accusing others of having food stamps but being a drug addict. And???? What you see around town is a minute fraction of a problem. I can't find the study, but across the United States, people were demanding that people that use drugs be kicked off the food stamp program. That's kind of playing someone's judge and jury [I know what that's like and it doesn't feel too good]. None the less, should we kick alcoholics, that are housed and functional off the program, or coffee and tobacco users, too? These chemicals are also considered drugs. [Mallory was taught, during DARE week at Emerson, that coffee and tobacco are drugs and that I am an addict] Thanks so much!! So, the study showed that a very small percent of food stamp users are also drug addicts. Jesus, are people not supposed to eat??
On that note
President’s 2021 Budget Would Cut Food Assistance for Millions and Radically Restructure SNAP [Just NO The Donald!] Why the fuck would you take away food from people??? I'm Republican, but do not agree with discontinuing social programs.
President Trump’s 2021 budget proposes to cut the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps) by more than $180 billion — nearly 30 percent — over the next ten years by radically restructuring how benefits are delivered, taking SNAP away from millions of adults who are not working more than 20 hours a week, and reducing benefits for many other households.[1] The budget also includes two proposals to curtail students’ access to free and reduced-price school meals. The proposed cuts would come on top of nearly $50 billion in cuts over ten years that the Administration is seeking through regulatory action, bringing the Administration’s total plan for cutting SNAP to about $230 billion over ten years compared to current policies. The rest of the article: [https://www.cbpp.org/research/food-assistance/presidents-2021-budget-would-cut-food-assistance-for-millions-and]
Federal judge strikes down Trump plan to slash food stamps for 700,000 unemployed Americans
A federal judge on Sunday formally struck down a Trump administration attempt to end food stamp benefits for nearly 700,000 unemployed people, blocking as “arbitrary and capricious” the first of three such planned measures to restrict the federal food safety net.
In a scathing 67-page opinion, Chief U.S. District Judge Beryl A. Howell of D.C. condemned the Agriculture Department for failing to justify or even address the impact of the sweeping change on states, saying its shortcomings had been placed in stark relief amid the coronavirus pandemic, during which unemployment has quadrupled and rosters of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program have grown by more than 17 percent, with more than 6 million new enrollees.
The rule “at issue in this litigation radically and abruptly alters decades of regulatory practice, leaving States scrambling and exponentially increasing food insecurity for tens of thousands of Americans,” Howell wrote, adding that the Agriculture Department “has been icily silent about how many [adults] would have been denied SNAP benefits had the changes sought . . . been in effect while the pandemic rapidly spread across the country.” The judge concluded that the department’s “utter failure to address the issue renders the agency action arbitrary and capricious.”
rest of article [https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/legal-issues/trump-food-stamp-cuts/2020/10/18/7c124612-117a-11eb-ad6f-36c93e6e94fb_story.html]
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I might be done now, but I wanted to defend my position and put all the info out there before the judgement starts. Pretty sure when the depression hit in the early 1900s and the stock market crashed people were not judging those standing in line for bread, butter, milk, and cheese.
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