Feeding Wisconsin Joins National Movement to End Senior Hunger

Posted by De'Kendrea Stamps in on Oct 2, 2020 Tagged:

Feeding Wisconsin, in partnership with the National Council on Aging (NCOA), has joined a nationwide effort to fight senior hunger by dramatically increasing participation by eligible seniors in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known in Wisconsin as FoodShare.  
 
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, over 9.8 million older adults across the country experienced food insecurity, meaning they lack consistent access to adequate, nutritious food. Today, those numbers are quickly rising. SNAP is the nation’s most effective and widest-reaching anti-hunger program. Research by Center for Budget and Policy Priorities shows that participation in SNAP reduces food insecurity overall by 30%, yet the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that only 48% of eligible older adults aged 60+ participate in the program. 
 
“We’ve heard from older adults and our local partners that accessing and paying for food is a critical need right now,” said Josh Hodges, NCOA Chief Customer Officer. “Food, on average, is the second highest household expenditure for people aged 60+, and too often they have to stretch their food budget in order to make ends meet. That’s where SNAP can help.” 
 
Feeding Wisconsin is one of 40 community organizations around the country that is stepping up its efforts to assist older adults in applying for SNAP. Feeding Wisconsin will screen and provide application assistance to older adults with limited income for SNAP eligibility. The initiative aims to help at least 40,000 older adults enroll. 
 
“We’re honored to be part of a Senior FoodShare Enrollment Initiative that has the potential to help tens of thousands of older adults improve their health and financial security,” De’Kendrea Stamps, FoodShare Outreach Program Director. “Feeding Wisconsin has a strong history of helping Wisconsin’s aging population navigate pathways to food security. We’re confident that increasing SNAP enrollment with targeted outreach strategies and other proven outreach methods will have a profound effect on the lives of older adults in Wisconsin.”  
 
For more information, visit www.ncoa.org/SeniorHunger.

Navigating times of Uncertainty - Our FoodShare outreach team is here to help!

Posted by De'Kendrea Stamps in on Jun 5, 2020 Tagged:

Over the past several weeks, the world has changed tremendously. With the onset of COVID-19, many saw children returning from school, job losses, social distancing orders put in place, and, in some of the worse cases, our lives personally touched by this virus. While we all seek to navigate these times of uncertainty, the load can become even more burdensome for food-insecure families. Many families that were making ends meet are now struggling to access essential resources. Below are the words of families that have reached out to our FoodShare Helpline for assistance throughout the pandemic:

• I have recently only been allowed to work 48 hours a pay period. I am a single mom of 2 kids.
• I'm no longer working, and due to, I'm high risk of the virus. I'm not getting any food stamps, and not any unemployment.
• Prior to the pandemic, I was making just enough to get by. Now my hours have been reduced, and I am not.
• My husband is the only income in our family. We have a 15-month-old and just need a little extra help with groceries.
• I recently got out of jail and was homeless for a time and getting back in my feet and hopefully will be working soon just need assistance until I can support myself during this epidemic. Thanks!
• This will help a lot during this time of unemployment.
• I struggle just to pay my bills every month, hard to keep food in the fridge at the same time.
• I am homeless and need some help. I have one more night. I'm a hotel and then my cat and I are on the street with no vehicle. I was living with a gentleman that turned crazy and violent, and he dumped me in the middle of nowhere and stole my phone. I am desperate.
• I'm in need of some food stamps I have not been working for the last seven weeks and have yet to receive any payments from Wisconsin unemployment. I'm not sure what's going on I was hoping I could receive some food stamps.

From Douglas to Kenosha and Door to Grant counties, the FoodShare Outreach team has been working to connect fellow Wisconsinites with benefits needed to navigate the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of the families contacting our statewide Helpline have never sought out benefits before; however, due to the current circumstances have been grateful to have our team to help support them through the process. Massive job losses encountered in the retail, recreational, entertainment, and restaurant industries across the state have resulting in more families than ever needing a helping hand. Feeding Wisconsin, along with our six-member food banks, have been working diligently to meet these needs. Thankfully, through SNAP/FoodShare benefits, our food banks are able to deploy our team of FoodShare Outreach Specialists. More than ever, their roles at the food banks are essential to connecting our neighbors to much-needed resources.

Call 1-866-366-3635 today! FoodShare Specialists can:

• Educate about FoodShare benefits and policy changes
• Provide one-on-one FoodShare eligibility screenings and application assistance
• Assist with submitting proof documents
• Assist FoodShare members in maintaining benefits, including assistance with Six-Month Report Forms and Annual Renewals, reporting changes, reporting a QUEST card lost or stolen, etc.

Additionally, Wisconsin has applied for several waivers from the USDA in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure Wisconsinites have access to FoodShare benefits.  Learn more about Pandemic EBT, additional FoodShare benefits, and using the QUEST to buy food online.    

Thanks to the Walmart Foundation for supporting rural FoodShare outreach

Posted by De'Kendrea Stamps in on Dec 1, 2019 Tagged:

The FoodShare Outreach program at Feeding Wisconsin works in tandem with our six-member food banks to fight hunger, improve health, and strengthen communities across the state. Knowing that food insecurity is prevalent not only in our urban centers but also in our rural communities, we have committed to increasing our outreach efforts. Thanks to a generous donation from the Walmart Foundation, we are deploying strategies to reduce stigma and raise awareness of our FoodShare Outreach program throughout 45 rural counties in the state with focused gatherings for partners serving 17 of those counties. Also, we are developing a comprehensive promotional plan that will include a mix of print and digital media sources. 

We firmly believe that local issues require local solutions. There is no silver bullet that works for every community. It takes those that know and love their communities to work in collaboration to build long-lasting, trusting relationships with community partners, businesses, and citizens. Feeding Wisconsin seeks to assist in acting as a convener, supporter, and collaborator of these local efforts. The goal of this enhanced rural outreach strategy is to build collaborative relationships with area organizations to provide clients assistance with learning more about FoodShare and applying if eligible.

Feeding Wisconsin has chosen to focus on rural outreach for several reasons. Among them include the lack of resources available, transportation barriers, and the effects isolation has on program awareness. Nearly 1 in 4 households live in rural communities, with 1 in 10 receiving FoodShare benefits. In 2018 our statewide program noted that of rural applications, 43% were applying for the first time compared to 34% in urban areas. Various factors are at play; however, none so much as the stigma surrounding accessing benefits and the lack of awareness about the program. By building collaborations with local rural partners to provide information about the resources and eliminate misinformation, families will become more aware of accessing FoodShare.

Through this partnership with the Walmart Foundation and Feeding America National, Feeding Wisconsin can continue providing statewide access to FoodShare benefits through its FoodShare Outreach program and FoodShare Helpline. The FoodShare Helpline assists people living in all counties of Wisconsin with accurate program information, connections to local resources, and high-quality application assistance. 

One of our Outreach Specialists in Barron county recounts a recent interaction with a client. Rob recently lost his job and is having trouble finding a new job, within walking distance. He doesn't have a driver's license and depends on a friend to drive him to work. However, the friend's car broke down, and they can't afford to fix it. Since Rob's job was in the next town over he lost it due to lack of transportation. Also, his driver's license was suspended due to him owing back-child support.

Rob lives with his partner on a meager SSDI income. It has been several years since Rob last received FoodShare, and he didn't think he would be eligible now. He was so grateful for running into his local Outreach Specialist at his community food pantry, as she was able to connect him to benefits and the FoodShare Employment and Training (FSET) program. Hopefully, the program can help him find a local job so he can begin the process of regaining his driver's license.

If you live in a rural community and would like to find out more information about or become engaged in FoodShare outreach, please contact De'Kendrea Stamps, our FoodShare Outreach Program Director. 

Together with you and partners like the Walmart Foundation, we are Feeding Wisconsin through FoodShare outreach.