Showing entries tagged: 'nutrition'

FoodShare Eligibility, Benefit Allotment, and Program Updates in October 2021

With the start of the new Federal Fiscal Year, there are a few important changes going into effect regarding FoodShare eligibility and benefit maintenance policy. Cost of living adjustments will result in increased benefits. Those participating in the program will be required to submit six-month reports and conduct an interview at the time of application and annual review.

Tribal Elder Food Box Program and Partnership

On August 13th, partners including the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, Oneida Nation, Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Feeding Wisconsin, Intertribal Agriculture Council, Wisconsin Food Hub Cooperative, UW-Madison, and health TIDE, came together to celebrate and discuss the importance of several recent efforts to improve the nutrition security and food sovereignty of Tribal members and support Tribal agricultural and economic development.

#ProducePalooza

Yesterday, hundreds of UnitedHealthcare employees volunteered at our food banks across the state to help celebrate UnitedHealthcare's incredible $700,000 gift to Feeding Wisconsin to help our network of food banks and food pantries improve our collective ability to source, store, and distribute more fresh produce. This incredible partnership has given us opportunity to work together, across the state, on the same day at the same time to advance not only our mission of fighting hunger, improving health, and strengthening communities, but also UnitedHealthcare’s mission of helping people live healthier lives and making the health system better for everyone.

A Tale of Two Farm Bills

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Congress has two very different versions of the Farm Bill to conform in a conference committee. The Senate passed its version of the Farm Bill yesterday on a strong, bipartisan vote. This sets up a conference between the Senate and the House, which narrowly passed its version of the Farm Bill just last week, to hash out the differences between the two versions. Both chambers will have to pass the conformed Farm Bill coming out of conference before the President can sign it into law. Given the vast differences in SNAP policy between the two versions, this may be a difficult task.

Are food restrictions the only way to improve health?

Last week at the Wisconsin Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics meeting, one of our partners - a retired doctor and a fierce advocate for food insecurity screening in primary care settings - and I got into a conversation about improving the health of people with low-incomes by restricting FoodShare benefits. In the lunch line, naturally...