Second Harvest North Florida Volume 10 • Issue 2 • April 2010 www.WeNourishHope.org
Happenings
a newsletter for member agencies
Government program helps farmers, ensures fair distribution of free food to agencies to feed those in need Each year about one-third of the food that Second Harvest North Florida distributes is The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) products that come through the State Department of Agriculture. The program was started in the 1980s with the infamous “government cheese” programs and has grown and matured through the years to become a key part of the food assistance that is available for those living in need. The role of the program is two-fold: to provide nutritional food for households in need and to support domestic agriculture by purchasing from American producers and stabilizing market prices.
Second Harvest Hours of Operation Mon.-Thurs.............7:15 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Fridays............................7:15 a.m.-noon (effective June 12, 2009)
Helpful Resource:
Second Harvest distributes a variety of products to its agencies through The Emergency Food Assistance Program.
Each year, Congress allocates a portion of the Federal Farm Bill dollars to TEFAP, which is then distributed to the states. The Florida Department of Agriculture uses that money to purchase commonly needed food items and to help specific local producers, which is why Second Harvest North Florida sometimes receives a large volume of milk or blueberries; those specific food industries were receiving government support. Government-purchased items are distributed free throughout the state based on strict guidelines. Each county in Second Harvest’s 18-county service area receives a specific state-mandated percentage of these items based on poverty and unemployment statistics. For example, Duval County receives 41.25 percent of the USDA resources received by Second Harvest, Baker County receives 1.29 percent and Alachua County gets 18.89 percent. There is no control over what items come in to Second Harvest through this program, but because the Florida Department of Agriculture sets the county percentages, every agency will receive its fair percentage of product.
Please note that each agency must take its complete allocation of products. If you are a USDA agency and find yourself with an abundance of a specific item and are unsure about how to best utilize it, please contact Second Harvest for recipe ideas for some of the less familiar items (dried cherries, blueberries, walnuts, etc.). Second Harvest is grateful for the additional support that the TEFAP program provides and remains committed to continually looking for new sources of food, forging new partnerships and improving the variety, quality and availability of products for our member agencies. In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability. To file a complaint of discrimination, write to: USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
SNAP Outreach: In the Jacksonville area, only 72 percent of those individuals who are eligible receive SNAP benefits (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – formerly known as food stamps). By using any Internet ready computer, Florida residents can learn if they are eligible and can apply for SNAP benefits to improve their diets and stretch their dollars. Please visit www.myflorida.com/accessflorida. If you are interested in learning how you can help Jacksonville residents sign up for food stamps, please call Sandy Beaumont, ACCESS Community Partner Liaison, at 904.723.5338.
Stamp Out Hunger: On May 8, the National Association of Letter Carriers Food Drive will take place. Last year, 325,000 pounds of food were collected in what is Second Harvest North Florida’s biggest food drive of the year. This year we are hoping to collect 425,000 pounds! In the week leading up to the event, the letter carriers will deliver special postage-paid Publix grocery bags to every home in Florida, along with a reminder to fill that bag with shelf-stable food and leave it outside their home on Saturday, May 8. Please encourage your staff, your volunteers, your congregations and partners to participate; this is a great way to help fight hunger by donating food to help those who need it most. Since the letter carriers pick up the food at each family’s mailbox, it is the easiest food drive of the year in which to participate!
WE STRUGGLE TO MAKE ENDS MEET. I TRY TO FEED MY KIDS FIRST AND ME LAST.” “I WORK WITH CLIENTS WHO DO NOT ALWAYS HAVE ENOUGH FOOD TO EA HEY ARE CHILDREN AND MANY TIMES THEY CAN NOT CONCENTRATE ON THEIR STUDIES, BECAUSE THEIR PARENTS DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH FOOD IN THE HOME.” “IT DOESN’T HAPPEN OFTEN [THAT WE HAVE TO USE T OOD BANK], ONLY WHEN WORK SLOWS DOWN. WE DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO AVOID IT.” “WE STRUGGLE TO MAKE ENDS MEET. I TRY TO FEED MY KIDS FIRST AND ME LAST.” “I WORK WITH CLIENTS WHO DO NOT ALWA AVE ENOUGH FOOD TO EAT. THEY ARE CHILDREN AND MANY TIMES THEY CAN NOT CONCENTRATE ON THEIR STUDIES, BECAUSE THEIR PARENTS DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH FOOD IN THE HOME. “IT DOESN’T HAPPEN OFT