IN THIS ISSUE

Why Are You Feeding America

This September, America’s Second Harvest will re-launch our brand with a new look and a new name that are designed to increase our visibility and better engage people like you in support of our issues.

Our new identity is based on the principles that have driven us for years: that not only is food essential to physical wellbeing. It also provides a foundation for hope and opportunity. As the nation’s leading charitable food organization, we’re feeding America in both ways—providing the physical and emotional fuel to survive and thrive. We feel strongly that, by updating our identity to better reflect what we do, we’ll be better able to communicate the impacts of hunger and to engage all of America in meaningful actions to end hunger.

As an advocate, you are one of the first to know about the change—and you’ll be among the first to see our new look and new name, as well. In fact, we want you to be a part of our efforts to revitalize our name by acting as brand ambassadors. As we work to inform our nation’s leaders and the communities we serve about this change, we’ll need the support of our advocates to help share why the change is important, and why ending hunger should be a priority for every individual.

We’re asking our advocates why they’re committed to feeding America. Your unique perspective on why it’s important to fight hunger can help us tell the real story behind our organization’s mission. As we inform Congress of this important change, we’ll be using these stories to underscore why America is committed to the fight against hunger.

Please join us as we embark on this important new step in our organization’s history. Tell us why you’re feeding America.

And keep a lookout for more information on our new name and new look! Check your inbox and your mailbox for brand launch alerts, and learn more about what you can do to become an ambassador for the new America’s Second Harvest.

This August, We’re Focusing on Hunger and Education

We all know that good nutrition is essential to a healthy life. But did you know that good nutrition is also important to children’s ability to learn? This month, we’re taking a look at the role of hunger in education. With one in six children living in food insecure households¹, it’s more important than ever to talk about nutrition for school-age children. From ensuring proper physical, mental, and behavioral development to empowering children to succeed in school, nutrition is key to a good education.

So what’s being done to provide good food for school-age children? Following is a summary of the federal programs that help feed school-age children:

• Food Stamp Program (FSP): Research has shown that, among female children in households, the start of FSP participation during the years from kindergarten to third grade is associated with improvement in mathematics and reading scores in comparison to children in households that stopped FSP participation during the same time period².



• Special Supplemental Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC): There is vast amount of research showing that participation in the WIC program increases the intake of important nutrients among children and decreases the prevalence of anemia and iron deficiency among children. Participation in the program increases the intake of vitamin B6, folate, and iron³, which assist the body’s use of protein, carbohydrates, and fat, help produce and maintain new cells, and assist in transporting oxygen and maintaining a healthy immune system.


• National School Lunch Program (NSLP): Research has shown that children participating in the NSLP consume more protein, vitamin B12, calcium, magnesium, riboflavin, fiber, and zinc compared with children not participating in the program. Participation in the NSLP has been shown to be associated with a higher average intake of nutrients, lower intake of added sugars, and participants are more likely to consume milk, vegetables, meat, and other protein-rich foods than non-participants⁴.


• School Breakfast Program (SBP): Research has shown that the SBP assists in improving the quality of calories consumed, decreasing the percentage of calories from fat, and reducing the probability of low fiber intake. In addition, the SBP reduces the probability of low intake of vitamins C and E, folate, iron, and potassium. Research indicates that children who eat breakfast at school have better standardized achievement test scores, reduced tardiness, and improved attendance⁵. What’s more, children who eat breakfast have improved academic, behavioral, and emotional functioning⁶.

Clearly, nutrition is not only vital for the growth and development of children, but also has direct and indirect implications for the education, health, and productivity of our nation as a whole. Nutrition is and will continue to be an important component of the health and prosperity of the country. Send a letter to your legislators and tell them it’s crucial for them to help ensure that our nation continues to invest in federal nutrition programs.

Getting Involved in the 2008 Elections

Are you prepared to vote against hunger in the 2008 elections? The ballot you cast in November matters. Your local, state, and federal officials will be faced with critical decisions about hunger in 2009 and beyond. As an advocate against hunger in America, it’s important for you to become informed about your candidates’ stances on the issues that impact hunger—and to know how your vote will influence America’s ability to feed our nation’s hungry people.

We want to do everything we can to help you, as a hunger advocate, get involved in the 2008 elections. Our new bipartisan online voter resource center has everything you need to learn about what’s going on in the elections:

• Get the top election headlines for the day, read election-oriented political analyses, and get the scoop on what bloggers are saying about the elections.
• Get ready for Election Day by registering to vote, requesting an absentee ballot if you’ll be out of state for the elections, finding where to go to cast your ballot, and more.
• Learn about the elections—everything from information on the candidates in your area to basic information about the electoral process.

Get started today so that your voice
will be heard in November!

Spotlight on Pennsylvania: Advocacy In Action

With the help of its network of advocates and partners across the state, the Pennsylvania Association of Regional Food Banks (PARF) succeeded in protecting funding for critical food and nutrition programs during Pennsylvania’s legislative budget session. In the face of severe budget constraints and a challenging political climate, PARF was able to execute a detailed advocacy plan that leveraged pre-existing relationships with elected officials, built new ones, and organized their grassroots network and coalition members to write letters to state-elected officials, respond to action alerts, and participate in strategic visits with lawmakers. As food and fuel prices continue to rise, as the economy struggles, and as demand for food assistance increases, the assurance of proper funding for these key programs represents a major victory for Pennsylvania’s food banks and the communities they serve.

From March through June, PARF and members of its broad advocacy coalition met with 107 Pennsylvania legislators to educate them about hunger in Pennsylvania and how they could help. In actions strategically timed with the state budget process, executive directors from the coalition hand-delivered the letters for three consecutive days in June, sending the message that the charitable food network could not maintain its current level of service to their communities if anti-hunger programs were eliminated. During that period, more than 5,000 letters were delivered to 50 senators and 208 representatives, telling personal stories of hunger and requesting support from the state’s elected officials. In addition to the in-person letter drop, 113 legislators received constituent letters through the Hunger Action Center.

Although numerous human service programs in Pennsylvania were sadly cut or completely eliminated due to budget constraints, the coalition successfully protected the State Food Purchase Program—the most important state program aimed to alleviate hunger and food insecurity for Pennsylvania’s low-income residents.

Pennsylvania’s success shows just how important and effective advocacy can be. The anti-hunger community’s well-organized and executed grassroots plan positioned them to build relationships with key legislators and quickly activate their grassroots network at critical times during the budget process. Their persistent efforts protected significant state funding at a time when Pennsylvania, like most states across the nation, faced a looming deficit and painful choices to balance their budget. In light of increasing demand and a weakening economy, PARF and its coalition members protected the $18,000,000 designated to the SFPP.

Always remember: your voice matters! Elected officials want to hear from their constituents. If you do not help educate them about hunger, who will?