Tuesday, February 09, 2010
One in five Arizona children doesn’t know where he will get his next meal, according to the National Center on Family Homelessness. So one local group is working to make sure children have food in their bellies on a regular basis.
The West Valley Human Services Alliance was formed in 2005 and includes representatives such as elected officials, citizens, businesses, nonprofit agencies, faith-based organizations and local, county and state agencies.
This year, its focus is ending child hunger. The alliance is planning to hold a conference on the issue, wants to improve participation in the summer food program and bring resources together for a dining hall in the West Valley.
January’s meeting centered on the Summer Food Service Program, which was started by Congress in 1968 to help children in low-income areas receive nutritious meals during the summer.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture reimburses sponsors based on the number of meals served and the costs of running the program. Children younger than 18 years old can eat for free, and most sites allow parents to join their children for a small charge.
Last year, almost 3 million meals were served statewide through the program, which was about 400,000 more than in 2008. While Arizona has seen continued improvement, there is always room for growth, said Lori Bassett, the summer food program coordinator for the Arizona Department of Education.
A report on child hunger and states’ participation in the meal program ranked Arizona 51st (after Guam), according to the Food Research and Action Center.
Nearly 900,000 people in Arizona sought emergency food from charities within the last year, according to a study released Tuesday by Feeding America, the national network of food banks.
The “Hunger in America 2010″ report showed more than 50 percent of those receiving emergency food assistance had to choose between buying food and paying rent or a mortgage. Almost half were children. The data was collected from February 2009 to June 2009.
A rising need
At the same time, school districts have seen an increase in the number of parents filling out the free and reduced-priced meal application and in the number of children qualifying, officials said.
Almost 37,300 children, or 55 percent of those enrolled in 14 West Valley school districts, are eligible, according to March 2009 data from the Arizona Department of Education. Eligibility is determined based on household size and family income.
Getting more sponsors is the key, Bassett said. While most sites are at schools, sponsors can include camps, nonprofits and state, local and county government entities.
“I think one of the myths of the summer food service program is that it is only tied to schools,” Bassett said.
“At ADE, we’re trying to have anybody who’s interested in helping really think outside the box and find out where kids are in the summer, not just where they are during the school year.”
Another problem is the amount of time most meal sites are run. Summer break in Arizona tends to go from late May to early August, but the program is typically held only in June.
“We are really trying to get those schools to expand their summer food service program,” Bassett said. “I think we all realize kids are hungry in July, they’re hungry in August and on Friday, Saturday, Sunday … there’s really no limit. If there’s not available nutritious food at home, then they’re going to be hungry.”
The number of meals being served is another issue, because the Department of Agriculture will only reimburse a sponsor for two meals out of breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.
Setting an example
Some districts created a partnership with a second sponsor in order to serve three meals a day at the same site. The Litchfield Elementary District is one that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner by pairing with the St. Mary’s/West Side Food Bank.
The district ran 25 meal sites last year and only two were at schools. It’s hoping to locate twice as many sites this summer, said David Schwake, food services director for the Litchfield district.
“Our big push this year is to try and work with all the school districts together so we don’t have duplication, but we’re covering the areas where the kids live,” Schwake said.
The sites last year included the Sam Garcia Western Avenue Library in Avondale, the Department of Economic Security office, the Salvation Army, churches and housing projects.
“I see a lot of the effects of hunger throughout the day,” Schwake said. “Even in school, kids come in on a Monday morning that haven’t had the adequate nutrition throughout the weekend. During the school year I can feed them two meals, but I feel like during the summer a lot of these same kids are probably going to be hungry at some point in time.”
The district’s program will run from May 24 to July 23, and many sites will expand to offering food six or seven days a week. About 25 percent will have dinner meals available, Schwake said.
For information about becoming a summer food program sponsor, contact Bassett at 602-542-8700, or e-mail Lori.Bassett@azed.gov.
The West Valley Human Services Alliance meets from 9 to 11 a.m. on the fourth Monday of each month at the Pendergast Learning Center, 3841 N. 91st Ave. Meetings are open to the public. For information, contact Betty Lynch at cats01@cox.net.
Emily McCann can be reached by e-mail at emccann@westvalleyview.com.
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