1. Ensure that people are educated about the program,
2. Help determine eligibility, and
3. Assist with the application process

FBCOG, fondly known as “The Collaborative,” is a proud Capital Area Food Bank feeding partner that helps those in need. FBCOG provides ample resources to families and children who are in crisis. Their overall goal is:

“To provide a holistic approach to education through a community partner food pantry and resource intake center with wrap-around services to alleviate hunger, promote health and well-being of students, families and individuals.”

FBCOG strives to reach this goal by coordinating monthly food drives and outreach events. The pantry has been active since February 2011 and has grown serve as a regular source of needed food for many of the area’s families. Pastor Claudia Walters, founder of the collaborative, and her team work extremely hard to make it possible for people throughout the Washington metro area to have steady access to food necessities.

Advocacy Intake Center Sites

The following sites have been established to further assist families in need. Community partners are present to provide resource information to various local programs. Food items, toiletries and other items are also distributed.

See below for hours of operation. Services are unavailable every 4th Friday of the month at CES and every 4th week of the month for CCMS.

Charles Carroll Middle School (CCMS)
Wednesdays/Thursdays from 12 noon-4 pm
6130 Lamont Dr.
New Carrollton, MD 20784

Carrollton Elementary School (CES)
Tuesdays/Fridays from 10 am-2 pm
8300 Quintana St.
New Carrollton, MD 20784

The post Partner Highlight: The Advocacy Intake Center appeared first on Capital Area Food Bank.

“We built this amazing structure for hunger relief largely without asking people who are hungry! We won’t be successful over the long haul without the voice of those people. We need to engage our clients, not just by giving them a box of food, but by empowering them, too,” says Lee, who is speaking at the April 26 Metropolitan Area Hunger Conference. “So the question is: how do we use these services we are offering people to empower them?”

The conference brings together those invested — either professionally or socially — in eradicating hunger.

Nancy E. Roman, the Capital Area Food Bank’s new President and CEO, will open the conference with welcoming remarks, “We understand that solving hunger is intimately related to so many important social developments. If you are hungry, you cannot learn. If you are hungry, your immune system does not develop fully. If you are hungry, you have trouble holding down a job.”

The keynote speaker, Enid Borden, is the Founder, President and CEO of the National Foundation to End Senior Hunger, formerly known as the Meals On Wheels Research Foundation.

Lee continues, “We have to remind people who have day-to-day interactions with the hungry that they have immense power. The person-to-person relationship is valuable, because it reminds those in need that society has not forgotten about them,” Lee stresses, noting that we have a special responsibility to children.

“At the conference, my goal is to remind people that child hunger is important. A child who is not eating is not learning, and is not healthy. Chronic health issues and underachievement in tomorrow’s generation are things we should all be concerned with. I will be sharing national opinions on that topic. There is a real disinvestment in our future going on here,” he notes, adding his aim is to present data in a clear and articulate way.

Another of the conference speakers, Darlene Jenkins, says she is eager to meet conference attendees who provide services, “because often, in a researcher role, I don’t hear enough from the trenches. I want to learn from others.”

Jenkins works with the homeless, and says those without shelter are inextricably linked to hunger. She adds her voice to the chorus saying we should do more listening.

“People who survive the street are very resilient. Instead of looking at their needs, let’s build on their assets – what is their story? Let’s bring them along as we try to eliminate both homelessness and hunger,” says the Director of Research for National Health Care for the Homeless Council.

Speakers at the conference, sponsored by the Capital Area Food Bank, are determined to take the conversation beyond where it is now.

Pierre Vigilance, Visiting Professor for Public Health Practice at George Washington University, says we still have a long way to go in solving food insecurity.

“People still don’t ‘get’ this issue — food security,” he says with resolve and not frustration. “People don’t understand that ‘limited access’ can mean either they have limited resources in being able to purchase healthy foods or limited access because of location – no nearby stores offer a decent variety of healthy food options,” Vigilance says.

Junk food is less expensive, and that’s what allows bad eating habits to form, Vigilance says from experience. At 5’9″, he used to weigh 250 lbs. before dropping down to his current 170 lbs.

“I used to have a problem with sodas. Back then, I didn’t know something a lot of people still don’t know: when food should be used as fuel, and when it should be used as fun. In general, we have too much fun with food. I know that sounds grouchy, but it’s true. We must respect food — get what we need and not more.”

Others at the hunger conference speak for those who might not be eating a lot of junk food, but desperately need healthy food. “There are 100,000 seniors in the DC area. Some are socially isolated, many are on a fixed income and use expensive medication, all while the cost of living is increasing,” says John Thompson, Executive Director of the District of Columbia Office on Aging.

“There are many misconceptions about seniors, the most common is that if they live in a nice home, they are not cash poor. But I know many who don’t have any liquid assets and need assistance, otherwise they will go hungry,” he shares.

Discussion among advocates, providers and academics at the conference aim to help bring necessary improvements to the system.

“The goal is to increase public awareness,” Thompson says. But also, to streamline resources by bringing together church, community and government services and matching resources to the needs of the senior community.”

Aaliyah Smith-Parker, program associate at DC Hunger Solutions, will be also be a featured speaker at the conference. She will be discussing public health issues of working poor families.

With backgrounds in research, policy and public service, speakers and attendees are working towards a common goal: trying to shrink the number of hungry in the DC metro area.

“I am continually trying to work myself out of a job,” Jenkins says.

The post Listening Is Key to Hunger Solution appeared first on Capital Area Food Bank.

Look at what we are up against:

• Crisis of available affordable housing
• Lack of adequate physical and mental health care
• Underemployment
• Unemployment
• Not being able to afford nutritious food

Many people have the resolve to remain spirited and hopeful, but others have been so weathered by hard times that they appear to have broken hearts – and I believe they do.

I started doing outreach in Montgomery County, MD about two months ago to help people get connected with SNAP, formerly Food Stamps. The long lines for help with basic food needs are truly an assembly of the most diverse group of people you can find.

Many are working full time and still cannot pay their monthly bills. Some are unemployed. Most have children. Many are seniors or people living with disabilities. I have also met a few who have spouses serving in the US military.

About half of the people I talk with already receive the monthly SNAP benefit, but it is so small that it doesn’t come close to being enough for one week’s worth of groceries. I couldn’t live on $16 a month for food!

People travel by bus, or metro; walk long distances; take cabs in groups, or get rides from neighbors to travel to the long lines at mobile food pantries. They are humble and thankful for the help, and a few even turn down the SNAP application saying that they believe things will get better for them soon. I certainly hope so.

If we as a country could wrap our heads around the fact that we cannot survive alone, maybe we could begin to end this heartbreak that comes from poverty. We are indeed radically dependent on one another for the beautiful, healthy life that is each of ours to claim.

The post Looking for Hope and Health in Hard Times appeared first on Capital Area Food Bank.

Our minimum wage in D.C. is automatically set at a dollar more per hour than the federal minimum wage. Right now we’re ringing in at a whopping $8.25 an hour. The most recent statistics available on wages from US Department of Labor are from May 2012. At that time the mean income of, for instance, coffee shop counter attendants in D.C. was $9.12 an hour. For our preschool teachers it was $13.26. For that parking lot attendant it was $10.62.

According to The Council for Community and Economic Research, in 2012 Washington, D.C. had the eighth highest cost of living in the entire country. The payroll tax holiday that ended January 1st saved the average full-time minimum wage worker more than $300 over the course of a year.

Theodate Desrivieres of Gospel Assembly Church manages a food pantry in Laurel, MD. When asked about what that $300 a year could mean to his clients, he says, “Because of the economic situation right now, like taxes increasing, our clients are bringing less money home. Any help we can offer to them is a blessing. When we give them something, they don’t have to go and buy it themselves. They feel more at ease and they can meet their budgets.”

Now, more than ever, we are a metropolitan area in crisis. The Capital Area Food Bank’s mission has never been more relevant than it is today. Informal surveys of our partner agencies show almost unanimously that it is the working poor looking for help.

The expiration of the payroll tax holiday will undoubtedly be a final straw for many barely getting by. In a part of the country where it’s common to spend more than 30 percent of household income on housing alone, low income families now must grapple with the implications of these lost savings on shoestring budgets.

Our community was in a world of trouble before the payroll tax holiday ended. The positive news is that by focusing on collaboration with our partners we are in a position to do a world of good.

The post Other Shoe Drops on Shoestring Budget appeared first on Capital Area Food Bank.

The major debate in the House Agriculture Committee was whether to reform the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps. Close to 50 million Americans are eligible for SNAP, which provides grocery purchasing assistance to people who meet the federal requirements determined by the United States Department of Agriculture. The committee voted to remove state programs that increase SNAP benefits, and to stop federal incentives to states for getting eligible people signed up for the SNAP program. SNAP for college students has been limited, and the USDA will no longer be able to spend funds to advertise the program.

Many anti-hunger organizations, including food banks, do not agree with the proposed cuts to the SNAP program. To this day, Congress has not reauthorized a new Farm Bill. It is the responsibility of the people to continue letting Congress know that SNAP is an important program and that we should not limit benefits to those who are eligible. Limiting benefits would cause an increase in hunger in the local area, as well as across our entire country.

I would like to know about your experience with the SNAP program. Will you e-mail me your story? I will take these stories to Congress so that our voices can be heard. So leave a comment here, or e-mail me at BBanks@CapitalAreaFoodBank.org.

The post Sequester? What about The Farm Bill? appeared first on Capital Area Food Bank.

Every family would be hit by the effects of sequestration, the across-the-board federal budget cuts being volleyed back and forth in Congress, set to come into effect on March 1.

Our economy is just now starting to turn the corner, and it’s still in a very precarious situation — as are many Americans. Many don’t know whether they will have a job six months from now.

The sequester would cut about $80 billion this year alone, and while economists see the numbers, those of us focused on food insecurity can only see the widespread effect on lower-income families.

Paychecks and balances

Low-income and middle class families need to be able to grow with confidence. They need to know that by working hard while keeping their families healthy and educated, they will have a more prosperous future.

The March 1 sequestration will implement furloughs – mandatory one day/week cuts in pay, which translates into $1.1 billion in lost income:

90,000 workers in VA

Meanwhile, this is all on top of the increase in taxes paid on payroll, which has already meant a smaller paycheck for the middle class and the working poor. Struggling to keep the family fed is tough enough with a low-paying job, but the recent increase in payroll taxes chips away further at an employee’s take-home pay.

Right after that one-two punch, comes the rising gas prices. Getting to and from work, health appointments and family life, everyday things come with a higher price tag.

We are seeing the working poor watching in fear to see what sequestration will bring. True, the cuts may be temporary, but they are set to happen, worsening a difficult situation for many working poor and pushing some of them into hunger for the very first time.

The post Bad News Comes in Threes appeared first on Capital Area Food Bank.

]]> http://www.capitalareafoodbank.org/2013/02/bad-news-comes-in-threes/feed/ 2 http://www.capitalareafoodbank.org/2013/02/radio-host-kojo-nnamdi-sheds-light-on-hunger/ http://www.capitalareafoodbank.org/2013/02/radio-host-kojo-nnamdi-sheds-light-on-hunger/#comments Wed, 13 Feb 2013 16:42:53 +0000 Brian Banks http://www.capitalareafoodbank.org/?p=19141 CAFB Director of Public Policy and Community Outreach Brian Banks and Montgomery County Councilwoman Valerie Ervin discuss SNAP with Kojo.

The post Radio Host Kojo Nnamdi Sheds Light on Hunger appeared first on Capital Area Food Bank.

]]> What do Congressman James McGovern, Montgomery County Councilwoman Valerie Ervin, D.C. Councilwoman Mary Cheh and Executive Director of the Maryland Governor’s Office of Children Anne Sheridan have in common? They all participated in the SNAP Challenge.

The SNAP Challenge is a week-long commitment to buying and eating on a limited budget; specifically, a SNAP budget. SNAP is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program formerly known as Food Stamps. Close to 50 million Americans are at risk of or suffering from hunger. In the Washington metro area, around 680,000 people are at risk of hunger. Many of our neighbors rely on their SNAP benefits to put food on their tables.

Critics see the SNAP Challenge as a political ploy or a fad. No matter how it is perceived, the challenge is an opportunity to bring awareness to an issue that many people forget about after the holidays. Recently, I had the opportunity to join Montgomery County Councilwoman Valerie Ervin as a guest on radio host Kojo Nnamdi’s program on NPR’s WAMU 88.5 as the three of us discussed the SNAP Program.

You can listen to a recording of the program here. Please let us know what you think about the SNAP.

We also encourage you to contact the Capital Area Food Bank with your questions about the SNAP program. You can reach us at 202-644-9800. We have staff members who focus on specific areas in the region and can answer your questions about SNAP eligibility and the application process. If you live in Montgomery County, ask for Christine Paukstis. Prince George’s County residents, please ask to be directed to Jahnin Davis. Residents of the District of Columbia should contact Amanda Melara with questions. If you live in Northern Virginia, contact Lilia Torres at 703-541-0179.

The post Radio Host Kojo Nnamdi Sheds Light on Hunger appeared first on Capital Area Food Bank.

]]> http://www.capitalareafoodbank.org/2013/02/radio-host-kojo-nnamdi-sheds-light-on-hunger/feed/ 0 http://www.capitalareafoodbank.org/2013/01/now-is-the-time-to-contact-your-state-legislators/ http://www.capitalareafoodbank.org/2013/01/now-is-the-time-to-contact-your-state-legislators/#comments Tue, 15 Jan 2013 22:39:26 +0000 Brian Banks http://www.capitalareafoodbank.org/?p=18763 Hunger in our community is here. We must tell local legislators to step up services to nourish our neighbors in need.

The post Now is the Time to Contact Your State Legislators appeared first on Capital Area Food Bank.

]]> The Maryland and Virginia legislative sessions have begun. Do you know who your legislators are? Have you read what your legislators’ agendas are during the 2013 session? Have your legislators made a commitment to support organizations that provide assistance to the most vulnerable citizens in their communities? Have you made contact with your legislators to ask for support for the most vulnerable?

Now is the time to get on the phone or e-mail your state delegates and senators and ask them to support organizations that work to assist those who are in need of food assistance and other safety-net issues. Hunger in our community is here and we must take advantage of all available resources in order to obtain the healthy and nutritious foods our community members need, as well as empower those in our community with information that will help them in their time of need. Our legislators have the power to not only bring attention to the issues we all care about; they can also provide funding and other valuable resources to the entire region that we serve.

In Maryland:

1. 12 percent of citizens in Suburban Maryland are at risk of hunger and 18 percent of children age 18 and under are suffering from hunger. US Census ACS
2. In Prince George’s and Montgomery counties, 1 in 5 children under the age of 18 is at risk of hunger. US Census ACS

In Virginia:

1. Over 217,000 people (about 13 percent) are at risk or experiencing hunger in Northern Virginia. (This includes Alexandria City; Manassas City; and Arlington, Fairfax, and Prince William counties.) US Census ACS
2. In Northern Virginia, 1 in 6 children under the age of 18 is at risk of hunger. US Census ACS

No matter where you are in the Washington metro area, many of your constituents are having to make the sad choice between buying food this month or paying the bills. Our senior citizens have to make the choice between purchasing food or buying the medication that is vital for them to lead healthy lives.

Will you take a moment to contact your state delegate and state senator? Tell your Maryland or Virginia legislator about your community’s needs, the challenges you face in serving the community and ask them to make a commitment to the hungry people in your community.

The post Now is the Time to Contact Your State Legislators appeared first on Capital Area Food Bank.

]]> http://www.capitalareafoodbank.org/2013/01/now-is-the-time-to-contact-your-state-legislators/feed/ 0 http://www.capitalareafoodbank.org/2013/01/congress-passes-american-tax-relief-act-of-2012/ http://www.capitalareafoodbank.org/2013/01/congress-passes-american-tax-relief-act-of-2012/#comments Wed, 02 Jan 2013 21:38:36 +0000 Brian Banks http://www.capitalareafoodbank.org/?p=18586 Despite passage of the ATRA, there is much work still to be done to ensure that our nation’s entitlement programs do not disappear.

The post Congress Passes American Tax Relief Act of 2012 appeared first on Capital Area Food Bank.

]]> The U. S. House of Representatives voted on January 1st to pass the American Tax Relief Act of 2012 by a vote of 257-167; following the Senate’s passage of the same bill the day before. The passage of this act allows for a one-year extension of the current Food, Conservation & Energy Act of 2008, known as the Farm Bill. This legislation is not set to expire until the end of fiscal year 2013 in September.

For Americans and food banks across the nation the passage of the American Tax Relief is good news. However, there is much work still to be done to ensure that our nation’s entitlement programs do not disappear or receive major cuts at the end of FY 2013.

Congressional Republicans are moving forward to support cuts to programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Prior to the recent passage of the American Tax Relief Act, the U.S. Senate approved SNAP cuts of $4 Billion and the House called for cuts of $16 Billion. The proposed cuts will most likely include the removal of the employment training program which is under SNAP. This enables people to receive the help and assistance needed to not only find career opportunities, but to obtain the skills to maintain consistent success once in the workplace.

Experts believe that cuts to the Farm Bill’s safety-net programs will occur after the one-year extension just approved by Congress and that Congress will probably have less funding for a five-year Farm Bill reauthorization. Therefore, if there is less funding, there will be fewer dollars to put into the programs that people in need rely on to get them back on their feet. The question you are most likely wondering is, “how much should we expect in cuts?” My answer to that is simple; don’t ask that question just yet. At this time you should contact your legislators, and encourage them to protect the safety-net programs in the Farm Bill.

Will you take time to write your legislators? Please tell them your own personal story, and why the safety-net programs are important to you, your family, your neighbors, your friends and your co-workers. And when you write please ask them not to cut the SNAP or TEFAP programs.

Other important items included in the American Tax Relief Act:

• 2009 expansion of Earned Income Tax Credit, Child Credit and the American Opportunity Tax Credit will be extended for five years,
• taxes will not rise on middle class and low-income Americans,
• a congressional pay freeze will be in effect, and
• unemployment insurance will receive a one-year extension, benefitting the unemployed if they have not worked in 26 weeks.

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]]> http://www.capitalareafoodbank.org/2013/01/congress-passes-american-tax-relief-act-of-2012/feed/ 0 http://www.capitalareafoodbank.org/2012/12/tis-the-season-to-support-snap/ http://www.capitalareafoodbank.org/2012/12/tis-the-season-to-support-snap/#comments Tue, 18 Dec 2012 22:22:51 +0000 Amanda Melara http://www.capitalareafoodbank.org/?p=18488 As generosity abounds during the holiday season, let us not forget to support the programs that are helping people every day of the year

The post ‘Tis the Season to Support SNAP appeared first on Capital Area Food Bank.

]]> As generosity abounds during the holiday season, let us not forget to support the programs that are helping people every day of the year.

One of these programs is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps. In ongoing debates about the federal budget, SNAP continues to hold a central place because of its high cost, but should it constantly be at risk for cuts?

SNAP is currently an expensive program simply because so many people are eligible based on income. However as the economy and job situations improve, the numbers of people using the benefit will decrease as will the cost.

Even in its present form, the money we’re spending on SNAP is an investment in the future, providing nutrition to children and adults and, thereby, reducing the risk for the multitudes of hunger-related social, economic and health issues they may face if unable to eat properly.

Should a program that works to meet a basic human need be a target for cuts at the same time Congress is considering tax breaks for millionaires?

The effects of hunger are preventable when we provide our neighbors with the resources they need to put nutritious food on the table, and right now SNAP is helping millions to do just that. Please take a moment during the hustle and bustle of the season to remember those who are struggling and then voice your support for programs such as SNAP that are providing critical resources. Visit Congress.org for an easy way to find or write to all your federal and state officials.

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]]> http://www.capitalareafoodbank.org/2012/12/tis-the-season-to-support-snap/feed/ 0