Childhood Food Insecurity: Close to

HomeRachel Olive, MSWExecutive Director

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Mission

• Hunger Free Heartland is an organization for change that builds collaborating partnerships to implement solutions to end childhood

food insecurity.

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Value PropositionWe are the champion leading change to eliminate childhood food security

• Educating the community• Building capacity

• Advocacy

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Hunger-Coping Behaviors: Scales

Hunger-Coping Trade-Offs

Having to choosing between paying for food and paying other household expenses in the last month

Financial Coping

Borrowing money, selling property, skipping bills, or modifying food spending in order to be able to pay for food

Rationing Coping

Hiding food, eating less food, eating only after children, avoiding providing food for guests, and gorging when food is available

Three main groups, or scales, or hunger-coping behaviors were established:

Hunger-Coping Behaviors: Results

Hunger-Coping Trade-Offs

“…choose between paying for food and

paying for utilities…”(44%)

“…choose between paying for food and paying for

medicine…”(35%)

Financial Coping

Strategies

“…bought the cheapest food available…” (73%)

“…Asked friends and family for food or money

for food…” (49%)

Rationing Coping

Strategies

“…eaten as much as possible when food is available…” (61%)

“…eaten meals or snacks only after children finished…” (53%)

There is Hope: We can Eliminate Childhood

Food Insecurity

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Gundersen, October 2012

Research said investing in these 5 areas could lead to a significantly improved outcome:

SBP& School

Breakfast & Lunch

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance

Program (SNAP)

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InputAnnual

Food Insecurity Metric Factors Outside our control

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5 Areas

reduced food

insecurity

What is happening in Omaha?

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OMAHA PLAN

Initiative led by ConAgrawith the goal to reduce childhood food insecurity in Omaha by 10% between the years of 2014-2016.

Five areas proven to reduce food insecurity were decided to be the focus through various programs

1. SNAP2. National School Lunch3. Food Banks4. Low Food Prices5. Financial Management

Skills

• Five local organizations commit to being a part of the Omaha Plan

• Gretchen Swanson Center for Nutrition was responsible for conducting research and compiling data

• Hunger Free Heartland serves as the role of a backbone organization for the initiative.

Child Hunger Ends Here

OMAHA PLAN

Child Hunger Ends Here

19.7% children under 18 in poverty

71.8% children under 6 with all available parents working

22.9% parents of children participating in SNAP

38.6% children in Medicaid or CHIP

43.3% children eligible for free and reduced school meals

Douglas County, Nebraska

“Kids Count” data from Voices for Children - 2014

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Douglas County Health Department has been implementing Healthy Neighborhood Food Stores throughout the Omaha metro. At these stores, they are educating and encouraging those with SNAP benefits on how to buy and afford healthier food options.

Creighton Financial Hope Collaborative teaches clients financial skills that increase their chances of getting out

of poverty and becoming more food secure. Topics include: budgeting; debt consolidation; level payment

plans for utilities; and much more.

Omaha Public Schools has been making efforts to encourage schools across the district to participate in alternative breakfast models. Statistics show that many students do not receive breakfast at home, and avoid eating at school due to the stigmatization they receive. By providing alternative breakfast options, students receive a meal and perform better in the classroom.

The Hunger Collaborative is composed of three different pantries that offer services to clients as

well as food. The three pantries are Heartland Hope Mission, Together Inc., and Heart Ministry

Center.

Food Bank for the Heartland is the main sponsor for child food programs such as: Summer Meals Feeding Sites; After School At-Risk Meals; and the Back Pack

Program. The Food Bank also oversees the statewide SNAP outreach efforts and is the main distributor of

food to the Hunger Collaborative pantries.

OMAHA PLAN – Partners & Strategies

Successes Because of Collective Funding

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Omaha Public Schools

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Schools that received monetary incentive for introducing alternative breakfast

models into their school used those funds to purchase

classroom materials such

as books, supplies,

technology

health materials such

as water bottles for

students and gym clothes

Gym equipment such as jump

ropes and basketballs

OMAHA PLAN

Hunger Collaborative

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Referral program that has shortened the feeding line

Hunger Collaborative and Food Bank for the Heartland joined to implement a program to increase nutrition education and signage within pantries for nutritious choices

Successfully campaigned for the 24th St. Bus routes, bus stops at the pantries

Two of the most successful Great American Milk Drives for the State of NE

OMAHA PLAN

Food Bank for the Heartland

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The approval rating has

increased almost 6% (was at 69%, now around 75%

and growing)

The Omaha Plan was able to fund a new staff member who has the responsibility of finding those clients and individuals who have not completed their SNAP application and helping in follow up to ensure completion

It has allowed them to look at more individual outcomes and

where the process was breaking down in SNAP

approval versus the final outcome

Has allowed collaboration with the state as well

OMAHA PLAN

Douglas County Health Department

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Increase in 23 square miles of access to healthy foods (food deserts getting smaller, which means the percent of people without access to food decreased)

Iowa State University Extension visited to learn more about the Healthy Neighborhood Stores Project.

OMAHA PLAN

Creighton Financial Hope Collaborative

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Was able to leverage other funding from resources to get an additional $40,000 from a partner, due to the successes

from the program

Clients/Participants have been getting promotions at work due to their financial skills, becoming less dependent on

food pantries/services

More banks/credit unions have been offering debt consolidation loans due to the efforts of the FHC

OMAHA PLAN

Hunger Free Heartland

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2015

Brought $19000 into Nebraska to build capacity and streamline marketing for summer meals

Collaborated with the Team Nutrition, Midwest Dairy Council, and Action for Healthy Kids to re-launch and re-frame the school breakfast challenge

Created and administered a service learning curriculum for College of St. Mary’s that educated students about childhood food insecurity and connected them to potential resources in the communityAssisted and co-facilitated the creation of best practices for clothing pantries.

OMAHA PLAN

Gretchen Swanson Center for Nutrition

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Publication of three articles related to the

research of the Omaha Plan

Greater understanding of Hunger Coping Mechanisms,

related to Food Insecurity

Completion of Year 1 and 2

Community Based Participatory

Research

OMAHA PLAN

Collaborating to Eliminate

• We know that there is a strong correlation to clients receiving more than one intervention and achieving financial sustainability.

• This means the only way to change the landscape of food insecurity and poverty is to work together.

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Thank You Any Questions?

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