Latest news with #SNAP-Ed
Politico
06-07-2025
- Business
- Politico
‘We're the frontline of defense': Food banks grapple with megabill's impact
'Solving rural hunger is, by definition, much more expensive because you're moving smaller quantities of food over much longer distances to serve smaller populations,' said Vince Hall, chief government relations officer at Feeding America, the nation's largest network of food banks. Republicans have defended the cuts, arguing that the government needs to put its proverbial fiscal house in order and rid federal safety net programs of waste and fraud. They've pointed to high SNAP payment error rates, which measure how accurately states calculate food aid eligibility and benefits for households, as a prime example. 'The status quo, slap on the wrist penalties from USDA have failed at maintaining program integrity in SNAP,' House and Senate Agriculture committee chairs G.T. Thompson (R-Pa.) and John Boozman (R-Ark.) said in a statement earlier this week. '[The megabill's] historic reforms will give states skin in the game on SNAP benefits and ensure they have a real incentive to improve oversight and stop improper payments before they happen.' While some of Republicans' changes to SNAP and Medicaid won't take effect until fiscal year 2027, food banks are expecting to see increased numbers in their lines later this year, according to Hall. For example, the megabill's expanded work requirements for SNAP participants could take effect as soon as this year, potentially kicking some families out of the program within months. SNAP-Ed, a program that provides funding to food banks for nutrition education like cooking classes and tips for how to stretch a grocery budget, will also be cut. At Feeding America West Michigan, president Kenneth Estelle says his organization is launching a major fundraising campaign in August, anticipating even higher demand prompted by SNAP cuts. Share Food Program's George Matysik said he's working closely with Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro to increase state resources for food banks. For example, Shapiro's budget, which the state legislature hasn't yet passed, proposes an additional $8 million for local food purchasing and emergency food assistance. 'We're the frontline of defense because there's nowhere to go for free utilities or free rent but you can get free food from your local food shelf,' said Zach Rodvold, director of public affairs at Second Harvest Heartland, a food bank in Minnesota, which recently approved a new program for food banks. It's not entirely clear all the ways in which different pieces of the megabill will interact with each other, but many anti-hunger advocates say they fear the number of people kicked out of programs like Medicaid and SNAP could be even higher than currently estimated.
Yomiuri Shimbun
12-06-2025
- Health
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Nutrition Program for Americans on Food Stamps at Risk in GOP Bill
Wesley Lapointe/For The Washington Post Aretha Richardson waters seedlings planted during an adult SNAP-Ed class in the community garden at Moravia Park Elementary School in Baltimore on June 4. BALTIMORE – A group of kindergartners sat attentively in a bright elementary school, ready to learn the keys to living a healthy life. One of the four main pillars, nutrition educator Karen Turner told them, was to drink lots of water. 'What about Pepsi?' Turner asked. 'No!' the kids screamed. 'What about Capri Sun?' 'No!' For more than 15 years, Turner has been teaching healthy habits to students at schools like Moravia Park Elementary, where 100 percent of the children are eligible for free and reduced meals. The effort is part of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education, or SNAP-Ed, a federally funded initiative that aims to help low-income Americans make healthier, cost-effective food choices. But Turner's classes – and other activities to increase nutrition and prevent obesity across the country – could soon end. House Republicans have proposed eliminating SNAP-Ed. The potential cut alarms program leaders who say states would be forced to pare back efforts to improve Americans' health at a moment when addressing childhood illness and chronic disease has rapidly become a major theme of President Donald Trump's domestic agenda. Supporters of the program wonder why Congress would defund efforts to teach food stamp recipients how to eat healthy at the same time Trump administration officials are, for the first time, approving state efforts to crack down on using benefits to pay for soda and candy. Nearly 20 percent of U.S. children are obese, almost four times the rate in the 1970s before the proliferation of ultra-processed food, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nation's top health official, has called for sweeping change to the nation's food supply. 'If you want America to be healthier and you're cutting SNAP-Ed, I don't see how that can be done,' said Turner, who is with Maryland's SNAP-Ed program run by the University of Maryland Extension. The cut was just one line item in the House version of Trump's massive tax and immigration bill, which passed the chamber last month. It's not yet clear what Senate Republicans will do. A spokeswoman for the Senate agriculture panel, which oversees SNAP, said the committee is 'working through the process' of crafting its portion of the bill with the aim to release it in the 'coming days.' She did not say whether the chamber will also seek to eliminate dollars to SNAP-Ed. On Monday evening, Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama), a member of the Agriculture Committee, said the Senate has not yet decided. Another member, Sen. Jim Justice (R-West Virginia), said he did not believe the program would be fully eliminated, but funding could be reduced. Republicans cast SNAP-Ed as duplicative and ineffective, saying they don't believe it has delivered meaningful change in the nutrition or obesity of Americans who receive benefits formerly known as food stamps – an assertion those who have evaluated the program contest. 'The data shows it hasn't moved the dial in making America healthy again,' Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-Pennsylvania), the chair of the House Agriculture Committee, said in a brief interview. A 2019 Government Accountability Office report stated that the U.S. Department of Agriculture needed to improve how it gathers information on the effectiveness of SNAP-Ed programs to determine if the program is meeting its goals. Since then, the program has bolstered its reporting mechanisms. The sweeping legislation – which the Senate is currently reworking in an effort to pass it by July 4 – includes other major changes to SNAP, which provides food assistance to needy families. The House bill expanded work requirements to receive benefits. It also required states to pay between 5 to 25 percent of SNAP benefits in moves that could lead millions of low-income Americans to lose access to food stamps or see decreases in their monthly benefits. Yet, many SNAP-Ed leaders were caught off guard by the complete elimination of the $536 million annual program, one of the USDA's largest nutrition education initiatives. Congressional scorekeepers estimate repealing the program would save the government nearly $5.5 billion over the next decade. 'Each day, the Department of Agriculture spends roughly $400 million across its 16 nutrition programs. Yet diet-related, chronic disease is skyrocketing, particularly in children,' a USDA spokesperson said in a statement, adding that 'Secretary [Brooke] Rollins will continue to support President Trump's agenda while making certain we respect the generosity of the American taxpayer to Make America Healthy Again.' Fed and watered In Baltimore in early June – less than two weeks after the House passed legislation to eliminate SNAP-Ed – a two-hour nutrition class for adults was wrapping up. The smell of Cajun-style catfish overwhelmed the hallways of the elementary school as participants enjoyed the food they made based on ingredients they had received earlier from a food bank. Cheryl Colvin poured some salt into her hand and sprinkled it on her fish. Then, the self-professed 'salt-a-holic' took a bite. 'I just added that little pinch of salt,' she said, 'and I shouldn't have.' Colvin – who receives roughly $300 in food stamps each month – said she grew up cooking with a lot of grease. Through Turner's classes, the two-time cancer survivor is learning to prepare foods in a healthier way, she said, such as by roasting chicken rather than frying it (and using less salt). She, along with the other participants, also made 'container gardens' out of empty strawberry containers. They planted a lettuce mix as Turner told the class they could use their food stamp benefits to buy seeds. 'Can you see how that can actually help you save money?' Turner asked the class. For roughly 25 years, Maryland has operated a SNAP-Ed program through the University of Maryland Extension. But the groundwork for the nationwide initiative was laid decades ago, and starting in 1992, the federal government began partially funding nutrition education plans from states that chose to participate. Nearly two decades later, SNAP-Ed became a nationwide grant program with the passage of the 2010 Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. States get federal grants to fund an array of educational activities, such as marketing campaigns, farm-to-school programs and community gardens. The focus is also on creating new policies aimed at improving the overall health in a community, like an effort in Maryland to work with school districts to strengthen wellness policies. The program is targeted to those who are eligible for SNAP, as well as those who qualify for other federal food assistance. In a markup of the House bill last month, several Democrats criticized the move to eliminate dollars to SNAP-Ed. 'SNAP benefits are being cut in this hearing – right now through this bill,' said Rep. Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii). 'Now we're also talking about taking away the education that helps families stretch them further.' Thompson, the Republican committee chair, said that he'd always believed the concept of SNAP education was a 'really good thing.' He argued that 'numerous studies' had not shown evidence that SNAP-Ed has influenced long-term behaviors, adding that the federal government has other nutrition programs. A spokesman pointed to the GAO report as well as two studies from 2012 and 2013, which had varied results. Those who have evaluated the program contend they believe it is effective. They point to data they say show there is evidence the program is accomplishing its goals and contend it fills gaps that other federal programs can't fill. 'Republicans didn't talk with us about bipartisan solutions for how we might improve the program,' Rep. Angie Craig (Minnesota), the top Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee, said in a statement to The Washington Post. 'They took a page out of Elon Musk's DOGE playbook and deleted SNAP-Ed entirely.' In recent years, SNAP-Ed launched a new electronic national reporting system to better compare data across states, according to the Association of SNAP Nutrition Education Administrators. Pamela Bruno, the lead evaluator of Maine's SNAP-Ed program, said the association recently analyzed data from the new reporting system that showed improvement in fruit and vegetable intake, as well as shopping behaviors and physical activity. 'As someone who's evaluated it for over a decade, I see the impacts,' Bruno said, 'and I believe there is a rigorous and really effective process for both planning and evaluating this program nationally.' Jerry Mande, who oversaw SNAP-Ed at the Agriculture Department for six years under the Obama administration, says he wants the initiative to have a greater focus on developing pilot programs to test out new policies in SNAP and mass-media campaigns – efforts he believes could have the broadest reach. But, Mande said, he opposes the effort to defund the program. He noted the Trump administration's recently released budget dealing with discretionary spending mentions funding for SNAP-Ed. The White House has not detailed how it will handle funding levels for programs, like SNAP-ED, set outside the annual appropriations cycle. Some prior Trump budgets had proposed terminating funding. After the nutrition lesson with Turner at the Baltimore elementary school, Tina Smith walked her kindergartners back to the classroom. They had just learned about four ways to be happy and healthy. Enjoy healthy snacks. Eat healthy meals. Use playtime as exercise. Drink lots of water. For 14 years, Smith has worked at Moravia Park Elementary School. The classes, she said, were an 'eye-opener.'
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
UH program that helps struggling ʻohana on federal chopping block
HONOLULU (KHON2) — A University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa program aimed at helping struggling ʻohana and kūpuna is on the federal chopping block as the U.S. Congress looks at cutting its funding. UH's SNAP-Ed program, which is run by the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience, receives federal funding for its operations, which includes teaching ʻohana how to prepare healthy and affordable meals. Early morning vehicle collisions hospitalize two 'Our college has been working with local families and kūpuna through SNAP-Ed for more than 20 years,' SNAP-Ed Program Director Jean Butel said. 'Our SNAP-Ed program has become a trusted community partner that helps about 15,000 community members across Hawaiʻi every year. We meet people where they are: public schools, farmer's markets, senior care facilities and other community gathering places.' In addition to teaching people how to make healthy meals, the program also helps families budget for their groceries and even shows them how to grow their own produce. According to UH, 91% of participants in the program improved their diet, 83% learned how to budget better and 40% said they could afford more food for their ʻ for the SNAP-Ed program has been completely cut from the budget, which is currently being debated by the federal legislature, which puts local families at risk of losing a vital resource, UH said. 'We are grateful that Hawaiʻi's Congressional delegation fully supports SNAP-Ed,' said college Dean Parwinder Grewal. 'With our geographic isolation, high cost of living and ongoing food insecurity, full funding is essential for Congress to continue supporting Hawaiʻi's SNAP-Ed families and kūpuna.' Should the federal government approve of the cuts, the program will expire on Sept. 30, potentially further hurting already struggling locals. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
How SNAP changes could impact food insecurity
WYOMING, Mich. (WOOD) — A federal budget proposal could reduce or take away vital benefits for those already struggling to afford basic needs, and advocates in Kent County are sounding the alarm. At a discussion in Wyoming on Friday, groups in Kent County gathered to raise concerns about what President Donald Trump calls the 'One Big Beautiful Bill.'If it is passed, those who use Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits may be at risk of losing them. Data from last year shows nearly 1.5 million Michigan residents, or 15% of the population, received SNAP benefits. State Budget Office: GOP bill would strain budget, threaten residents' benefits Those at the meeting outlined what else the proposed cuts would affect, including SNAP-Ed, a federally funded grant program that teaches nutrition. Julie Brunson, executive director of H.O.P.E. Gardens (Helping Other People Eat), says that funding helps her team run nutrition education programs for children and families in the community. 'The loss of SNAP-Ed would definitely affect HOPE Gardens,' she said. 'But more importantly, it would affect our community and our children.' Several states call for tighter restrictions on SNAP benefits H.O.P.E. Gardens has several community gardens at schools to teach children how to grow their own food. 'It affects their food security and gives them agency over their own food,' she said. 'Seeing the impact this has on children and families is amazing… If you give a man a fish, he eats for a day, but if you teach a man to fish, he eats for a lifetime.' Brunson knows the stakes because she lived them. She grew up with a single mother raising seven children. She said her family relied on the type of support that is now at risk. 'We needed that help and families still need that help,' she said. SNAP changes proposed in GOP's 'big, beautiful bill.' Here's what to know Brunson says her team couldn't do what they do without continued funding. 'It makes me sad. It makes me angry,' she said. Several speakers urged community members to contact their congressional representatives to share how these programs have helped them or their neighbors. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Miami Herald
27-05-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Morgan Stanley makes bold call on Kraft Heinz, Conagra
What will happen with food stamps benefits? Are retailers affected? What about the packaged food companies and beverage manufacturers? These are the key questions raised after the House Committee on Agriculture proposed major reforms. The Republican-led Committee recently proposed cutting more than $290 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) over the next 10 years. Around 42 million people across the country rely on SNAP to buy groceries. Related: Reports may show if economy is toughing out tariffs The Committee argued that the program has become too expensive and inefficient, which is why it is proposing a reform that would include stricter work requirements, tighter eligibility rules, ending programs like SNAP-Ed, and giving states a financial responsibility in the program. The goal behind the proposed changes is to reduce fraud, fix loopholes, and end "the Biden Administration's illegal overreach." Anti-hunger advocates quickly criticized the proposal, warning that it could result in high rates of food insecurity, especially for parents who are unable to document enough work hours, reported NBC news. "A vote for this bill will result in more kids facing hunger - in every state, in every community, in every zip code," said Senior Director Jason Gromley, of the nonprofit Share Our Strength. On the other hand, Morgan Stanley analysts estimate that the overall economic impact may not be as significant as it initially appears. Food and beverage industries would, however, be affected the most. Even before the Agriculture Committee revealed its actual proposal on SNAP cuts, the Center for American Progress (CAP), an independent nonpartisan policy institute, projected a serious impact on retailers. According to CAP, more than 27,000 retailers in largely rural counties carry the highest risk of being negatively impacted by SNAP cuts. "Some stores in low-income neighborhoods have more than 50 percent SNAP sales. A 20 percent cut to SNAP would make it very difficult for stores like this, in food deserts, to remain open," said Stephanie Johnson of the National Grocers Association. More on Retail: Iconic retailer returns after 13 years to take on AmazonIkea's new product offering could be a game changer for consumersBankruptcy forces ice cream chain to close 500 locations In addition to small retailers, even giants like Walmart (WMT) will be affected. About 94% of SNAP shoppers purchased groceries at Walmart in the 12 months ended July 31, 2024, according to data from Numerator. Further, budget retailers like 7-Eleven, Dollar General (DG) , Dollar Tree (DLTR) , and Winco Foods captured roughly twice the market share among SNAP shoppers, compared to those not using SNAP benefits. Meanwhile, Morgan Stanley analysts project that actual SNAP cuts may amount to only $150 billion, with only about $90-100 billion of direct reductions in SNAP benefits as increased state contributions would offset federal cuts, writes Barron's. "For packaged foods, SNAP cuts and category restrictions present another volume headwind (albeit modest) to an industry that is already struggling with weak underlying demand. For beverages, we view SNAP benefit cuts and state restrictions on SNAP use for soda (and potentially energy drinks) as a manageable incremental headwind for corporate sales growth," Morgan Stanley said as reported by Supermarket Perimeter. Companies with the highest level of exposure include Kraft Heinz Co. (KHC) and Conagra Brands Inc. (CAG) , while Coca-Cola (KO) , Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP) , and Monster Beverage Co. (MNST) are "well positioned despite moderate incremental SNAP risk, with strong pricing power, market share gains, and existing historical volume growth." According to Morgan Stanley experts, the most affected packaged-food companies besides Conagra are WK Kellogg (KLG) and J.M. Smucker (SJM) , because more than 22% of their sales are coming from low-income consumers. With inflation already widely hurting people's wallets and reducing their spending, low-income consumers might start to focus more on the more affordable private-label products. Related: Iconic brand from your childhood finds new life Analysts say SNAP shoppers are more likely to buy products from Conagra, Kellogg, and Kraft Heinz than from Mondelez (MDLZ) , Campbell's, or Hershey (HSY) . Mondelez is less exposed, with only 25% of its sales in the U.S. However, analysts think that most of the SNAP-related risks are already reflected in the stock prices of packaged-food companies. Year-to-date, Conagra stock is down 19.05%, and Kraft Heinz dropped 14.53%. The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
