Community
Action...Creating Local Opportunities for Economic Self-Sufficiency
Food
Security
& Community Action in Wisconsin
Households are “food
insecure” when they cannot acquire – or are uncertain of having -
sufficient food for an active, healthy life for all members.
It is
fundamentally a problem of insufficient income arising from societal and
individual factors.
Societal
conditions that contribute to hunger include: jobs that pay chronically
low wages, poor job benefits, company lay-offs or closures, limited
availability of full-time employment, racial or ethnic discrimination,
and rising prices, as well as detrimental state & federal policies and
funding priorities. Individual circumstances that can increase the
Community Action, Inc.
Food Commodity Program
risk of hunger include divorce,
death of
a spouse, physical & mental illness, disability, single
parenthood, domestic violence, insufficient education, addiction,
incarceration, and limited financial literacy.
Hunger is an extreme
form of food insecurity that affects about one third of Wisconsin’s food
insecure households. The USDA has conducted annual surveys over the past 10 years to
better understand the extent of the problem. Their 2004 survey
estimated there were 540,000 Wisconsin citizens living in food insecure
households (8% of all Wisconsin households). And the rate has been
rising. In 1995 Wisconsin had the 2nd lowest rate in the
nation, but now is in a 3-way tie for 13th place. Another
sensitive measure is food pantry demand. WISCAP data from food pantries
in 69 counties that distribute federal commodities (TEFAP) show these
providers are serving 55% more households now than in 2001.
How Do Community Action Agencies Help?
Community Action
Agencies connect food insecure low-income households to a variety of
federal programs and other resources to help meet their nutritional
needs.
The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) Provides millions of pounds of USDA commodities to hundreds of
food pantries, meal sites and shelters throughout Wisconsin.
CAAs coordinate monthly distribution in 69 counties. CAAs also
regularly secure additional privately donated & purchased foods
for pantries, and grants to enhance equipment and
infrastructure.
FoodShare Outreach Provides food assistance to low-income households by means of a
debit card so they can purchase food at retail grocery stores.
FoodShare is the nation’s primary program against hunger.
Summer Food Service Program Provides summer meals to low-income children in conjunction with
educational, recreational or enrichments programs during the
summer when children don’t have access to school meals.
Child & Adult Care Food Program Provides reimbursements to child care centers and family day
care homes for meals served to children.
WIC Provides food
vouchers and nutrition education to pregnant women, infants and
young children in low-income families to ensure healthy birth
outcomes and early child development.
Community & Home Gardening CAAs provide support both to community gardening initiatives and
projects that distribute garden seed to low-income families to
promote home gardening.
To find a CAA in your area that
operates food security programs click on
one of the headings below:
(Please note services may not be available in all
counties. Contact the agency in your area for more information.)
In 2007, 13 CAAs distributed over 4.8 million
pounds of commodities to a network of 235
participating food pantries, meal sites and
shelters in 69 counties. Food pantries served a
monthly average of 101,000 people, while meal
sites & shelters served a monthly average of
81,000 meals!
Food Pantries in the
network distributed an additional 16 million
pounds of privately donated to low-income
households. Thirteen CAAs and 3 partner
agencies distributed free vegetable seed packs
to 6,000 households
SDC’s Youth Food
Programs served over 2 million meals & snacks to
Milwaukee children through a variety of programs
and Community Action Coalition for South Central
WI, Inc.’s, successful CAC Gleaners program
distributed over 1 million pounds of prepared &
perishable food to local providers.
