Policy and Healthy Eating

1. Policy and Healthy Eating Food Providers Can Advocate for Better Nutrition in Tough Economic Times MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger California Nutrition and Healthy Eating Initiative Public Policy & Advocacy Subcommittee January 25-26, 2010

2. Public Policy and Advocacy Subcommittee • Frank Tamborello, Hunger Action LA • Steve Diaz, LA CAN/CHAC • Betsy Edwards, Alameda County Community Food Bank/CHAC • Ken Hecht, California Food Policy Advocates • Eric Manke, California Association of Food Banks • Colleen Rivecca, St. Anthony Foundation • Tia Shimada, California Food Policy Advocates • Marla Feldman, MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger

3. Workshop Goal To discuss the basics of policy advocacy and learn about simple steps you can take to advocate for nutrition, healthy eating, and an end to hunger.

4. How Did We Get Here? • What • Informative interviews with a small but varied selection of grantees • To learn • What grantees are doing now to engage in policy advocacy • How MAZON can help

5. Grantees’ Responses • Goals and Current Activities • Varying degrees of engagement in policy advocacy • Desire to be more engaged in policy advocacy • Varied definitions of “advocacy” • Barriers and Challenges • Limited resources • Time • Funding • Staffing • Experience & expertise

6. Grantees’ Responses • What works and what is needed for your policy advocacy efforts? • Supportive internal leadership • Policy updates & connections to policy organizations • Prioritization of policy issues • Current, local data • Anything quick, simple, and self-explanatory • Best practices for: • Building relationships with media & policymakers • Engaging clients in advocacy

7. Why Nutrition and Healthy Eating? • Malnutrition • Insufficient/excess calories • Inadequate nutrient intake • Healthy foods are less accessible to our clients • Cost • Availability • Obesity and related chronic diseases negatively impact quality of life, productivity, academic achievement, and health care costs

8. Poverty Causes Both Hunger & Malnutrition • No money at all---to buy any food • Not enough money---making choices of food that is “calorie rich but nutrient poor” • Social programs can help but California is not pulling its weight: • Food Stamps add to purchasing power but California is only enrolling half of eligible participants • SSI and CalWORKs add to cash purchasing power but California is constantly cutting these benefits

9. Public Policy and Healthy Eating: Examples Policies with Restrictions: • Soda Ban, LA Unified School District • SB 19: Statewide Ban on Junk Food in Vending Machines • Fast Food Zoning in parts of LA: Restricting new fast food places from opening Policies with Incentives: • AB 2384: Money back on food stamp purchases for fresh food and to help “corner stores” add more refrigeration to be able to store fresh produce (Pilot in 2010) • WIC Program: Rules changes to include healthier food • Farm to Family: brings fresh produce to food banks and pantries

10. What is the Food Provider’s Role? • We can’t control EVERYTHING someone eats but we can do our part to provide healthier food. • We don’t have to turn down every donation of unhealthy food but should increase the supply of healthy food into the system. • We should advocate for healthy food policy, not simply food policy at every opportunity. • We can be a learning place for the community on food issues. • We can provide nutrition education for our staff and clients.

11. Strengthening a Small Agency’s Work in Advocacy • Realize: Healthy food policy advocacy matters. • If it takes less than 5 minutes, do it now. • Print and take home lengthy articles. • Volunteers and directors can be helpful. • Ask questions--get a mentor. • Volunteer for CHAC or CAFB. • Small counties have big impact in personal legislative visits. • Visit local district office, even if you also go to Sacramento. • Know your legislator’s record.

12. Menu of Policy Advocacy • Appetizers: • Send emails and faxes and make calls. • Send position letters. • Participate in local, state and federal coalitions. • Lunch Specials: • Conduct regular visits and communication. • Build relationships with legislators/government officials and their staff. • Optimize opportunities with legislators/government officials and their staff. • Entrees: • Gather Stories. • Involve Clients. • Build a strong network of advocates among staff and clients of member agencies.

13. Two Big, Easy Opportunities ENACT Nutrition Day--- Hunger Action Day—Wednesday May 19

14. Talking About Hunger and Healthy Eating at the Same Time • Anti-hunger programs also promote nutrition—Food Stamps allow people to buy more fresh food. • Income programs (CalWORKs and SSI) are targeted for cuts---people cannot purchase as much food when cash is reduced. • You don’t need to know about all the programs to speak out against cuts.

15. Advocacy Opportunities for 2010 Federal • Child Nutrition Reauthorization - food banks, food pantries and other organizations can play a role in guaranteeing greater access and quality during Child Nutrition Reauthorization. State • Protect CalWORKs, SSI and CFAP from further cuts in the budget. • Support bills that create greater access to food stamps. • Support bills that expand and improve child nutrition programs. Local • Protect County GA programs from cuts. • Work for classroom breakfast at schools. • Conduct food stamp outreach. • Become a Summer Food sponsor or site. • Think outside the confines of “programs” and  incorporate client input to address problems.

16. Messages for 2010 Child Nutrition Reauthorization • Child Nutrition programs need an additional investment of at least $1 Billion a year to increase access and meal quality. • A funding increase is a necessary down payment towards achieving President Obama’s goal of ending childhood hunger by 2015. State Budget • More cuts to CalWORKs, SSI and CFAP will hurt the ability of families and seniors to purchase healthy food. • The budget should protect the safety net and help families and our State bounce back from this recession. • Governor should eliminate existing state barriers to accessing food stamps in order to tap into more federal funding for California.

17. Roleplay Time! Three Roles for Advocates: Facilitator (introduces group, keeps speakers in order, makes initial request to official) Storyteller(s) Give the personal stories, and some of the less-personal data, to make the case for the “ask”… The “Ask” Person Summarizes the request(s) for the official, such as to support a certain bill

18. Sample Basic Script • Hello I am ______________________________ • From your district • We represent ________ (number of people) • We are here to support _______________because ______________* • *What is the connection of the particular policy to healthy eating? • Child nutrition reauthorization---$$ to meet standards • Protecting cash programs from budget cuts---fewer resources to buy healthy food which costs more • Local advocacy for school breakfast---kids need a chance to eat healthy • Local advocacy for food stamp outreach---food stamps facilitate healthy food purchases

19. Your Take Away Tool Kit • Look for policy updates from CAFB, CHAC, and CFPA. • Updated local data available on February 18 from www.cfpa.net (2010 County Nutrition Profiles). • CFPA sends regular Alert updates: www.cfpa.net • Food Research and Action Center: www.frac.org , also has regular alerts. • Center for Weight and Health: http://cwh.berkeley.edu/

20. For More Information Eric Manke California Association of Food Banks eric@cafoodbanks.org or 510.272.4435 ext 214 George Manalo-LeClair California Food Policy Advocates george@cfpa.net or 510.433.1122 ext 102 Betsy Edwards California Hunger Action Coalition bedwards@accfb.org or 510.635.3663 ext 307