Latino participation in SNAP is only 54%; while the national
participation rate is 66%.
CHICAGO, May 17, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- More than
one in four Latinos are food insecure, and low participation in the
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) puts Latino
families at greater nutritional risk than families in other
demographic groups. This is due, in large part, to misconceptions
around the rules governing program eligibility.
In order to increase awareness of and participation in SNAP
among Latino families, Feeding America is partnering with the
ConAgra Foods Foundation. Together with Feeding America food banks
in targeted communities, this initiative will work towards the
goals of increasing the number of SNAP applications submitted for
benefits from Latino households and decreasing barriers in
accessing the SNAP program by expanding the number of access points
where families can learn about benefits.
"Together we have the power to inform the nation about the
struggles that our low-income Latino communities face and advocate
for better support for our neighbors in need," said Vicki Escarra, president and CEO of Feeding
America, the nation's largest domestic hunger relief organization.
"Hunger affects people from all walks of life, from all
backgrounds and all communities. And although hunger does not
discriminate, it does affect populations at unequal rates and in
different ways."
In fall 2010, ConAgra Foods Foundation funded a joint research
project by the Urban Institute and Feeding America that showed that
nearly one in three Latino children in the United States received services from
Feeding America food banks. Because Latino children and their
families are significantly less likely to receive SNAP benefits,
Feeding America and ConAgra Foods Foundation are committed to doing
more outreach because of the high need in the Latino community.
ConAgra Foods Foundation will support the Latino SNAP
outreach by providing funding for three to four food banks to test
localized solutions in reaching Latino populations. The food banks
will be selected via a competitive RFP process from "hunger hot
spots" with the highest rates of Latino food insecurity.
"We know that children, regardless of race or nationality, are
vulnerable to the impacts of food insecurity and hunger, and Latino
families are less likely to receive SNAP benefits than families in
other demographic groups. And while this is a nearly
universal problem, there is no single solution that will help all
families," said Kori Reed, vice
president, Cause & Foundation at ConAgra Foods. "By supporting
Feeding America, we can better understand how to help Latino
families get the assistance they need to provide their families
with nourishing meals."
The SNAP outreach efforts by Feeding America, supported by the
ConAgra Foods Foundation, will complement the U.S. Department of
Agriculture's (USDA) La Mesa Completa initiative addressing program
access and participation in the Hispanic community.
"With one in four Latino families struggling to put food on the
table, USDA is working to expand access and participation to
families in need," said Max
Finberg, director of the USDA's Center for Faith-based and
Neighborhood Partnerships, part of the White House Office of
Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships. "Latino faith and
community leaders are the trusted messengers for those they serve
and their partnership is critical to tapping into food banks and
networks to reach the underserved Latino community."
About Feeding America
Feeding America provides low-income individuals and families
with the fuel to survive and even thrive. As the nation's leading
domestic hunger-relief charity, our network members supply food to
more than 37 million Americans each year, including 14
million children and 3 million seniors. Serving the entire
United States, more than 200
member food banks support 61,000 agencies that address hunger in
all of its forms. For more information on how you can fight hunger
in your community and across the country, visit feedingamerica.org.
Find us on Facebook at facebook.com/FeedingAmerica or follow
our news on Twitter at twitter.com/FeedingAmerica.
ConAgra Foods Foundation
The ConAgra Foods Foundation, through its Nourish Today,
Flourish Tomorrow platform, is dedicated to raising awareness of
the nearly 17 million children in America who are at risk of hunger
and don't have enough food to live active, healthful lives. It
aggressively pursues sustainable solutions in the fight against
child hunger. And the Foundation is committed to building a
community of people who are passionate about ensuring that all kids
have access to the food and facts they need to eat nutritiously
while living balanced lifestyles and succeeding in school and life.
ConAgra Foods Foundation invests in national and local partnerships
with high-impact, not-for-profit organizations, such as Feeding
America, that take an innovative approach to addressing needs in
the core areas of hunger and nutrition education. For more
information, please visit www.conagrafoodsfoundation.org or
www.facebook.com/ConAgraFoodsFoundation. The ConAgra Foods
Foundation is funded solely by ConAgra Foods (NYSE: CAG).
Contacts:
Molly Hart
312-641-5400
mhart@feedingamerica.org
Stephanie Childs
402-240-6258
Stephanie.Childs@conagrafoods.com
SOURCE Feeding America