LA Coalition to End Hunger & Homelessness
To All Those Interested in Food and Justice ...

by Frank Tamborello
email: frank@lacehh.org

A (usually) weekly update on a spectrum of food issues in the Los Angeles area, in the interest of promoting access to fresh, locally grown, culturally acceptable foods for all people regardless of income---with a focus on campaigns you can become active in!

EDITOR'S NOTE: If you'd like to receive this weekly newsletter, or want additional information about anything within it, please contact Mr. Tamborello and he'll be happy to assist you. His complete contact info is at the bottom of the article.

This Week (March 25, 2003)

1. Special Alert! $13 billion in federal nutrition funding at stake for California!
2. Support AB 231---End Finger-Imaging in Food Stamps
3. The Meat Industry, Food Irradiation and the Potential Impact on Our Kids---April 2 Meeting
4. "Garden in Every School" Conference April 5
5. Research Available on Farm to School Projects
6. Hunger Action Day May 12
7. California Community Food Security Network: Call for Steering Committee Candidates
8. Funding Available to Support of Food Assistance and Nutrition Research
9. Victory Garden Pilot Project Grants Available
10. Schools Using School Breakfast Program Succeed
11. We Need Your Bio!!

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1. Special Alert! $13 billion in federal nutrition funding at stake for California!
(Thanks to Sonia & all staff of CFPA, FRAC, and other organizations keeping an eagle-eye watch on funding for nutrition programs)

Despite advocates' efforts, the House the voted http://clerkweb.house.gov/cgi-bin/vote.exe?year=2003&rollnumber=82 215-212 to pass the tax/spending-cut package which could lead to over http://www.cbpp.org/3-20-03bud3.htm $13 billion cuts to nutrition funding for California alone. These aren't your average "cuts" - they are historic and deep and they will have a major long-term impact.

However, it's not too late. The Senate is still wrangling with its version of the budget resolution; the House and Senate differences must be worked out in a conference committee. The Senate is expected to end debating by Wednesday afternoon. Time is ticking away and our Senators must be pushed to take positive action.

Actions---Call Washington DC Immediately! 202-224 3121 is the number, then ask for your particular senator or representative. Here's the message:

1. Please call http://feinstein.senate.gov/ Senator Dianne Feinstein and http://boxer.senate.gov/ Senator Barbara Boxer. Ask them to support a Sense of the Senate amendment to the budget resolution that would keep nutrition from being cut. Ask them to tell Senate Majority Leader Frist and Budget Committee Chairman Nickles that they will not vote for a budget that includes the cuts in low-income entitlement programs that are now in the House version.

Contact http://www.house.gov/ your congressional representative. Urge them to speak out against the nutrition cuts in the House budget resolution and urge them not vote for any budget resolution that severs nutrition program funding.

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2. Support AB 231---End Finger-Imaging in Food Stamps
(Thanks to CFPA)

Sign on to support AB 231, the bill to end the wasteful and intimidating practice of finger-imaging food stamp recipients.

Legislators -- particularly those on key committees (Assembly Members Chu, Dymally, Pacheco, Haynes, Hancock, Wolk, Lieber, Dutra, Mullin, Longville and Garcia, as well as Senators McClintock, Ortiz, McPherson, Chesbro and Cedillo) -- need to hear loud and clear that District Attorneys and others are absolutely wrong in their allegation that SFIS is a necessary and justified system. And while it's important for legislators to hear this directly from advocates, this message gets even stronger when it comes from people who are not the "usual suspects" -- including local law enforcement officials, District Attorneys, business leaders, health or education advocates, religious leaders, and county administrators, including food stamp directors and WIC directors. Find out if these are your legislators and how to contact them by clicking http://leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/memberinfo here.

We need your help in galvanizing support from these kinds of "unusual suspects" so that legislators will do the right thing when this issue is heard in committee and on the floor of the Legislature! Please join us in taking the following action:

1. Identify "unusual suspects" from your community who might be willing to support the elimination of a program that is costly and ineffective AND prevents hungry people from getting federal food stamp benefits. Consider approaching law enforcement, including District Attorneys, police, or sheriffs, business leaders, representatives from your local Chamber of Commerce, Board members, religious leaders, or county officials. Keep in mind that your organization may have donors or volunteers who meet this criteria.

2. Ask them to add their names to this sign-on letter outlining the many reasons that California should eliminate finger imaging. In order for the letter to be effective, we'll need to include their name and their affiliation for identification purposes. In talking with prospective signers-on, feel free to use these talking points. http://www.cfpa.net/foodstamps/SFIStalkingpoints.pdf

3. Let us know who has signed on so we can add them to the official list and share the letter with legislators on key committees. Please call or email Autumn Arnold at 415-777-4422, ext. 107 or autumn@cfpa.net to let us know.

Moving onward!

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3. The Meat Industry, Food Irradiation and the Potential Impact on Our Kids---April 2 Meeting
(Thanks to Francesca de la Rosa)

Come to an informational and tactical meeting on food irradiation as we prepare to take this issue to the Los Angeles Unified School Board.

When: Wednesday, April 2, 2003 Time: 6:00 PM

Where: Legal Aid Foundation 1102 S. Crenshaw Blvd. (between Olympic & Pico)

For more information, please call 323-341-5097 or send an email to: fdlr@oxy.edu .

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4. "Garden in Every School" Conference April 5

Saturday, April 5, 2003: Fifth Annual "A Garden In Every School Conference"at Dorsey High School, 3537 Farmdale Ave., LA 90016. See how school gardening can inspire student achievement and healthy eating at this annual event sponsored by PASE, the Partnership for Agriculture and Science in Education, 8:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Open to K-12 teachers, parents, school administrators and interested community members. Pre-registration includes continental breakfast and lunch and is due by March 28: $15 each, or $10 if you bring a team of three from a LAUSD school. On-site registration is $20 but does not include lunch. There is a downloadable registration form at http://www.lausdnutritionnetwork.org/

For more information call the LAUSD Nutrition Network at (818) 761-3967.

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5. Research Available on Farm to School Projects
(Thanks to Maggie Masch, Center for Food and Justice, UEPI Occidental College)

Farm to School projects increase fruit and vegetable consumption among students, particularly when coupled with experiential nutrition education such as farm visits and gardening. UCLA did academic research on the effects of Farm to School programs. A power point presentation with some of the results of the UCLA study is available on-line at http://www.ucdavis.edu/

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6. Hunger Action Day May 12 Hunger Action Day will be Monday May 12 in Sacramento. Join hundreds of activists from around the state in a day of legislative visits and a rally to support anti-hunger legislation in Sacramento, including funding for SB 19 to eliminate junk food in schools and AB 231 to reduce bureaucracy in the food stamp program! For more information http://www.hungeraction.net/actionday.html

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7. California Community Food Security Network: Call for Steering Committee Candidates

There are currently two empty seats on the Steering Committee of the California Community Food Security Network. The Steering Committee was formed in the Fall of 2002 and has just begun developing a statewide food security campaign and organizational structure to support it. CCFSN Members are encouraged to submit recommendations for Steering Committee candidates to the Nominating Subcommittee on an ongoing basis, thereby ensuring full capacity of the Coalition's Steering Committee. Criteria: The CFJC Steering Committee is committed to electing a board and hiring staff that are reflective of our diverse constituency. People with experience in low-income populations, communities of color, or located in Northern California, Central Valley and San Diego regions are strongly encouraged to apply.

Responsibilities/Expectations: It's envisioned that the steering committee will meet as often as monthly. Up to four in-person meetings will be scheduled with the balance conducted via telephone conference call. Organizations are asked to cover all travel costs associated with serving on the Steering Committee.Committee members will also be encouraged to sit on other committees that form within the Coalition. Time commitments will vary but probably range from 6-15 hours per month per individual.

Nominations should include your name, the nominee's name, organizational affiliation and both phone and email, if applicable. Feel free to provide any other information you think would be useful to the Nominating Committee. Nominations should be submitted to: Tori Kjer, P.O. Box 209, Venice, CA 90294 * (310) 822.5410 Fax (310) 822.1440 * email: tori@foodsecurity.org

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8. Funding Available to Support of Food Assistance and Nutrition Research The Food and Nutrition Research Program (FANRP) at the Economic Research Service, USDA is accepting proposals for support of high-priority research of importance to USDA's food assistance and nutrition programs in three research areas. Proposals should focus on research and evaluation studies that have direct implications for USDA's food and nutrition assistance programs. Anticipated funding in fiscal 2003 for competitive grants and cooperative agreements will be approximately $1 million.

Applicants may address multiple issues, but must specify one of the three priority research areas below: I. Program Design and Operations II. Food Assistance as a Safety Net III. Obesity, Diet Quality, and Health Outcomes For more information and a copy of the application package visit the ERS-FANRP website at http://www.ers.usda.gov/briefing/foodnutritionassistance/funding.

The deadline for proposals is May 19, 2003. Betsy Frazao, Economic Research Service, 1800 M Street, NW, room N-2153,Washington, DC 20036-5831 (202) 694-5455 email: efrazao@ers.usda.gov

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9. Victory Garden Pilot Project Grants Available
(Thanks to Connie de Paepe)

Up to $10,000 US is available to any organization that would like to initiate an innovative pilot project geared toward the Victory Garden mission. To apply, prepare a brief proposal ( no longer than five pages) outlining the scope of the project and a budget as well as a history of your organization and any relevant support materials. Send applications via email at zeropoverty@email.com or via snailmail to International Victory Garden Movement, 68 St. Viateur W. Montreal, Qc. H2T 2K8. Applicants need not have non-profit or charitable status. Apply before July 1, 2003.

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10. California Schools Using School Breakfast Program Succeed! (Thanks to Alicia de Soto-Foley) The California Child Nutrition Task Force, headed by Sharon Davis, the governor's wife, is pushing better utilization of the federal School Breakfast Program so that schools benefit from the academic performance and student health gains possible through breakfast. Everyone at the five elementary schools in the Cutler-Orosi Joint Unified district gets free breakfast in their classrooms, regardless of income. The food service director says most schools could afford to feed everyone breakfast for free. The schools have seen remarkable improvements in tardiness rates, behavior problems, and nurses' visits, and a jump in state test scores. In an attempt to make breakfast more accessible and reduce stigma associated with it, school districts and the task force are looking at ways get students to participate. Ken Hecht of the California Child Nutrition Task Force points to serving meals on the bus, offering packaged foods that can be grabbed quickly, and eating in the classroom. Classroom breakfast is the preferred means.

http://www.fresnobee.com/local/story/6382146p-7329879c.html (Fresno Bee, Fresno, CA, March 17, 2003)

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11. We Need Your Bio!!

The L.A. Food Justice Network is in the early planning stages for community teach-ins on Food Security in all its aspects (the nature of the current food system, community gardening, direct marketing, learning about irradiation, genetic engineering, and pesticides, nutrition education, hunger, diet-related diseases caused by the promotion of unhealthy diets for profit, and many other related items.) We know that all of you who get this update have some talent or expertise in those areas. We'd like to know what it is YOU know!! So if you would like to be available to speak to groups as part of a teach-in or hands-on workshop, please respond to this e mail with your name, your contact information, and your area of specialty. Together we can create a database of people who can share empowering knowledge, and help us grow the movement of people creating a just food system! (Just reply to this e mail if interested.)

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Frank Tamborello
LA Coalition to End Hunger & Homelessness
520 S. Virgil # 300
LA CA 90020

213 / 439-1070 ext. 115
213 / 439-1080 fax
email: frank@lacehh.org
website at: www.lacehh.org