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Sacramento Hunger Commission: September 2004 Minutes

  1. Meeting called to order by Cindy Nelson, Vice Chair.
  2. No quorum present at the beginning of the meeting to approve minutes ­ July minutes approved at the end of the meeting.
  3. Brief reports/announcements/news:

    Jake Salcone ­ Edible Landscaping visited by international journalism crew Three journalists, one Syrian, one Nepali, and one Indonesian visited the Kennedy Estates Edible Landscaping Site during their tour of Sacramento volunteer projects. Jake, Mercy Housing Community Director Erik Krengel, and some youth residents were interviewed regarding the project, why we started edible landscaping, and why Jake chose Americorps*VISTA. The journalists are preparing programs about volunteerism in the USA, in their respective countries.

    Lisa Tadlock - 3 people needed for panel to evaluate hunger, nutrition, and obesity projects:

    • Contact Lisa if you would like to participate this year on a panel to evaluate hunger, nutrition, and obesity project proposals in low-income areas. Panel will choose projects to receive funding.

    David Quackenbush (MAAP) ­ Bi-national Health Week

    • Sacramento, Yolo, and San Joaquin Counties to have week-long series of health fairs 10/11-10/17.
    • Good way to promote your work to community; particularly the Latino community

    Hunger Commission
    • Commission business cards are here (blank and personal); contact Peggy to get cards if you have not already
    • Commissioners asked to wear name badges to Hunger Hits Home Conference and Hope Awards
    • Crop Walk October 17th ­ raises money for local (25%) and international (75%) anti-hunger programs, via pledges gathered from walkers.
    • Summer Food ­ Infoline calls up appreciably this year, though lunches served down (approx. 195K from 204K in ’03), likely due to 8 large sites being closed due to budget cuts.
    • Hunger Commission back in County budget; amount equal to previous county funding, broadly designated for Food Stamp outreach
    • Two Natomas High School students seeking mentors for planned clothes and food drive project; Danielle Blacet and Barbara Arteaga (Union Gospel Mission) volunteered.
  4. Hunger Hits Home Planning Conference (Food Summit): Oct. 7th (Juan Yniguez)
    • Event progressing well. New title is: Hunger Hits Home: Sacramento's first planning conference for long-term community solutions. Eventually hope to form local food security coalition.
    • Agenda to include expert briefings of key issues underlying hunger, mini interactive workshops on how local organizations have and will respond to these issues, bus tour of 3 organizations working to improve local food security.
    • 450 + invitations sent out; please spread the word and RSVP
  5. Hope Awards: Oct. 21st at beautiful Fair Oaks Presbyterian Church
    • 5 or 6 commissioners planning, collecting nominations, and choosing awardees.
    • Invitation referrals needed ­ invite list could be bigger
    • Shawn Harrison (Soil Born Farm) as a speaker, Aztec Dancers, and silent auction all confirmed. Could use more auction items; absentee bids a possibility.
    • Tickets are $25; $12 for children
  6. 6. Strategic Planning: Two sessions now completed (Cindy Nelson)
    • Michael Perri has been helping us carry on Cathedral Building work. A small group of commissioners, plus Peggy and Jake, are attempting to answer, "What is the future of the HC?"
    • Next meeting is Wed. Oct. 13, 6-9pm at CSPC; then Oct. 27th, 6-9pm at CSPC. All commissioners are invited
    • Previous session assessed programs and funding; next session to include a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis
  7. Department of Human Assistance/ Food Stamps (Peggy Roark)
    • "EBT restaurant project"—As in San Francisco, elderly, disabled, and homeless who lack cooking facilities would be able to use EBT card at participating restaurants (e.g. Subway). State says any county could potentially use SF model. Peggy on panel to bring EBT restaurant usage to Sacramento in 2005. Questions: Can EBT be used at grocer deli? Is sales tax paid? Hopefully SF has worked out issues.
    • How Long Does it Take (to get Food Stamps)? Updated study will be done in several counties, including Sacramento from 9/20-9/23, by California Food Policy Advocates (CFPA). HC got volunteers, DHA chose their North Sacramento office. However on the first day of the study there weren't many applicants for Food Stamps, and staff worried about being timed. Accuracy of study questioned.
    • ABAWDs (Able Bodied Adults Without Dependents) In the past these Food Stamp recipients were only eligible to receive Food Stamps for 3 months in a 36 month period if they do not meet certain work requirements. Now ABAWDs living in certain zip codes in Sacramento with a high unemployment level qualify for a waiver from that requirement.
  8. Public policy ­ national and state-level updates (Sharon Eghigian, CA Assoc. of Food Banks)
    • State budget finally passed; Food Stamp finger imaging bill again did NOT pass, much Republican opposition. Might re-plan for next year. AB 1796, food stamps for drug felons, now includes Governors addition to require mandatory rehab; passed both houses and likely to be signed by Governor.
  9. Commissioner ideas for future meeting topics, speakers
    • Could someone from farms or businesses working on hunger issues come to meetings since many commissioners cannot visit sites?
    • Raley's Food for Families Program
    • The suggestion was also made to check out the new Farmers' Market in Esparto, a great place to meet farmers, especially organic farmers.

Next meeting to be held at SETA Head Start, Oct. 19th, 11:30-1:00

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