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(Washington, D.C.) – The House of Representatives approved the annual agriculture appropriations bill today by a vote of 263 to 162. Included in the legislation is an increase in funding, fought for by Rep. Levin, for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), a monthly food delivery service which provides nutritious meals to nearly half a million people across the country. In the Detroit area, the program is administered by Focus: HOPE, a local non-profit and long-time advocate for the program, which serves 41,000 people in the area, 35,000 of whom are seniors.
“Across the county, literally millions of people are at risk of hunger. We need to strengthen efforts at every level to help ensure that people in need do not go hungry,” said Rep. Levin. “The Commodity Supplemental Food Program brings nutritious food packages into the homes of the people who need them.”
The legislation provides $171 million for the CSFP which will allow the program to add a significant number of new participants for the first time since 2003, as well as seven new states. CSFP will now be able to reach more than half a million low-income women, children, and elderly citizens across 39 states, the District of Columbia, and two Indian Tribal Organizations.
“We are grateful to Representative Levin’s leadership in the U.S. House. His support and advocacy among his colleagues were instrumental to the continuation of this valuable program, as well as its expansion to a total of 39 states,” said William F. Jones, Jr., CEO of Focus: HOPE. “This cost-effective food program is an example of government at its best. It supports American farmers while getting nutritious food to at-risk mothers, children and senior citizens. I think it is particularly noteworthy that Congress is supporting the expansion of this very successful program during these difficult economic times.”
The Commodity Supplemental Food Program was our nation’s first food assistance effort with monthly food packages designed to provide protein, calcium, iron, and vitamins A and C. It began in 1969 for low-income mothers and children, preceding the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, known as WIC. Starting in the mid-1970s, Focus: HOPE actively lobbied to expand the program to include low-income seniors. In 1983, their efforts succeeded and Congress expanded the program. Today, 95% of all participants are seniors.
“Since advocating for this program in the 1970s, I have seen how effective – and essential – the program is for thousands of mothers, children and senior citizens in metropolitan Detroit,” said Eleanor Josaitis, co-founder of Focus: HOPE. “We started out determined to make sure infants and young children received nutritious food, then advocated for expanding this program to include senior citizens who were struggling to make ends meet. When I think of the millions of people who have received food through this program nationwide, I am grateful for the public servants like Sander Levin who have made it possible.”
More information on the Commodity Supplemental Food Program:
• CSFP is a unique federal/state and public/private effort. The USDA purchases specific nutrient-rich foods at wholesale prices for distribution. State agencies such as the departments of health, agriculture or education provide administration and oversight. These agencies contract with community and faith based organizations to warehouse and distribute food, certify eligibility and educate participants.
• The foods provided through CSFP include canned fruits and vegetables, juices, meats, fish, peanut butter, cereals and grain products, cheese, and other dairy products that increase healthy food consumption among these low-income populations.
• CSFP providers partner with many others in their communities to distribute the monthly food packages to seniors who are unable to come to the fixed sites. Businesses, schools, city and county offices work to make sure that the food is delivered each month to those who are isolated and homebound. In addition, many of the CSFP operators provide additional services to their participants such as having available additional fresh fruits and vegetables and other donated foods, health screenings, and referrals to other agencies
• In a recent study of CSFP, the Urban Institute found that the “administrative simplicity and familiar and comfortable atmosphere of the program are clearly attractions to a population that needs assistance but may be reluctant to seek help in settings it perceives as bureaucratic, stigmatized, or unsympathetic. The fact that the foods distributed are highly valued is clearly another [benefit].”
For more information about the Commodity Supplemental Food Program in metro Detroit contact Focus: HOPE at 313-494-4600 or food@focushope.edu.
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