Center for Research in Nutrition & Health Disparities Sonya Jones, PhD, Director

“When all people at all times have access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life, including both physical and economic access to food that meets people's dietary needs as well as their food preferences.” --World Food Summit of 1996

Why are people food insecure in the US? Poverty is the fundamental cause – Midlands Family Study we found that for every additional $50 in income, risk of child hunger reduced by 6% Risk of child hunger *Reduced by 35% * Reduced by 100%

Life happens… “we [were] catching it so hard because my car had broke down, I didn't have no reliable transportation. When you did have transportation, you could not determine when they were going to come, if they were going to be on time, whether they were going to be late, whatever. So I ended up losing my job”

Trying to work “I got a job but it didn't last long because part the plant burnt. So we got laid off. But then I got another job at a mill. It was a sewing factory. And I wasn't making nothing but six -- started with $6.50, I believe. Ended up with $ and during the course of that, I was seeking another employment. I was going back to the same place that where the fire burnt, but I had to put in another application because it was more money and I went back there, and I stayed there until 2009, but the plant moved overseas. And after that, it was kind of -- just like I said, it was kind of rough… I got laid off in '09. Didn't have a job in '10 at all. But we had unemployment. And then later on, I did apply for food stamps [and] I went to school in another profession…yeah, I went to school for CNA, certified in I got a job in When we were laid off, we had to go through -- we call it Transition Center -- where we go and we get our setup for our stuff for unemployment, and they offer us [job training]”.

Other cited causes of US household food insecurity Inadequate social safety net – SNAP benefits only cover 70% of families’ estimated food costs by design – Child nutrition programs have limited reach Lack of political will to eliminate child hunger – Core debate in the US is whether we “raise all boats” or “let them sink or swim” Social isolation – Less social connections – Less social support

Younginer, Jones, Blake, Draper. Resilience and Hope. J of Hunger & Envr Nutr. Under Review.

A revolution of the heart

An analysis of our framing of hunger Who is hungry? Who is to blame for them being hungry? What should be done?

An analysis of our framing of hunger Who is hungry? – Victims, criminals Who is to blame for them being hungry? – Themselves What should be done? – Police programs – Give food to victims

Frame analysis Who is hungry? Who is to blame for hunger? What should be done?

Hunger Forums What’s most changeable and most important? Forum 1(Statewide Leaders) Coordinated effort Living wage jobs Mobile markets Awareness campaign Forum 2( Rural county) More coordination More skills training (eg, home ec in schools) More school & community gardens Change the rules related to disability and SNAP benefit levels Forum 3(Urban county) Coordinated effort Statewide coordinated campaign Living wage jobs More outreach for existing programs Draper, Jones, Freedman, Blake. Framing the Hunger Debate. Under Review

Community organizing 1-1s Building relationships among people with food systems issues Surfacing food systems issues Research Cut and analyze an issue Build power relationships with change agents Develop leaders Capacity building Mentoring Formal education Action Demonstrate power Accountability for decision makers Celebrate, evaluate, reflect Share food, stories, plan for next action

Building Capacity through Community Organizing Certificate Program Benedict College’s Social Work Field Preparation Course

End Child Hunger SC Mission: To build awareness, increase community capacity, and create a coordinated effort to address child hunger in South Carolina. Campaigns: Improve the Summer Food Service Program in the Midlands Increase Afterschool Program Sites Encourage more qualifying schools to opt-in into Community Eligibility Provision (C.E.P.)

Food Share Columbia Promising 1 st year Average of 200 boxes purchased each week About half of those boxes purchased with SNAP SNAP participants can use states healthy incentives program Community-led program

Starting your own revolution of the heart “With” not “for” Focusing on root causes & with hungry people – Lack of income – Lack of access to affordable healthy food Using their substantial base to lead a community-based effort – Convening leaders & hungry people – Setting priorities – Engaging communities to lead their own change efforts

For more information: Nutritioncenter.sph.sc.edu