2.  Origins: Summer Feeding Project
Success
 Funder: Health Foundation of
Central MA
 Timeline: 2007-2012
 Purpose: Hunger as a Public
Health Issue

3.  2007 – Planning
 2008 – Pilot
 2009-2012 – Implement & Continuously
Evaluate

4.  Dedicated funder
 Strong, cooperative coalition of
organizations
 Dedicated funds for and importance
placed on evaluation

5.  WCFB
 WPS
 United Way
 UMass Memorial
 Saint Vincent
 Regional
Environmental
Council
 Congressman
McGovern’s Office
 Project Bread
 Share Our
Strength/Cooking
Matters
 Health Foundation
of Central MA
 Dept. of
Transitional
Assistance

6.  Community food security is a condition in
which all community residents obtain a
safe, culturally acceptable, nutritionally
adequate diet through a sustainable
food system that maximizes community
self-reliance and social justice.
--Mike Hamm and Anne Bellows

7.  Low Income Food Needs
 Broad Goals
 Community focus
 Self-reliance/empowerment
 Local agriculture
 Systems-oriented

8. Collaboration,
Communication,
Sustainability
School
Meals
SNAP
Cooking
Classes
Gardening
Farmers
Markets

9.  Reach: 2/3 of meals eaten in schools
 Need: 70% free and reduced
 Success:
› 16 schools have breakfast in the classroom
› Whole grain, fresh fruits & veggies
› Farm to School
› 10 Get Fresh, Get Local programs
› No high fructose corn syrup in milk
› Wellness Policy
› School Nutrition legislation

11.  Need: only 49% of eligible households
participated in 2004
 Success
› April 2009 – January 2011:
 30 sites throughout city
 200 new Worcester families on SNAP
 Minimum of $180,000 in benefits secured
 80% of applicants would not have applied
without mobile advocacy and assistance
 In MA 77% eligible are participating

12. April 2009 – August 2011
Number of applications submitted 493
Average approval rating 62%
Average benefit procured $185/month
Total benefits:
2009 (May – Dec)
2010
2011 (through August)
TOTAL
$76,764.00
$89,868.00
$86,677.00
$253,309.00
Race/Ethnicity
White
Black
Hispanic/Latino
Asian
Unknown/Other
38.5%
8.6%
36.0%
2.2%
14.2%
Children served 261

14.  Share Our Strength Cooking Matters
 Success:
› 115 adults and 15 youth graduated between
2008-2011. Classes maintained a 73%
graduation rate.
› 73% are eating more vegetables
› 62% are eating more fruits
› 80% are eating more whole grains
› 47% are eating more low-fat or fat-free dairy
› 49% are eating more lean meats
› 90% improved their cooking skills

16.  Need: Students have little connection to
where their food comes from
 Success:
› Since 2010, 20 new gardens established in
elementary, middle and high schools
› Teachers and principals report high usage of
garden
› Has promoted cross-subject integration: health,
woodworking, math, writing, community
service, life skills

18.  Need: No markets in low-income
neighborhoods; none accepted SNAP
 Success
› Main South Farmers Market averages 300-
500 weekly attendees
› Over $12,000 in SNAP/WIC sales 2011
› 2011 season sales: $33,000
› Great Brook Valley and mobile markets
expanding

19. $-
$2,000.00
$4,000.00
$6,000.00
$8,000.00
$10,000.00
$12,000.00
$14,000.00
Saletotal
Year
SNAP, WIC, Senior Coupon Sales
2009
2010
2011

21.  Coalition and relationships
 Regional Environmental Council
› Farmers’ Markets, Cooking Classes, School
Gardens
 Project Bread, WCFB, DTA & SNAP
 Diversified funding due to early
successes
 Continued advocacy

22. Worcester
Food &
Active
Living Policy
Council
Hunger &
Food
Access
Urban
Ag
School
Food
Walking
& Biking
Worksite
Wellness

23. Public
Health/Medical
Social Justice
Anti-hunger
Bike & Ped
Advocates
Environment/
Conservation
Research
Youth

24. Engaging diverse partners to foster a
healthy and just food system and
active community environment.
Educate. Advocate. Collaborate. Celebrate.

25. What is a “food system” and “built environment”?
Food system: A food system includes all processes
involved in producing food for people:
growing, harvesting, processing, packaging, transport
ing, marketing, consuming, and disposing of food
and food-related items. It also includes all the natural
resources, labor, infrastructure, and equipment
needed for each step in the food system.
Built Environment: The built environment (as opposed to
the natural environment) is the part of the
environment formed and shaped by
people, including but not limited to:
buildings, parks, roads, sidewalks, signs, trails, and
utilities, and other public and private elements.

26.  School Nutrition
 School Gardens
 SNAP Outreach
 Healthy Cooking
 Farmers’ Markets
 Coalition building & collaboration

27.  Urban Agriculture
 WalkBike Worcester
 Youth engagement
 Farm Bill
 Food Day!!

28. Liz Sheehan Castro
hungerfree@worcesterfoodpolicy.org
508-723-4550
http://hungerfreeandhealthy.wordpress.com
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