PathWays PA Policy Blog

Did you know that PathWays PA provides SNAP application assistance? Our SNAP Benefits Specialist can assist you in accessing SNAP and other workforce supports to help you make ends meet while you're between jobs and provide assistance to ensure you remain employed and are able to move toward self-sufficiency. To participate in an eligibility screening for SNAP benefits and other workforce supports contact Emily at (610) 543-5022.

Several government agencies are proposing regulations that you can comment on. Let the federal government know what you think! SNAP (food stamps) - Federal law currently requires that childless adults can only receive three months of food assistance over a three year period unless they can document working at least 20 hours per week. However, states can waive these rules in times of high unemployment. New USDA rules would eliminate those waivers, ending SNAP for about 755,000 adults.  Take Action:  Feeding America, the Food Research & Action Center, the Center for American Progress, and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities are helping coordinate a campaign to oppose the rule. For additional resources and details about the campaign, please visit http://bit.ly/SNAPRuleCampaign . Social Security - The Social Security Administration is proposing a rule change that would eliminate "inability to communicate in English" from the list of categories considered whe...

The government shutdown that began in December 2018 is now the longest in US history . Over 800,000 federal workers are missing paychecks, while millions more contract employees continue to go without work . The New York Times has an ongoing list of people and departments affected by the shutdown, including workers who have been called back to their government jobs to work without pay. CBS News reports that the shutdown has already done $1.2 billion in damage to the national economy.  You can find more information on the impact from the Coalition for Human Needs (CHN). Among those affected by the shutdown are SNAP (food stamp) recipients. While they received their February payments early , there is currently no guarantee that March benefits will be available. People relying on HUD for housing are also being affected, as over 1,000 contracts with housing facilities have not been renewed due to the shutdown. Take Action: CHN has information on the shutdown and a sample scr...

Lauren Rodino, PathWays PA's SNAP Outreach and IDA coordinator, put together a great list of food banks in Delaware County. Please check it out and let us know what we are missing in the comments. Also, if you or someone you know would like to learn more about the SNAP (food stamp) program and see if you qualify, please contact PathWays PA.

From our friends at the Coalition Against Hunger: We know we've been calling on you in recent months for your help with the federal Farm Bill, and we’re grateful for your impactful action. Now, we need your help on a horrible SNAP bill that will be voted on in the Pennsylvania Senate on Monday. HB 1659, which already passed in the PA House of Representatives, would bring SNAP work requirements to ALL "able-bodied adults without children" (those age 18-49) throughout Pennsylvania - even in areas of high unemployment. HB 1659 will require spending millions of STATE dollars for monitoring and compliance in order to turn away FEDERAL SNAP funds that help those struggling to put food on the table. Call your State Senator ( click here to look up his/her phone number) and say: “I urge you to vote no on HB 1659. It is bad for people who are trying their best to make ends meet; bad for communities; and, does nothing to help people find jobs.” Our partners at Hunger-fr...

After the House rejected a Farm Bill last month that would add work requirements and make other changes to SNAP, a new version may be coming up for a vote this week in the Senate. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities , the new bill will give states the opportunity to try new methods of helping SNAP recipients find and keep jobs, but it will not add any work requirements. The Food Research and Action Center ( FRAC ) reports that the bill will reduce paperwork for some households (although they are also concerned that states will no longer receive bonuses for improved SNAP participation and payment accuracy). A committee vote on the new Senate bill is expected this week, after which the bill will move to the floor. Senators try to add harmful work requirements back to the bill once it comes out of committee. Meanwhile, House leaders have scheduled another vote on their Farm Bill for June 22. Take Action: The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has talki...

The House of Representatives is taking calls this week about the latest draft of the Farm Bill, which includes many changes to the SNAP (food stamp) program. A vote is expected sometime this week. Under the proposed law , parents of children 6 and up will be required to work at least 25 hours per week in order to qualify for SNAP. Adults age 50-59 will face the same work requirements (currently, adults age 18-49 who are not raising minor children must work 20 hours per week to meet SNAP requirements). Adults would need to certify their work status monthly, creating and expensive and unnecessary bureaucracy in each state. Income eligibility will also decrease so that SNAP will only be available to families earning 130% or less of the federal poverty level. For a family of four, this means earning around $33,000 per year. According to the  Center on Budget and Policy Priorities , these changes will cause over 1 million households (including over 2 million people) to lose acces...

HB 1659, which would expand work requirements on SNAP and cause nearly 100,000 people to lose access to food stamps, went back to the Appropriations Committee yesterday. But even though it is off the table for now, there is a good chance it will come back. [EDIT 5/2/18: This bill came back out of Appropriations yesterday and was voted on by the full House. It now moves on to the Senate.] In most cases, SNAP recipients must already work or participate in a training program if they are ages 18-50, non-disabled, and not considered "vulnerable individuals" (one example of a vulnerable individual would be someone living in an area with a high-unemployment rate).   According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the work rate for people receiving SNAP is and has been growing . More than 80 percent of SNAP households work the year before or after receiving SNAP. SNAP works to keep children, families, and individuals fed, and to bridge the gap between jobs. It suppleme...

Our friends at Community Legal Services are reminding SNAP (food stamp) recipients that if you lose food because of a power outage, fire, or flood, you might be eligible to get it replaced. You have to act fast, though - notify your welfare office or customer service center within 10 days of when the food is spoiled. Read more about what to do from CLS here .

Last week, President Trump released his plans for the 2019 federal budget. It includes cuts to SNAP, Medicaid, and energy assistance along with the elimination of funding for public broadcasting and loan forgiveness for students who enter public service. Here's a more in-depth look at some items: Healthcare: The budget cuts Medicaid and subsidies for the health insurance marketplace by $763 billion over 10 years. It also embraces the Graham-Cassidy proposal to eliminate the ACA and replace it with a block grant to states. The block grants would be less than what states receive currently to assist families with healthcare, leaving them with additional, unfunded costs. Housing: Under this budget, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) would see a cut of $8.8 billion . Rental assistance programs are among those that would see cuts, while LIHEAP would be completely eliminated . Nutrition: Perhaps the most talked about cuts so far are those made to nutrition progra...

September 18, 2015 1:00-2:30 EDT Register here . Join USDA, FRAC and Robert Wood Johnson to learn how you can create healthier child care environments with the newly released Spanish language version of USDA's "Nutrition and Wellness Tips for Young Children: Provider Handbook for the Child and Adult Care Food Program," and other Spanish language resources, including the Look and Cook Recipe Cards and the Two Bite Club. Find out how to: Build a healthy plate with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and beans, Encourage physical activity and active play, Keep food safe and more! This is an opportunity to learn and ask questions. 18 de septiembre 2015 1:00-2:30 EDT Regístrate ahora . Acompáñanos a aprender cómo puedes crear entornos de cuidado infantil más saludables con la nueva versión en español de “Consejos de Nutrición y Bienestar para Niños Pequeños: Manual Proveedor del Programa de Asistencia Alimenticia para Niños y Adultos" del Departamento...

The  Food Research and Action Center (FRAC)  has released new research on the  Importance of Early Childhood Nutrition, WIC, and CACFP . Here are some of the highlights: Prenatal nutrition is critical to the development of children's bodies and minds Poor iron and folic acid status in pregnant mothers is linked to preterm birth and fetal growth issues Food insecurity in pregnant mothers puts children at increased risk of cleft palate, spina bifida, and other birth defects The first years of a child's life requires adequate food and nutrition to sustain the rapid growth and development required for school readiness and adult well-being. Household food insecurity is linked to physical health and developmental risk during early childhood. Participation in the Women, Infants, and Children program (WIC) leads to better maternal and child outcomes. Mothers participating in WIC while pregnant were more likely to stay connected as their children got older and had "hig...

The Coalition Against Hunger conducted their biennial Emergency Food Provider Survey of 232 programs in Greater Philadelphia this year in order to learn more about the challenges that local providers face and found that 89.7% of emergency food providers either ran out of food or had to provide less food to clients at some point in 2014. Surveyed programs cited "lack of food donations" as a major barrier to getting more food. Over 90% of the emergency food providers surveyed also wanted to increase access to healthy foods for their clients. You can help by donating to your local food pantry. Food pantries, SHARE host sites and soup kitchens near you can be found by clicking here . Summer Meals , a program in Philadelphia that serves free meals and snacks to kids and teens age 18 and under, has over 1,000 site locations. There are no income, ID or registration requirements. Click here to find a Summer Meals site near you. As always, PathWays PA offers free and confident...

House Bill 222 , which previously would have imposed a lifetime ban for all people convicted of drug felonies from receiving SNAP/food stamp benefits and other forms of public assistance, has been amended in response to public outcry. Unfortunately, the redrafted bill remains flawed at heart. The bottom line is, access to such basic subsistence such as food should not be banned once someone has completed their prison sentence. While HB 222 now exempts domestic violence survivors  with a documented "judicial adjudication" of abuse , this still leaves out the majority of survivors of domestic violence, sexual abuse, and human trafficking. Amendments have also decreased the lifetime ban to 20 years, an empty promise for those wanting to rebuild their lives upon release from prison or completion of a drug treatment program. Because there will be a vote this week or early next, prompt action must be taken to stop this flawed bill from becoming law. You can make sure your voice...

The most recent report from the Department of Agriculture shows that 1 in 7 American households had problems feeding their families at some point in the last year - a number that adds up to 17.5 million families . Even more troubling, these numbers are virtually unchanged from last year. In fact, even though the United States is in a period of job recovery, hunger and food insecurity remain at the same level as in the recession . While the percentage of food insecure households in Pennsylvania is below the national average, more than 1 in 10 PA families are struggling to access the food they need. If you or someone you know need food help, there are many resources available to you. In Pennsylvania, you can apply for SNAP (food stamps) online via the COMPASS system. Families in southeastern PA can also call PathWays PA at 610-543-5022 for assistance in applying for SNAP. Pennsylvania families can also visit  http://www.foodpantries.org/st/pennsylvania  to find local ...

Leanne Brown , a New York University student earning her master's degree in food studies, has published a cookbook for families and individuals living on SNAP (food stamps). The book, called Good and Cheap , is available for free on Leanne's website or can be ordered in hard copy. Good and Cheap  sets out to offer " filling, nourishing and flavorful meals " for the 47 million Americans living on SNAP. Recipes include Tomato Scrambled Eggs, Spicy Green Beans, Mexican Street Corn, and Savory Summer Cobbler. If you use Good and Cheap  or plan to use it, let us know what you think in the comments! If you or someone you know needs food help, there are many resources available to you. In Pennsylvania, you can apply for SNAP (food stamps) online via the  COMPASS  system. Families in southeastern PA can also call PathWays PA at 610-543-5022 for assistance in applying for SNAP. Pennsylvania families can also visit  http://www.foodpantries.org/st/pennsylvania ...

From our friends at the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) Yesterday, Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) introduced the Summer Meals Act, S. 2527 . It is a bipartisan bill that will enhance efforts to expand the reach of the Summer Food Program to low-income children and significantly simplify the administration of the program for sponsors.  Please contact your Senators and ask them to cosponsor Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Lisa Murkowski's (R-AK) Summer Meals Act (S.2527). This legislation would expand access to the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) for low-income children and simplify administration of the program for SFSP sponsors.

From our friends at PCCY  Learn about how you can help feed children this summer through USDA's summer feeding programs on Wednesday, March 26 from 1:00pm - 3:30pm at Chester City Hall located at 1 Fourth Street in Chester. Presenters Include:  Joyce Rouba-Program Specialist, USDA, Food and Nutrition Service  Mary Ringenberg-Education Administration Specialist, PDE  Anne Ayella-Assistant Director for Community Relations  Erinn Hill-Assistant Director for School and Summer Programs, Nutritional Development Services, Archdiocese of Philadelphia  Andrea Garrett-Chester City Department of Parks and Recreations  Local providers will also share tips from their experience. Please RSVP to Becca Stern at: rebeccas@pccy.org , or 215-563-5848 x14, with your name, organization, and contact information, including email and phone number

From our friends at the Coalition Against Hunger This week, the House is likely to vote on a Farm Bill that would slash $8.6 billion from SNAP (food stamps), our country's most effective program in fighting hunger. Please make your voice heard today, and urge your members of Congress to oppose cuts to SNAP. If these cuts take effect, hundreds of thousands of households across the country would see cuts to their SNAP benefits--on top of cuts that already took place last November. In Pennsylvania alone, 175,000 households would lose an average of $65 a month in food assistance. Many would lose much more. Seniors living on fixed income as low as $800 a month could see see their SNAP benefits reduced by more than $130 a month. This is unthinkable. Speak out today on behalf of the many people in our community who struggle to put food on the table. Contact your elected officials . Urge them oppose cuts to SNAP in the Farm Bill.

The Food Research and Action Council is hosting a series of child nutrition programs in the coming weeks in preparation for the beginning of the school year. Please feel free to sign up for all that you are interested in:  Wednesday, September 11 from 2:00pm-3:15pm Afterschool Meals Matter Webinar:  Strategies for Running a Successful Program Register  Thursday, September 12 beginning at 3:00PM Breakfast Matters-Keeping the Classroom Clean Conference Call  One of the biggest challenges schools face when transitioning from the traditional cafeteria breakfast model to an in-classroom model is how to ensure that classrooms and hallways remain clean after service is complete without an interruption in the school's daily routine or instructional time. Register  Wednesday, October 16 beginning at 1:00pm Serving Meals on Weekends and During School Holidays Conference Call  Learn more about extending your afterschool program service into weekends and...