Montgomery County Food Security Plan - Year 1 Update

May 1st 2018

Amanda Nesher Food Security Programs Manager, Montgomery County Food Council.

The Food Security Strategic Plan

• Bill 19-16 passed in July 2016 requiring delivery of Food Security Plan by December 2016

• Extensive public engagement in the Plan’s development

• Plan released by the County Executive in January 2017

Shared Vision

Our community is a place where all people at all times have access to safe, sufficient, nutritious food in order to lead fulfilling lives and contribute to making Montgomery County, MD a place where all live in dignity.

(Gundersen, C., A. Satoh, A. Dewey, M. Kato & E. Engelhard. Map the Meal Gap 2015: Food Insecurity and Child Food Insecurity Estimates at the County Level. Feeding America, 2015.)

Food Insecurity In Montgomery CountyCAFB FY16 Food Insecurity Rate

0% 31%

Estimated Food Insecurity Rate

Poverty

Root Causes of Food Insecurity

Self-Sufficiency Employment Status

Median IncomeUnemployment

0.5% 13%

Percent Below Self-Sufficiency

16% 38%50K 250K

Lack of Transportation

Root Causes of Food InsecurityFederal Food Assistance Program Eligibility

Disconnected Residential Units (weekend routes)

Percent taking Public Transportation to work

0.0% 17%

Units >0.5 miles from Public Transit Percent taking Public Transportation to work

SNAP Rate 0.0% 27%

2005-2016 Snap Benefits by Sub-Group 2003-2017 MCPS FARMS Rate

Root Causes of Food Insecurity

Findings

Children

Risk factors:● insufficient food

during summer and on weekends

● single parent households

● children of color

Seniors

Risk Factors:● 22,058, or 16%

of residents 65 and over live at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty line.

People with Disabilities

Risk factors:● Families with a

disabled member 2 to 3 times more likely to be food insecure.

● Working aged adults with disabilities are twice as likely to live below the poverty level as adults without disabilities.

Foreign Born

Risk Factors:● 50-60,000 foreign

born residents at or below 150% of the poverty level in 2016.

Other Risk Factors

● below the self-sufficiency standard

● limited access to transportation

● not enrolled in benefits

● homeless● dietary restrictions● working two or more

jobs.

Year One Recommendations Snapshot

Recommendation Action Items Progress

Standardize Data Collection and Reporting

Data Standardization Survey Survey complete. Implementation into county grantmaking processes ongoing.

Transportation Analysis MCDOT and CountyStat Collaboration Analysis complete. Development of recommendations ongoing.

Identify High Priority Zones FoodStat Data-gathering ongoing. Launch of tool in May 2018.

Create, Support and Encourage Information Sharing Resources

Food Assistance Resource Directory, Food Literacy Assessment

Food Assistance Resource Directory and Food Literacy Assessment complete.

Support Provider to Provider Training and Capacity Building

Training, Connectivity and Resources Survey

Survey complete. Development of trainings and capacity building strategies ongoing.

Pending

Initial Stage

Active

Complete

Year One Recommendations Snapshot

Recommendation Action Items Progress

Leverage Existing Programs Expansion of Weekend Bag Program, Senior Nutrition Program, Food, Fun & Fitness Program

Results of program expansions complete.

Increase Benefits Application Outreach

Train-the-Trainer Model, Benefits Application Assistance Toolkit

Strategic discussions underway in the Montgomery County Food Council Food Access and Recovery Workgroup. Training webinar being recorded on May 2nd 2018.

Assess the Need for Culturally Appropriate Food in Assistance Programs

American University Senior Capstone Project Team Needs Assessment.

Student team identified and needs assessment ongoing. Results to be released in May 2018.

Explore New Datasets College Students, Children Under 5, Residents with Mental Health Disabilities

Exploration of data complete. Strategies to address barriers to food access ongoing.

Pending

Initial Stage

Active

Complete

Standardized Data Collecting and Reporting• Montgomery County Food Council’s Data Standardization Survey (DSS) was created in 2016.

• Survey Questions

• Survey Goal

• Current Status

Create, Support and Encourage Information Sharing Resources Training, Connectivity and Resources (TCR) Survey

Food Assistance Resource Directory

• Overview of Directory

• Distribution Strategy

• Next Steps

Food Literacy Assessment

• Overview

• Goals

• Current Status

Leverage & Expand Existing ProgramsWeekend Bag Program: $300,000 in increased FY18 funding for expansion

Leverage & Expand Existing ProgramsSenior Nutrition Program: $200,000 in increased FY18 funding for expansion

Leverage & Expand Existing ProgramsFood, Fun and Fitness Program: $150,000 in increased FY18 funding for expansion

Explore New Data Sets

• MCFC has engaged with the Community Action Agency to discuss building food insecurity screenings and referrals into all CAA partner programs and initiatives.

• MCFC is partnering with CAA to identify the appropriate organizations, groups and individuals to participate in a listening session on food insecurity in the Children under 5 population, which will occur in the Spring of 2018 at the TESS Community Services Center.

• The listening session will focus on assessing the magnitude of the issue, the demographics and locations in which it is concentrated, and the barriers to food access that families of such children face.

Children Under 5

World Health Organization: http://www.who.int/nmh/publications/msd_MHChildFSS9.pdf

Explore New Data SetsCollege Students

Recent studies and surveys on students food insecurity have found consistent and

troubling results.

A 2018 report from the Wisconsin HOPE lab found 36% of

university students and 42% of community colleges students

were food insecure.

2017 UMD study found 41% student food insecurity, 21% marginal and 20% severe.

Predictors: race, family economic stability

Barriers to Food Access:

Ineligibility for federal benefits and financial burden on student

families

High tuition rates, accommodation costs, childcare costs and transportation costs

Limited employment opportunities and lack of facilities to prepare

nutritious food

Solutions:

Expanded capacity and efficiency of onsite food pantries, clothes libraries and hygiene product

distribution services

Food assistance information in course syllabus, online textbooks,

“community day” benefits sign-up.

CAFB Mobile Markets, Food Assistance Resource Directory

Explore New Data Sets

Lack of knowledge about services available through DHHS or

other organizations

Additional physical,

cognitive or developmental

disabilities

Living alone and physically or emotionally

isolated from friends and family

Increased Food Access Risk for Residents with Mental Health Issues

No personal transportation and/or limited transportation

options

Stigma, fear or distrust of

authority that discourages the

seeking of assistance from health providers or family/friends.

Lack of knowledge about and.or inability to

prepare nutritionally

adequate food

Ineligibility for case

management through existing

assistance programs

Limited financial resources and inability to gain

or maintain employment

Thank You

Food Security Plan - Years 2-3Jenna Umbriac

Director of Programs, Manna Food CenterCo-Chair, Food Recovery and Access Working Group, Montgomery COunty Food Council

R5.2 Develop “best practices” guides and connect orgs with training and mentoring re: recruiting volunteers, advocacy, and fundraising R8.3 Innovative Resource Sharing R11.2 Increase Outreach Network and Capacity to Maximize Participation in Benefit Programs

FOOD SUPPLEMENT PROGRAM OUTREACH

Food Security Plan

R5.4 Support and expand food recovery

R7.3 Enhance Farmers Markets and Farmer Participation

R12.2 Increase availability of locally produced fruits, vegetables, and meats

Food Security Plan

R7.1 Better Connect Health Care Community to Food Security

R7.4 Engage All Businesses

R8.1 Centralize Data Sharing and Collection

R8.2 Enhanced Communication Strategies for Connecting with Support Providers and Residents Experiencing Food Insecurity

Knowledge Hub

Food Security Plan

Food Recovery and Access Working Group 2nd Thursdays of the month

9:30a-11:30a atDennis Ave Health Center 2000 Dennis Ave., Silver Spring

Next meeting:Thursday, May 10