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Hunger Council of the Windham Region Meeting Minutes

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Hunger Council of the Windham Region Meeting Minutes Hunger Council of the Windham Region Meeting Minutes Meeting Date: November 17, 2016 Present: Senator Becca Balint (Vermont State Senate), Representative Mollie Burke (Vermont State House of Representatives), Vickie Case (WKVT Radio), Shyla Foss (Vermont Department of Health – Brattleboro District Office), Representative-Elect John Gannon (Vermont State House of Representatives), Sue Graff (United Way of Windham County), Randy Holhut (The Commons), Katherine Jandernoa (Food Connects), Representative Emily Long (Vermont State House of Representatives), Nancy Olson (Putney Foodshelf), Helen Rortvedt (Food Connects), Nancy Schaefer (Brattleboro Memorial Hospital), Kira Sawyer-Hartigan (Windham Southeast Supervisory Union), Dave Schoales (Brattleboro Town School Board and Select Board), Kathy Squires (Townshend Community Food Shelf), Representative Valerie Stuart (Vermont State House of Representatives), Bonny White (UVM Extension – EFNEP), Genna Williams (Vermont Foodbank) Co-Chairs: Margaret Atkinson (Windham Child Care Association) and Lisa Pitcher (Our Place) Hunger Free Vermont Staff: Faye Conte, Kristen Rauch, and Jenna Banning Welcome and Introductions Action Steps & Margaret welcomed everyone to the meeting, and thanked the group for being flexible with the Handouts: date change. Council members shared brief introductions of themselves and their work, particularly regarding nutrition and hunger. Charitable Food & Winter Planning – the Challenge of Hunger in the Windham Region Member organizations share what they are seeing in terms of both progress and challenges combating hunger and preparing for winter. Council members and legislators discussed school meals, with specific foci on local foods and food quality, Leland & Grey, and older students who want to eat off campus. Vickie Case shared that Youth Services is interested in supporting student stores, and the Council agreed that using the empty pizzeria in Townshend would be an excellent location for a store. Students may be deciding to not eat school meals for a number of reasons, including social norms, the short time allotted for meals, and real or perceived meal quality. The Council and legislators also discussed some of the challenges being faced by the Agency of Education, as well as some of the challenges that agency has created for summer meal sites, childcare sites, and other meal programs. Handout: Kathy Squires and Lisa Pitcher shared data collected by the Healthy Harvest Network on clients Healthy Harvest through two surveys. (See attached) Legislators shared their appreciation of data and stories to Network Client help them understand and advocate for issues and programs, and suggested information to be Survey results collected in the future. (attached) Council members shared the large demand for emergency food in the region. Council members also discussed that despite the large volume of emergency food available in the region (For example, Groundworks’ food shelf was receiving 9 pallets of food twice a week before it had to change its operations.), food shelves and food drives are still not able to meet the need entirely. The Council agreed that individual efforts made by groups and events are positive, but to make real impacts will require changing cultural stigmas, incomes, and systems. Legislators Share Their Priorities for Combating Hunger and Supporting Low-Income Vermonters in the Windham Region Rep. Mollie Burke – Rep. Burke encouraged Council members and others in their networks to contact their representatives with suggestions, feedback, and requests. Rep. Valerie Stuart – Rep. Stuart emphasized the power of being able to show how people become food and financially insecure, which can then be used to support ways for the system to assist them. She echoed Rep. Burke’s view that it will take a lot of effort to continue funding for state programs with the Scott Administration, which is why data and stories will be helpful. Rep. Emily Long – Rep. Long agreed, and described the challenges facing legislators in getting information and dealing with lobbyists, who can flood the statehouse. Handout: 2015 The Council and legislators discussed what types of information and stories would be helpful. Basic Needs Council members recommended using the Basic Needs Budget created by the Joint Fiscal Office to Budget (most explain the financial pressures affecting Vermonters’ abilities to meet their basic needs, including recent to date) http://www.leg.s food. tate.vt.us/jfo/re ports/2015%20B Senator Becca Balint – Sen. Balint emphasized that stories and views being built and shared at the asic%20Needs% ground level then bubble up to legislators, and encouraged the Council to create “an echo 20Budget%20rep chamber” of the information and stories around food security so that all legislators are hearing ort%2001-15- the same messages from different areas. She and Rep. Stuart encouraged these stories to help 2015.pdf “average people” understand why they should care. Representative –Elect John Gannon – While new to the legislature, Rep. Gannon has been very involved in the community and interested in supporting food and fuel assistance programs. Rep. Gannon is concerned about the senior meals program in Jacksonville (in Whitingham). Faye Conte and Council members discussed the rising rate of food insecurity among seniors, who are the fastest growing population in the state and a large percentage of the population in Windham County. The Council and legislators discussed the importance of workforce development as a solution to poverty and Margaret Atkinson reminded the Council of its last meeting’s focus on this issue. BDCC (Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation) and other economic development organizations were identified as key partners that need to be connected with what is happening on the ground. The Council also discussed the connection between nutrition and healthcare as a powerful way to frame food security. The legislators encouraged Council members to contact them while in session as a way to maintain Handout: To see a flow of information and pressure to act. Email is good, although the Senate is not able to have the schedule of any electronic devices, and thus cannot read emails while on the floor. For immediate issues and/or meetings and at the end of the session, phone messages can be very powerful. hearings, visit the Senate and House calendars Faye Conte and Jenna Banning described the statewide network of Hunger Councils as a way to at learn about the issues happening at the community-level across Vermont, and for legislators to be http://legislature connected with their communities. Faye shared that the Hunger Councils of Vermont will be .vermont.gov/ sending letters of introduction to all incoming legislators and the Scott Administration. (see below for more details) The Council thanked Senator Balint and Representatives Burke, Gannon, Long, and Stuart for their attendance and for their representation of Windham County at the State House. Sub-Committee Reports Summer Meals Sub-Committee (Sue Graff): The Summer Meals Sub-Committee will be focusing on supporting existing summer meal programs and looking to expand summer meal programs outside of Brattleboro and at enrolled camps. The surveys of parents have resulted in some data on where children are spending their time during the summers, which will be helpful for planning for next year. The sub-committee may also be looking at school vacations outside of summer time and what food options are available for children during those times. Healthy Harvest Network / Food Pantries and Food Shelves Subcommittee (Kathy Squires and Lisa Pitcher): The Healthy Harvest Network will be meeting next in January. Announcements & Wrap-up Jenna Banning (Hunger Free Vermont) - The week of November 13th – 19th is National Homelessness and Hunger Awareness Week, during which Hunger Free Vermont coordinates the 3SquaresVT Challenge. Challenge participants gain experience in what it is like to live on the average 3SquaresVT budget for the week, a day, or a meal, and Jenna and Faye Conte encouraged Council members to try to participate at any point in the year. Rep. Valerie Stuart encouraged Hunger Free Vermont and the Council to push the Legislature to take the 3SquaresVT Challenge for a day. Faye Conte (Hunger Free Vermont) – As we discussed in our meeting earlier this fall, the Hunger Councils will be introducing themselves to legislators and the Governor through a letter. These letters will let policy makers know what the Hunger Councils are, who is part of them, what we care about, and invite them to attend their local meetings. They will be broad and not get into detail about specific initiatives. Using the input shared at meetings this fall, Hunger Free Vermont will draft letters and get feedback on the language from all Council Chairs. The letters will then be shared with all Council members and everyone will have time to offer any major feedback and to opt-out of signing. (We know that state agencies and other member organizations may not be able to sign-on to the letters.) The letters will then be distributed to the legislators and new Governor. Faye also shared information on the Farm to School Campaign, which is looking to expand Farm to School programming and increase state funding. The Farm to School Network, of which Hunger Free Vermont is a part, will be advocating this session for permanent Farm to School funding, expansion to preschools, and support for schools to get technical assistance on any part
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