Pilot Program Streamlines Food Stamps to Those in Need
Illinois First to Test “Express Stamps” Helping Low Income Families Put Food on the Table
ZION, IL --- November 21, 2006 --- U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services Nancy Montanez Johner visited the Faith Food Pantry today in Zion to announce an innovative partnership which is making it easier for low-income families to receive Food Stamps.
Called “Express Stamps,” the project is designed to increase participation in the federal Food Stamp Program by providing quick and easy access through an online process right at the food pantries where at-need families are picking up food boxes.
Five northern Illinois food pantries are first in the nation to pilot the program, which has been online for a month.
The Express Stamps program is a collaboration between USDA, the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS), America’s Second Harvest—The Nation’s Food Bank Network, and the Northern Illinois Food Bank and its pantries.
“Ensuring that all who are eligible for our programs know about them and can receive the nutrition assistance they need with dignity and respect is a top priority at USDA,” said Montanez Johner, as hundreds of people were receiving holiday food boxes from the pantry. “Creative and innovative partnerships at all levels are needed to find the best way for more low-income families to participate in the federal Food Stamp Program. We look forward to the implementation and evaluation of this pilot as we continue to look for avenues to improve program access.”
Currently, it can take up to 30 days for a food stamp application to be processed. When a person applies at one of the IDHS Family Community Resource Centers, a caseworker enters data and the applicant goes through an interview to verify information like income, identity and residence. Once eligibility is determined, a notice is sent to the applicant and another trip to the Center is needed to get their card and benefits.
Under Express Stamps, one or two months of benefits will be issued based on the date of application. Only identity needs to be verified and benefits can be accessed immediately.
“Families should not have to wait for the food they need,” said IDHS Secretary Carol L. Adams, PhD. “By giving people who visit food pantries direct access to the Food Stamp Program through the Web, Express Stamps is another step forward as we move to ensure Illinoisans are on-line and not in line when it comes to receiving important services.”
A comprehensive hunger study conducted this year by the America’s Second Harvest Network showed that less than 30 percent of the people who seek emergency food assistance from agencies served by the organization’s Member food banks are enrolled in the Food Stamp Program. Making it easy to access the benefits by bringing them right to where people seek help seemed like an ideal way to get more participation.
“Our Network is on the frontlines each day fighting hunger in America. We believe our Members and agencies are the best conduit for reaching food insecure households,” said Vicki Escarra, president and chief executive officer of the America’s Second Harvest Network. “The Express Stamps program is exactly the kind of collaboration that will help to solve hunger in America.”
The UPS Foundation provided funding for the pilot programs at Northern Illinois Food Bank food pantries in Zion, Holy Angels in Aurora, Wayne Township in West Chicago, Community Care in Braidwood, and Fish Pantry of Carpentersville.
The application and intake process is run entirely by volunteers and, according to H. Dennis Smith, CEO of Northern Illinois Food Bank, “More than 30 volunteers have stepped up to give their time to learn all the details then assist potential Express Stamp beneficiaries in completing the online application process. It’s another way our people are helping people connect with the food they need.”
Over 100 new families have registered for benefits since the pilot came online about a month ago. It is expected that the test sites will be evaluated after a few months and if successful, more sites will be added in Illinois and other states. Eventually, it is hoped that the pilot will serve as a model for the rest of the nation.
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America's Second Harvest–The Nation's Food Bank Network is the largest charitable domestic hunger-relief organization in the country with a Network of more than 200 Member food banks and food-rescue organizations serving all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The America's Second Harvest Network secures and distributes more than 2 billion pounds of donated food and grocery products annually; and supports approximately 50,000 local charitable agencies operating more than 94,000 programs including food pantries, soup kitchens, emergency shelters, after-school programs and Kids Cafes. Last year, the America's Second Harvest Network provided food assistance to more than 25 million low-income hungry people in the United States, including 9 million children and nearly 3 million seniors. For more on the America's Second Harvest Network, please visit www.secondharvest.org.
Contact:
Maura Daly (America’s Second Harvest)
Cell: 301/943-3733
Lawrence Rudmann (USDA)
Cell: 312/860-3531
Tom Green (IDHS)
Cell: 217/725-8068
