With FRAC, it issues an annual report
comparing hunger in Maryland and in
the Baltimore area to rates in other
states and Metropolitan Statistical
Areas (MSA’s). Maryland Hunger
Solutions has also produced a series of
guides for service providers, advocates
and recipients on how to effectively
conduct outreach and participate
in the Food Supplement Program,
Summer Food Service Program,
School Breakfast Program, At-Risk
Afterschool Meal Program, and on the
use of nutrition assistance programs at
farmers’ markets.
•
Organizing the Annual Maryland
Food Stamp Challenge
during which
hundreds of public officials, faith
and community-based leaders, and
civic activists in Maryland spend a
week feeding themselves solely on a
food stamp (FSP) budget. This has a
profound impact on participants as
they experience first-hand the struggles
of FSP beneficiaries and learn how food
stamp benefits need to be increased.
More than 200 people participated in
the 2012 challenge, including elected
officials and government agencies and
nonprofit leaders.
•
Maximizing the impact of outreach
efforts through mapping
. For the
Food Supplement Program and the
Summer Food Service Program,
Maryland Hunger Solutions was able
to target high need areas with low
participation. For the Child and Adult
Care Food Program (CACFP), Maryland
Hunger Solutions mapped non-
participating, licensed, non-profit child
care centers, cross-referencing this
with demographic data showing the
concentration of lower-income families.
9
MDHUNGERSOLUT IONS .ORG
The Paper Apple Campaign
Maryland Hunger
Solutions’ Paper
Apple Campaign
gives people across
the state the
opportunity to
draw attention
to hunger and to
build a foundation
for a hunger-free
Maryland. Thousands
of people wrote their
ideas about how to
achieve a hunger-free
Maryland on paper apples which were
used to form a map of Maryland and
displayed in Annapolis during the 2012
legislative session. Campaign participants
were also encouraged to post pictures
of their paper apples on Facebook and
tweet them to @MarylandHunger. The
campaign demonstrates how widespread
support is for protecting and improving
federal nutrition programs and other anti-
hunger efforts. It will continue to collect
apples and the paper apple map will
continue to be displayed in key locations
across the state, and its range of ideas
will be shared with policymakers.
“Maryland Hunger Solutions
does an exceptional job raising
awareness of hunger and
connecting Marylanders to vital
nutrition assistance programs. I
appreciated the opportunity to
participate in the Food Stamp
Challenge and to partner with
Maryland Hunger Solutions in
the fight to eradicate hunger
in our state.”
—
BILL MCCARTHY
,
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
,
CATHOLIC CHARITIES - BALTIMORE
