F IVE YEARS OF SOLVING HUNGER AND IMPROVING NUTRI T ION IN MARYLAND
10
SOLVING HUNGER AND IMPROVING NUTRIT ON IN MARYLAND: THE FIRST FIVE YE RS
Advocacy
Solving hunger requires strong advocacy to
enact needed policy changes in the legislative
and executive branches at the federal, state
and local government levels, and to improve
the implementation of nutrition programs.
Maryland Hunger Solutions’ advocacy efforts include:
•
Grassroots mobilization
. As the Paper
Apple campaign (see sidebar p. 9) shows,
it works to galvanize public support
for stronger and more effective anti-
hunger efforts at all levels of government,
ensuring that Marylanders make their
voices heard in key policy battles.
Maryland Hunger Solutions also works
with other organizations, service providers
and stakeholders to build broad-based,
diverse anti-hunger coalitions.
•
State-level advocacy
. Maryland Hunger
Solutions is in regular communication
with the Governor’s office, all relevant
government agencies, and the General
Assembly pushing for improvements
in anti-hunger programs, policies
and funding. For example, Maryland
Hunger Solutions led the charge to
increase funding for the Maryland Meals
for Achievement Program — a state
program that supports in-classroom
breakfast — and successfully persuaded
the Governor to include a 20 percent
increase ($560,000) in funding in the
FY 2013 budget, which the General
Assembly approved. Maryland Hunger
Solutions, with the support of partners,
also successfully sought a 1.8 million
dollar increase in MMFA in the FY 2014
budget, which is pending before the
General Assembly.
•
Federal advocacy
. Maryland Hunger
Solutions keeps the state’s two senators
and eight members of Congress
informed of steps they should take to
strengthen SNAP and the other federal
nutrition programs. Maryland Hunger
Solutions also persuaded Congress,
through advocacy with Rep. Donna
Edwards, to include Maryland as one of
only 13 pilot states for the
At-Risk Afterschool Meal Program.
Based on the success of this special
program it was extended to afterschool
programs in all 50 states in the 2010
Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act.
However, passing legislation and
appropriating funds are only part of the
battle. The ultimate effectiveness of food
and nutrition programs is determined
by how they are implemented at the
state, county and municipal levels. Using
the real-world experience of people
suffering from food insecurity, Maryland
Hunger Solutions works closely with
agency administrators to ensure that
eligible participants are being reached
and that the process of applying for
and receiving benefits is simplified and
made “consumer-friendly.” For example,
Maryland Hunger Solutions is:
•
Improving FSP’s policies and practices
,
working closely with the Maryland
Department of Human Resources
and key policy makers to strengthen
service delivery and ease barriers to
participation. This involves monitoring
“For many of our kids, it’s a
supper program; this is, in fact,
their dinner. They go home
to no meals… [Participating in
the Afterschool Meal program
is] a fairly simple process, and
the truth is, even if it were a
burden, which it is not, I think
to benefit our members, our
youth, I think it’s something
that has to be done.”
—
MARTIN BLAKE
,
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
,
BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF ANNAPOLIS AND
ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY
