USDA Awards $5 Million in Food Stamp Program Participation Grants

The six grants awarded were selected out of over 40 proposals from states, nonprofit groups and other organizations. A complete list of the awardees and a summary of each project is below. 

Carolina Nutrition Alliance (CNA)

CNA is a partnership between the Southern Institute on Children and Families, the South Carolina Department of Social Services and Agape Ministries of Charleston. The project will develop, test, and implement strategies for improving service delivery in three county offices. It consists of two components: Problem Diagnosis/Process Improvement and the Faith Participation Campaign (FPC). CNA will create a Food Stamp Process Improvement Team (FSPI) that will analyze the processes and procedures within three county eligibility offices and begin to test strategies to streamline and improve the eligibility system. The FPC entails hiring Church Application Processors (CAPS) who will screen potential applicants, provide application assistance, and do outreach. At the end of the project, the CNA will publish and distribute a Process Improvement Strategies Package that will include improvement strategies and the results of the FPC. 

Community Action Project (CAP) of Tulsa

This project is a partnership between the Community Action Project (CAP) of Tulsa and the Oklahoma Department of Human Service. The project will expand CAP’s Benefits Eligibility System for Oklahomans (BESO). CAP will build a “data bridge” so that data collected by BESO will be exchanged and integrated into the OKDHS eligibility system automatically without any subsequent data entry and without any requirement for the client to re-enter any basic demographic information on additional forms. The data will be accepted by the OKDHS as a request for services, which will establish an official application with OKDHS. In addition, CAP will build a Website version of BESO. This website will be available on kiosks in the OKDHS so clients can do an initial screening to determine if they are eligible prior to undertaking the application process. 

Illinois Department of Human Services

The project will build a data bridge that would permit information collected through web-filed applications and from automated telephone interviews to be transmitted directly into the DHS database and processing systems. Once the application is filed, applicants will be able to login using a personal identification number to check the status of the application or recertification. In addition, the data bridge will allow electronic transmittal of data from sources other than the DHS web site such as community service providers. Finally, applicants using the phone stamps system will be able to use a benefit calculator to determine if they may be eligible and to locate a local office.

Iowa Department of Human Services

The project will expand its currently existing toll-free number staffed by people who can answer general questions about food stamps. Iowa intends to make skilled eligibility workers available from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM weekdays to answer all types of questions about food stamps and to begin the application process for applicants. The workers at the call center will be able to take applications over the phone and process change reports. Iowa also plans to re-design all of the forms it uses to administer the Food Stamp Program and to translate them into Spanish. Lastly, Iowa will coordinate the training of call center personnel, link with community outreach efforts, and monitor of the effectiveness of the call center and outreach efforts.

Nevada Department of Human Resources

The project will install 10 kiosks in 8 grocery stores and in 2 welfare district offices so individuals can be screened for eligibility and apply for food stamps on-line (the kiosk application would be in both English and Spanish). Once the applicant applies on-line, the kiosk will print out an appointment time, date and location, a verification checklist, and the name of the assigned eligibility worker. In addition, the Food Bank of Northern Nevada would provide an outreach worker in each grocery store for 3-4 hours each week for to promote use of the kiosks, answer questions, and assist in filling out applications. Finally, the DHS would undertake a marketing campaign to promote use of the kiosks. Marketing would be done via public service announcements, radio and Television. 

New Mexico Association of Food Banks

This project is a partnership with the New Mexico Department of Human Services. The project includes hiring an outreach coordinator to recruit outreach volunteers who will in turn provide application assistance. The second element includes hiring mobile eligibility workers who, armed with laptops, will work in community-based locations to qualify and enroll food stamp applicants. The third element includes training food stamp champions who will be located in the food stamp offices and who will communicate the value of the FSP to both customers and staff. For the fourth element, the State agency will continue with its efforts to simplify the application, making it easier for people to use. 

More information on the Food Stamp Program participation grants is available at http://www.fns.usda.gov/fns/. Information on the 2002 Farm Bill can be found at http://www.usda.gov/farmbill.

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