Food Stamp Outreach Coalition Minutes

January 10, 2008
National Council of La Raza
1126 16th Street, NW
Washington, DC

Meeting Focus: Outreach to Hispanic Populations

Welcome: Cindy Long, FNS Director of the newly formed Office of Strategic Initiatives, Partnership, and Outreach (OSIPO), welcomed participants, gave a brief overview of OSIPO, and thanked NCLR for hosting the meeting. She then introduced our facilitator, Marty Schnoor and gave the floor to FNS Administrator Roberto Salazar to make opening remarks.

	Agenda
	Listing of Attendees
	Promising Practices in Outreach to Hispanics
	Free FSP Outreach Materials from FNS

Opening Remarks: Roberto Salazar thanked NCLR and participants for taking part in the conference. Outreach is important to the mission of increasing food stamp participation and meeting the needs of those who require nutrition assistance. He spoke briefly of the challenges to raising food stamp participation, analogously comparing food stamps to products in corporate America. Currently, food stamps have 65 percent “market penetration.” This is an improvement from 54 percent five years ago, but still not enough. He expressed hope to raise this rate in the future and especially to enhance access for the Hispanic community. Mr. Salazar concluded by saying he looks forward to seeing a continued dialogue and taking this opportunity to improving partnerships with coalition members and others.

Gloria Gutierrez, Acting Associate Administrator for Program Service and Support at FNS, was introduced to the group. She greeted people in the room and on the phone and was able to remain through all of the presentations.

Presentations

Hispanics in the United States
Anna Owens, U.S. Census Bureau

Presentation - Hispanics in the United States

Discussion:

Gloria Gutierrez pointed out that the slide on educational attainment for Hispanics does not disaggregate for foreign-born or native. There are many older immigrants who are often looking for jobs instead of going to school, which lowers the percentage of total educational attainment for Hispanics.

Harry Salinas, Salinas Associates, asked if we could look at the population of the elderly within the Hispanic community over 60 or 65 to see the diversity and their specific needs. No data was available through the Census presentation.

Joe Torres, Western Regional Office, asked if there was an undercount of Hispanics and other minority groups, and also if the number of illegal immigrants is reflected in the 44 million total Hispanics in the U.S.

Ms. Owens responded that the survey does not ask about legal/illegal status and that the Census Bureau does its best to reach everyone and adjust the numbers to be as accurate as possible.

Ms. Gutierrez mentioned that in 2000 there was the smallest undercount in the Census Bureau’s history - less than 1 percent - and that the numbers are getting better. There is a large effort through advertisements and promotores to make sure that undocumented persons know that their status will not be asked. So, yes, illegal immigrants are included in the count.

Ms. Owens added that offering the survey in different languages helps minimize errors as well.

 
Hispanic Participation in the Food Stamp Program
Ted Macaluso, Office of Research, Nutrition, and Analysis, FNS

Presentation - Hispanic Participation in the FSP

Discussion:

Carlos Velazquez, HMA Associates, asked about food stamp participation levels and wanted to know if an analysis has been done on generational poverty and the connections between that and how long food stamps are being used.

Mr. Macaluso said that FNS has the information to do such a study but that it has not been done due to lack of resources.

Mr. Velazquez then asked whether the dollar amount Hispanics are receiving is comparable to the data stating that one in five food stamp participants is Hispanic.

Mr. Macaluso responded that participation percentages for Hispanics and dollar amounts received are about the same.

Bill Ayers requested that attention be drawn to the WIC data. High rates of participation in this program indicate that two things can be done to improve participation in the Food Stamp Program:

1. Change the name of food stamps.
2. Emphasize that food stamps are not welfare, but a wage supplement and nutrition
   assistance program. People seem to respond to that pitch.

Jessica Bartholow, California Association of Food Banks, asked if the data showed food stamp recipients or households. Mr. Macaluso replied that the data is on households.

Mr. Velazquez asked about the difference in stigma attached to the WIC and Food Stamp programs.

Mr. Macaluso explained that WIC is a public health program run through clinics and focused on the nutrition of mother and child; and that it is a good guess that stigma is less, also, because it has a less difficult history than the food stamp program.

Joe Torres, FNS Western Regional Office, said that state participation rates were widely varied in his region - California, for example, with approximately 47 to 52 percent and Oregon with approximately 80 to 91 percent of all eligible persons actually participating. Oregon is doing good things forming partnerships and working together to get the word out. Is there a study on best practices on states that are doing well?

Nancy Weed, Oregon Hunger Relief Task Force, indicated that they had examples of successful practices in Oregon and recommended looking at their website: www.oregonhunger.org.

Mr. Macaluso said there is information on outreach grantees and what they are doing on the FNS website as well as reports on the characteristics of participating households and participation rates.

Ellen Vollinger, FRAC, said that the eligibility requirements for WIC and the Food Stamp Program are different. Food Stamp eligibility requirements are more difficult. WIC programs do not look at whether a person is undocumented or illegal in order to determine eligibility.

In response to a question from Jennifer Ng’andu on the extent of non-citizen participation in the FSP, Mr. Macaluso said that based on the 2006 Household Characteristics Report, 6.1 percent of participants were non-citizens, but that percentage includes other populations as well as Hispanics. The data is in electronic form - breakdown analyses could be done if resources were available.

Javier von Westphalen-Peña, HMA Associates, asked about the Hispanic indigenous population.
Mr. Macaluso said the breakdown was only by countries.

Joe Torres asked for the number of Hispanics currently eligible that are not participating. Jennifer Ng’andu said that based on FNS data from a few years ago there were 4 million eligible but not participating.


Promising Practices and Successful Outreach Strategies
State Agency Perspective
Marc Wernli, Texas Health and Human Services Commission

Presentation - Texas HHS Success

Discussion:

Bill Ayres explained that World Hunger Year runs a National Hunger Hotline with FNS. They receive a number of call-ins from people in Texas with connecting problems (getting into offices, getting food stamps). He asked to be brought up to date on what is being done to deal with those problems in order to respond to the questions that people are asking on the phone.

Mr. Wernli mentioned Texas is making use of the 211 information system. They are also working heavily with community based organizations who will sometimes provide door-to-door assistance or liaison back with the State to report issues and get clarifications.

Mr. Ayres asked what they should suggest to people when they say they can’t get through.

Mr.Wernli said that they should call the 211 number or use the toll-free line to specifically handle client issues (such as lost application, denials, etc.). That toll-free number is: 1-800-252-9330. The 211 numbers provide referrals to local offices and also give information to the outreach worker who can do home visits or help clients in their own office.

Abby Hughes Holsclaw, National League of Cities, asked about online application and eligibility screening. Mr. Wernli said Texas has a pre-screening tool and (downloadable) application online. They are working toward turning that capability into applying online. More and more people are coming up with the barrier of not being able to get into the local offices or are discouraged going in and waiting. Online applying will allow people to apply after hours and on weekends.

Ms. Bartholow, California Association of Foodbanks, wanted to know if the 211 numbers provide application screening and assistance, and if so, are they receiving federal match to do so?

Mr. Wernli said they are not doing screening or assistance at this time. It is something that they had envisioned but it does not appear to be a good role for the 211 system. They had discussed going to a call center method where they would make application assistance available but that project has been put on hold due to problems with their vendor.

Laurie Strauss, AARP Foundation, asked about effective outreach strategies related to older adults and elderly Hispanics in Texas.

Mr. Wernli said working through the local recreation centers, senior centers and adult centers seems to be an effective approach at this point in time. They did cross-training with other agencies, such as the Department of Aging and Disability Services, to have those organizations understand the program and the requirements for the program. Now, other agencies can help in giving information on the Food Stamp Program as they are being approached for other services.

 
Promising Practices and Successful Outreach Strategies
Community Partner Perspective
Sybille Damas, Congreso de Latinos Unidos, Philadelphia, PA

Presentation - Congreso de Latinos Unidos Success

Discussion:

Susan Sheets, FNS, pointed out that the 78 percent success rate of Congreso’s outreach project means that they were able to get nutrition assistance for 78 percent of the people who came to them for help. In FSP outreach experience, this is a very high percentage.

Abby Hughes-Holsclaw asked if COMPASS, Pennsylvania’s on-line application system, had been used as a pre-screening tool and whether there was anything about it that was particularly useful for working with Hispanic populations.

Ms. Damas said that COMPASS is open to the general population so that people can screen themselves. Her experience has been focused on low-income Latinos in an area where there is a digital divide – the availability of the tool on the web does not necessarily mean one will have access to it. Also, although the COMPASS system is useful, it has its challenges. For instance, when forms are filled out on COMPASS they first go to the central office before being distributed to the respective local offices. This creates delays. Sometimes there are not enough people to help with follow-up and applications sit in one location or another. Although COMPASS is helpful, you still need to follow up.

In response to a question by Ms. Bartholow, Ms. Damas said it is definitely helpful to have bilingual and bicultural staff. Important, also, is having staff that really take time with people, especially to handle cases with undocumented immigrants to explain how applying may affect their status. If they understand that it is safe to apply, they are more likely to do so.

Mr. Torres asked about the connection between Ms. Damas’s community and the local county welfare office.

Ms. Damas said a working relationship had been established already through a workforce development initiative. Congreso saw that they needed to elevate this status by establishing themselves as another contact group for the county assistance office, which they were able to do by networking with people who already had ties to the office. They also made an effort to get to know everyone at the county assistance office and clarify the roles of each group in FSP outreach. Congreso coached their clients on what to expect when they went to the local office to apply. This decreased the amount of time clients and staff had to spend on the application process.

Facilitated Discussion on Barriers and Solutions

Perceived Barriers to Food Stamp Program Participation By Hispanic Populations

Immigration Concerns

	Public Charge/Belief that receipt of food stamps will affect immigration status for themselves or their families.
	Lack of understanding that there are exceptions to sponsor deeming for those who are indigent and those who are victims of domestic violence – little or no screening is done by workers; when advocates intervene, screening is done.
	Many parents that are undocumented have children with legal status but are not willing to seek help for the children because they believe they will be deported as a result
	Cuban entrants – there is no USDA guidance on how to meet this definition; states often don’t define it
	Other refugees transitioning out of refugee assistance are sometimes erroneously subject to the 5 year waiting period

Language

	Limited English proficiency
	Low literacy in English and Spanish
	Lack of Spanish proficient eligibility workers
	Lack of information in Spanish
	No computer access
	Limited computer knowledge

Application Forms and Process

	Lengthy
	Complicated wording
	Face-to-face interviews involve a return trip to the office
	Documentation required is not always available (house phone not in client’s name)
	Fluctuating earned income is complicated to calculate
	Recertification requirements are not understood
	Not following guidance on immigration status – there are questions on some forms asking for immigration status and SSNs of non-eligible household members
	Lack of privacy and confidentiality
	Informal bills/Income - difficult to supply documentation for verification
	Prescreening is difficult for prorated income when parents are only applying for children
	Lack of information by food stamp worker
	Lack of sufficient staffing and resources to process applications in a timely manner
	Separate EBT training

Process to Apply Not Worth the Benefit

Environmental

	No transportation to local food stamp office
	Office hours conflict with work
	No child care available

Pride

Stigma

Prior bad experience with a local food stamp office

	Someone they know had a bad experience
	Negative word-of-mouth campaign
	Political insensitivities
	Lack of federal government guidance and compliance measures for emergency preparedness procedures (expedited services, e.g.) for those of Limited English Proficiency can contribute to clients having a bad experience

Unawareness of the program

	In general
	By caregivers and other potential “influencers”

Reluctance to share private information

	Don’t want to ask for help from the government
	Reluctance to share sponsor information
	General distrust of government

Myths and misunderstandings

	Think food stamps are only for families
	Think they will have to pay them back
	Lack of knowledge of food stamp requirements and policies
	Do not realize they or their children are eligible
	Lack of understanding about the recertification process
	Confusion on eligibility requirements

Inadequate Infrastructure

	Lack of access points – not enough local offices to handle the current need
	Lack of system connections – people don’t know where to go to apply
	Lack of EBT outlets in migrant communities
	Lack of local grocery stores in low-income areas
	Not enough staff/offices to meet need in areas of projected growth

Monitoring Outreach Effectiveness

Lack of knowledge of the best way to reach the underserved

Internal Processes

	Missing opportunities to share outreach techniques and technology with other partners
	Missing opportunities to outreach to notarios abrogados and other “influencers” who carry a lot of weight with those of limited literacy and especially with the elderly

Office Staff Not Knowing All The Rules and Regulations

	Shortage of knowledgeable staff
	Lack of strong administrative policies and administrative leadership contributes to subjective implementation of policies (uninformed or misguided staff interpretation of immigration policy)
	“Front Desk Diversion” is experienced in many local offices – receptionist turning clients away on the belief that they would not be eligible; once “denied” they do not return
	Lack of information locally to clarify Food Stamp eligibility of households that have citizen children with undocumented parents

Lack of Specific Outreach Funding

	Lack of awareness, education and follow-up (implementation of outreach strategies)
	Lack of adequate funding necessitates a difficult choice between moving food or having outreach
	In some States the negative political arena is a barrier to formalizing outreach efforts with adequate funding

Ideas to Improve Hispanic Participation in FSP – Potential Solutions to Barriers

Immigration Concerns

	Make use of Hispanics that are already on the program, and have had a positive experience, to communicate to others
	Hold discussion at the National level with Immigration officials to seek ways to ensure all are educated about the definition of public charge, i.e., immigrant participation in the Food Stamp Program does not create a public charge
	Spotlight existing community leaders to talk about the food stamp program (for example, leaders from the Catholic church and other churches, promotores, food banks, and other partners who have built trust in Hispanic communities). If there is funding for these groups to be helping in this arena it would make it easier to approach them to ask for their assistance

Language

	Make use of the FSP online eligibility pre-screening tool in English and Spanish
	Recruit bilingual and multi-cultural staff with a high concentration of Spanish-speakers
	Use language line service (that has staff that can provide translation in any language)
	Recruit staff from different Hispanic cultures
	Forms in Spanish and other languages as well – Use a task force to translate forms or pay for the service
	Partner with various groups of volunteers – such as Hispanic advocacy groups
	Develop a Latino Affairs workgroup
	Do outreach at specific sites where there is a high concentration of Hispanics, and advertise beforehand (flyers to schools, media campaigns, etc.)
	Literacy – designate specific staff to deal with low-literacy because it can be time consuming
	Literacy – Provide application assistance, designate certain times during the week to have staff help with applications – or times when volunteers come in to help

Application Forms and Process

	Need for immigrant-specific checklist with a list of dos and don’ts and distributed with some kind of marketing effort (put in the outreach toolkit for example, feature it on the FNS website to be accessed by anyone)
	Re-training is needed – new workers in the office may not realize that guidance is there. (and maybe the guidance should be updated)

Myths and Misunderstandings (Confusion on Eligibility Requirements)

	Better public information campaign in the media, for example, on Spanish-speaking stations or using a celebrity that people know to promote the program and talk about it
	Have staff participate in health fairs and other public events (FNS or other outreach workers)
	Use promotoras to conduct public information campaigns with groups or individuals
	Better translation of the application and simplify the wording. Write the applications at lower literacy levels (some people bring their young children in to translate)
	Streamline the application process so it is not as overwhelming
	Use Kiosks at malls or other public places to distribute materials and have people available to answer questions on what you need for the interview or whether you are eligible and to reinforce that the application process is private
	Have information at community events
	Focus not just on the local level but make sure at the state and regional level there are materials available

Office Staff Not Knowing All Rules and Regulations

	Deal with office complexities
	Realize the importance of linkages to the community and hire staff that are culturally and linguistically able to reach the community
	Make creative participation possible in the workplace, maximize expertise, and make sure the staff reflects the community
	Bring in Bilingual/Multicultural greeters
	Hire clients to work at their food stamp office
	Establish softball teams mixing staff and clients on the same team
	Case review – hold monthly meetings and unit meetings that inspire people to get excited about helping and coming up with strategies to do that
	Create desk guides – electronic or printed – easy access to the tough questions about income guidelines/eligibility/etc.
	Community Advisory Committee - Bring in people from the community to talk about how workers can better reach the community
	Send staff to social service places such as hospitals to outreach off site
	Hold in-house policy training about the policies

Lack of Specific Outreach Funding 

	Food Stamp Outreach Grant opportunities and State outreach plans. Outreach is an allowable administrative expense under the FSP and States can be reimbursed for 50 percent of reasonable, allowable and necessary expenditures.
	USDA should be given more money for outreach
	Look at FRAC’s analysis of outreach funding
	Find effective ways to sustain funding
	Use faith-based and community organizations to help with outreach
	Tap into the food industry for outreach (particularly the Hispanic food industry)
	Look for associations with the retail industry that can enhance our connections
	Possibilities with the new name change for outreach activities
	We need to be cautious about the overuse of promotoras because they are volunteers. Rather, we would want to honor their work and have them paid for what they are doing
	We should be approaching counties and cities about redirecting funds to outreach efforts

Closing Remarks: Cindy Long thanked Mr. Schnoor for facilitating and noted that this is historically the largest and most diverse Coalition meeting. She reiterated that the goal of the meeting was to facilitate a discussion among all the attendees and members of the Coalition on the barriers to reaching the underserved Hispanic population, and even more importantly, to start talking about how those barriers can be overcome. The Coalition meeting achieved progress in that direction and FNS will play the facilitating role in following up with next steps.

Last modified: 06/20/2008