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Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

Promising Practices - Arizona

Arizona – The Arizona Community Action Association (ACAA), a recipient of a food stamp outreach grant in FY 2007, provides outreach materials and makes presentations to Spanish-speaking groups to encourage use of a website that pre-screens for 19 local, State and Federal social service programs. Pre-screening is available in English or Spanish and many of the program applications are available online. Because it is vital to address language barriers and trust issues when working with those who fear accessing the social services network, ACAA partners with trusted individuals in the community. The success of this strategy was demonstrated recently at an elementary school where ACAA talked with Hispanic mothers of school-aged children who are homeless or doubling up with friends or relatives. The Homeless School Liaison who works with the parents on a daily basis served as an interpreter. The mothers present were extremely engaged and asked a lot of important questions. For more information, contact: Katie Kahle, Program Manager, Arizona Community Action Association, 2700 N. 3rd Street, Suite 3040, Phoenix AZ, 602-604-0640.

Arizona - The EBT at Farmers Market Project provides wireless Point of Sale (POS) terminals to 14 Farmers’ Markets throughout Arizona so that Food Stamp customers have the opportunity to utilize their Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) or QUEST cards at these markets.  This project is a collaborative effort to improve client access to healthy foods while building community and economic assets through local food production and distribution. Partners include Arizona Community Action Association, Association of Arizona Food Banks, Arizona Department of Economic Security, Community Food Connections, USDA, local farmers and farmers’ markets. In five months, the program showed a 111 percent increase in participation over the same time period in 2003-2004.  For more information, contact: Cindy Gentry, Executive Director, Community Food Connections, P.O. Box 22216, Phoenix, AZ  85028, 602-493-5231, cgentry@foodconnect.org.

Arizona – In Yavapai County, Food Stamp Program outreach is conducted with food distribution by the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP).  Food Plus (CSFP) participants, while waiting in line, are asked if they are participating in the Food Stamp Program. If not, they are referred to the Food Assistance and Nutrition for Seniors (FANS) representative, located in each of the towns in the County, to get more information and schedule an appointment.  All participants are given phone numbers for the local FANS representative and the local office of the AZ Department of Economic Security.  WIC participants are referred to the Food Stamp Program and given an application and the local phone number to call for an appointment.  This continues to be a valuable outreach practice in Yavapai County.  For more information, contact:  Peter Schlichting, Nutrition Director, Yavapai County Community Health Services,  1090 Commerce Drive, Prescott AZ 86305, 928-771-3138, peter.schlichting@co.yavapai.az.us.

Last modified: 04/30/2009