10 Promising Practices in Food Stamp Outreach
Highlighted for this Quarter
California
– Orange County Social Services partners with the Community
Action Partnership to provide Food Stamps in Four Hours. In this
“relay team” operation, potentially eligible persons are
identified at food distribution centers, pre-screened, offered
bus transportation to a workshop location to receive assistance
in completing applications, and then offered transportation to
the Social Services Agency where the application process is
completed.
For more information, contact: Jerry Sanders, Commodity
Supplemental Food Program Manager, Community Action Partnership
of Orange County, 12640 Knott Street, Garden Grove, CA 92841
(714) 897-6670,
jsanders@capoc.org.
Indiana
– A local Food Stamp Program worker at the Allen County office
in Fort Wayne took the initiative to devise a way to make
communicating with non-English speaking applicants much easier.
He had basic interview questions translated into the five
languages most commonly spoken in the area – Bosnian, French,
Spanish, Vietnamese, and Burmese. The questions were then
transferred to cue cards and secured by a key ring. Applicants
can search for the language they understand. This has reduced
frustration, reduced processing time, and served as a useful
tool for workers to find the right translator when needed for an
expedited application interview.
For more information, contact: Karen Snodgrass, Division of
Family and Children, 210 East Rudisill Blvd, Suite 100, Fort
Wayne, Indiana 46806, 260-458-6301.
Iowa –
The Des Moines County office participated in Service Excellence
training for all Income Maintenance and Support staff in 2004.
As part of the training, staff participated in a poverty
simulation that enlightened them about how customers feel when
they need to apply for assistance. This training has been of
value in increasing customer service and it is knowledge that
can be passed on to other community agencies through
presentations made as part of their outreach effort. The
emphasis on customer service reportedly contributed to the 15.9
percent increase in Food Assistance (Food Stamp Program)
caseloads during the same year. For this effort they received a
Hunger Champions award in FY 2005.
For more information, contact: Cathy Taylor, IM
Administrator, Davenport Service Area, Iowa Department of Human
Services, 563-326-8794.
Kentucky
– Boone, Grant, and Kenton Counties Family Support workers set
up outreach booths at back-to-school events helping families
fill out applications for Food Stamp Program benefits. They also
participate on the advisory councils of the school-based Family
Resource and Youth Service Centers, interacting with parents,
school officials, and community representatives to meet the
needs of children. Their experience demonstrates this is a good
strategy to meet parents in a neutral setting and provide all
with information about the Food Stamp Program. For this effort
they received a Hunger Champions award in FY 2005.
For more information, contact: Carol Leggett, Region 4
Manager for Family Resource and Youth, 859-525-6783
Maine
– The Portland, Bangor and Sanford DHHS Offices demonstrate a
commitment to excellence in customer service by maintaining a
policy of seeing clients within 20 minutes. Signs are posted
that tell applicants/recipients to let the receptionist know if
the time limit has passed but most clients are seen immediately.
The Portland office has an average of 230 walk-ins daily, yet
the 20-minute wait policy is maintained. Maine has one of the
highest Food Stamp Program participation rates in the nation.
This effort contributed to the Hunger Champions award they
received in FY 2005.
For more information, contact: Bethany Hamm, Supervisor,
Bangor Office, 207-561-4318; Jeanne Mahoney, Supervisor, Sanford
Office, 207-490-5405; Don Comeau, Program Administrator,
Portland Office, 207-822-2072.
New York
– FoodChange developed a one-stop recipe book titled Quick!
Delicious! Healthy Recipes on a Budget! demonstrating how Food
Stamp Program benefits can help households improve their
nutrition with food that is both affordable and healthy.
Culturally accessible recipes are accompanied by nutritional
composition and estimated cost per serving (based on seasonal
produce prices at a local Bronx supermarket). Also included are
food stamp eligibility and application guidelines, and
information on Medicaid, WIC, Headstart, school meals, and
advantages to buying local produce, buying tips, and the value
of farmers markets and Community Supported Agriculture shares.
Cooking demonstrations and distribution of the book at New York
City Pathmark grocery stores complement the success of
FoodChange’s pre-screening operations at these sites.
This work was funded by a Food Stamp Program Outreach Grant
awarded in FY 2004.
For more information, contact: Nicole Christensen, Assistant
Director, Food Access at FoodChange, 39 Broadway, 10th Floor,
New York, NY 10006, (212) 894-8055,
nchristensen@foodchange.org.
North
Carolina – To encourage outreach, the Department of Health
and Human Services designed and distributed a participation
assessment worksheet to each local county Food Stamp Program
office. The worksheet is used to identify potential barriers to
access and participation as well as to note current activities
and best practices for Food Stamp Program outreach. A website is
also available to counties which provides county-specific
information to identify underserved groups by demographic
characteristics to enable them to focus new outreach efforts to
targeted populations.
For more information, contact: Jane Schwartz, Chief, Economic
Services, Division of Social Services, 325 N. Salisbury Street,
2420 Mail Service Center, Raleigh NC 27699, 919-733-7831,
jane.schwartz@ncmail.net
.
Oklahoma
– In Partnership with the Department of Human Services, the
Tulsa Community Action Program developed an eligibility wizard,
BESO, which screens for 25 different programs, provides
information about required eligibility, and emails a request for
services to the appropriate OKDHS office. This work was funded
by a Food Stamp Program Outreach Grant awarded in FY 2002.
For more information, contact: Jim Struby, Programs
Administrator, OKDHS Family Support Services, P.O. Box 25352,
Oklahoma City, OK 73125, 405-521-3078,
jim.struby@okdhs.org
or Victoria Haws, BESO Program Manager, Tulsa CAP, 4606 S.
Garnett Road, Tulsa, OK 74146, 918-382-3274,
vhaws@captc.org.
Virginia
– A day or two before each recertification interview, the
Newport News Department of Social Services calls its customers
to remind them of the date and time they had selected previously
for the interview. This customer service technique, similar to
what is used by many doctors’ offices, increases access to the
Food Stamp Program and more likely enables customers to continue
receiving benefits without interruption. Offices with a high
“no-show” rate for interviews may consider piloting this
activity in several units and evaluating results for
effectiveness.
Washington
– To reach a varied population of clients who were unaware of
newer income guidelines for the Food Stamp Program, the Lower
Columbia Community Action Council (LCCAC) contacted everyone
registered with the Emergency Food Assistance
Program/Commodities (TEFAP). When TEFAP cards came up for
renewal, each client was asked if they were receiving Food Stamp
Program benefits. Some took FSP applications with them after
visiting the office; others received a direct mailing. LCCAC
sent out 257 application packets with information brochures and
procedures for making application. LCCAC contracts with the
Washington DSHS to provide FSP outreach for several counties in
the State’s Region 6. Response to the mailing was described as
“tremendous”. LCCAC is working with DSHS now to devise a method
to track the number of FSP applications which result from their
outreach efforts.
For more information, contact: Colleen Dean, Basic Food
Coordinator, LCCAC, Longview WA, 360-425-3430 extension 282,
colleend@lccac.org.
