FY 2004 Outreach Grants

Summary of Funded Projects 

Community Events/Education Campaign Strategy

Grantees will conduct or participate in at least five community events, and conduct a community-wide education campaign to raise awareness of the program’s availability and benefits.

Hispanic Health Council (HHC), $125,000, 1-year project

Location: Hartford, Connecticut
Target Area: Hartford, East Hartford, and Manchester (urban)
Target Population: Immigrants and Working Poor

Project Summary: Through the “Community Food Action Project”, HHC will participate in five community events, and implement a social marketing campaign. HHC will place bilingual bus ads, banners, and two radio public service announcements (one radionovela in Spanish and one announcement targeted to the African-American community). They will also conduct educational sessions and presentations at HHC, community streets, collaborating community agencies, a monthly radio show, health fairs, homeless shelters, food pantries and soup kitchens. Pre-screening and application assistance will be offered. End Hunger Connecticut! Inc. will provide technical assistance to HHC. The University of Connecticut College of Agriculture and Natural Resources will provide evaluation assistance.

Description of the Organization: HHC is a community-based, social service organization with a mission to “improve the health and social well-being of Puerto Ricans/Latinos and other underserved communities through community-based research, direct service, training, and advocacy.” 

Lone Star Legal Aid (LSLA), $117,732, 1-year project

Location: Houston, Texas
Target Area: 13 counties including and surrounding Houston (urban/rural mix)
Target Population: Seniors and Immigrants

Project Summary: LSLA will conduct a two-phased community outreach campaign. During phase one, an extensive 7-week education campaign, LSLA will host two community events each week in the target area during which they will offer information about eligibility, benefits, and the application process. Pre-screening and application assistance will also be provided. During phase two, LSLA will support four monthly events in specified parts of the target area. Each event will include an educational component as well as pre-screening and electronic submission of applications, once this feature is launched by the State. LSLA will use specialized mapping software to match their outreach efforts with the locations of target populations. 

Description of the Organization: LSLA is a “legal aid law firm that provides free civil rights services to indigent persons.” LSLA provides “direct counseling and representation, through community outreach, and through public education programs.” 

Nebraska Legal Services (NLS), $118,252, 2-year project

Location: Omaha, Nebraska
Target Area: State of Nebraska (urban/rural mix)
Target Population: Minorities, Legal Immigrants, Refugees, Working Poor, Seniors

Project Summary: Through the “Nebraska Statewide Food Stamp Outreach Project”, NLS will use their existing AccessLine, a Statewide, toll-free number providing legal services and health and social services referrals, to provide information on food stamp eligibility, nutrition benefits, and application procedures, as well as debunk common myths. Through the use of a language line, interpretation services will be available. In addition, NLS will conduct “food stamp clinics” at community locations across the State, conduct a marketing campaign using print advertisements to inform those whose first language is not English about the clinics, and distribute informational materials in multiple languages to AccessLine callers and clinic participants. Participating partners in the project are the Nebraska Health and Human Service System, and Community Action of Nebraska.

Description of the Organization: NLS is a statewide law firm with a mission to “promote dignity, self-sufficiency and justice through civil legal aid for those who have nowhere else to turn.” 

Partnership with Employers Strategy

Grantees will partner with employers of low-wage workers potentially eligible for food stamp benefits to conduct outreach.

Alamo Area Development Corporation (AADC), $125,000, 1-year project

Location: San Antonio, Texas
Target Area: Atascosa and Wilson Counties (rural)
Target Population: Working Poor Families and Single Adults (including newly employed)

Project Summary: The “Food Stamp Outreach Program” will distribute information about the FSP through partnerships with employers. Pre-screening will also be offered. AADC staff will educate human resource staff of participating employers about the benefits of the FSP. 

Description of the Organization: AADC is a non-profit corporation that manages workforce centers, provides childcare services, and oversees economic development efforts. Their mission is to “enhance the lives of all residents of the Alamo region by working in mutual respect and partnership with all levels of government, the business sectors, and the community at large to meet regional challenges and create regional strength.” 

Jewish Vocational Services (JVS), $125,000, 18-month project

Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Target Area: Greater Boston (urban)
Target Population: Low-income Workers

Project Summary: The “Building Employer Programs for Low-Wage Workers” program will assist the working poor to access food stamp benefits, help employers build processes to enable them to sustain the program, and conduct an evaluation and disseminate their findings. JVS will develop a 30-minute food stamp education module that will be delivered during existing workplace education classes. They will reach out to new employees at existing workplace partners while simultaneously reaching out to new employers. The approach will be customized for each employer. JVS staff will meet one-on-one to assist individuals determine potential eligibility and assist with the application process. Through a train-the-trainer component, project staff will sustain the program by teaching human resource staff at participating employers to deliver the module.

Description of the Organization: JVS is a “non-profit, non-sectarian agency providing workforce development services to the Greater Boston area” with a mission to “empower individuals from diverse communities to find employment and build careers and partner with employers to hire and train productive workforces.” 

Partnership with Food Retailers Strategy

Grantee will partner with authorized food stamp retail grocers to conduct outreach to potentially eligible non-participating people.

Community Food Resource Center (CFRC), $125,000, 2-year project

Location: New York, New York
Target Area: New York City (urban)
Target Population: Low-wage and Immigrant Households

Project Summary: Through the “Innovations in Food Stamp Outreach Project”, CFRC will partner with Pathmark Stores, Inc. to conduct outreach through a number of channels. CFRC will develop educational materials in multiple languages for distribution at Pathmark stores in or near low-income areas of the city. The Project Coordinator will provide FSP information, pre-screening, and one-on-one application assistance to potentially eligible customers at designated Pathmark locations at three or more events per week. CFRC will follow up with pre-screening clients at two, four, and six week intervals to determine the outcome of applications. The Project Coordinator will hold office hours one day per week to assist clients by phone with follow-up. 

Description of the Organization: CFRC provides food stamp eligibility screening and tax preparation services with a mission to “promote access to nutritious food and adequate income”. 

Out-stationing/Site Visiting Strategy

Grantees will host out-stationed local food stamp workers at their site, and/or set up programs for caseworkers, staff, or volunteers to go to other locations to do outreach and program education.

Shared Harvest Foodbank, Inc. (SHF) $124,648, 1-year project

Location: Fairfield, Ohio
Target Area: Butler County (urban/rural mix)
Target Population: Working Poor, Hispanic Families, Seniors

Project Summary: Through the “Outreach Through Choice Pantries and Their Partners” project, three outreach workers will be on-site during operating hours at five “choice pantries” and on the “mobile pantry” to provide pre-screening and application assistance to pantry customers. Outreach workers will establish relationships with social service providers co-located at the pantries to extend the messages. Saturday and evening hours will be available and bi-lingual informational materials will be distributed. 

Description of the Organization: SHF is a non-profit organization with a mission to “find, rescue, and distribute food to people living in poverty through an efficient network, utilizing the public and private sectors and to raise awareness of the impact of poverty.” SHF is the fiscal agent for the F.E.E.D. Alliance, a coalition of nearly 20 organizations “dedicated to advocating for, obtaining, and maximize community resources for coordinated, county-wide distribution of food and related services.” SHF is "an affiliate of the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks and America's Second Harvest, the national network of foodbanks."

The Outreach Center (TOC), $125,000, 2-year project

Location: Morganton, North Carolina
Target Area: Burke County (rural)
Target Population: Working Poor, Seniors, Immigrants

Project Summary: The “Burke Food Stamp Program Outreach Project” will use volunteers to make direct contact with every family receiving food assistance from TOC and conduct pre-screenings. Weekly group FSP briefings will also be held on-site. FSP information will be provided during weekly public food distribution, and FSP information in three languages will be printed on every grocery bag distributed. TOC’s partner, Burke United Christian Ministries (BUCM), will utilize social workers to provide FSP literature, education, and pre-screening to participants in BUCM social service programs. Spanish and Hmong interpretation will be available.

Description of the Organization: TOC is a non-profit, community-based relief organization offering food, education, clothing, and crisis-assistance services with a mission to “assist disadvantaged citizens to rise above circumstances and improve their quality of life.” 

Last modified: 11/21/2008