STRAFFORD COUNTY COMMUNITY NEEDS

NUTRITION

The number of people going to food pantries in New Hampshire is on the rise, though local food pantries say their communities continue to step up with generous aid. New Hampshire Food Bank distribution to agencies in April was up 15 percent from the previous year. They distributed 508,847 pounds of food in April, compared to about 443,000 in April 2008. The amount distributed continues to grow, as does the number of agencies requesting goods. The Food Bank served 350 agencies last year; this year, there are 384 throughout the state that get help from the Food Bank.

The New Hampshire Food Bank has reached its lowest level of food available for the needy in its 25-year history.

The shelves are just about empty at the food bank. A six-day supply of food is left to distribute to the state's 392 food pantries, which are opening up at an alarming rate.

The New Hampshire Food Bank said it's never been in such a dire situation. While donations are down, the demand for food is way up.

The food bank is asking Granite Staters to help fill the void any way they can. You can head to www.nhfoodbank.org to make a donation, see a list of food pantries in your area that need help, and summer food drives going on right now.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Food Insecurity Among Households (2005-2007, 3-Year Averages)

Number of Households that are Food Insecure 39,000
Percent of Households that are Food Insecure 7.7%
Number of Households that are Very Low Food Secure 12,000
Percent of Households that are Very Low Food Secure 2.3%

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Research and Action Center, State of the States, 2008

FRAC Update (2006-2008, 3-Year Averages)

Percent of Households that are Food Insecure 8.5%
Percent of Households that are Very Low Food Secure 3.1%

Definitions of Food Insecurity and Hunger: Food insecure households do not have access to enough food to fully meet basic needs at all times. Among food insecure households, some reach a level of severity such that one or more household members are hungry.

Hungry households are those in which adults have decreased the quality of food they consume because of lack of financial resources to the point where they are quite likely to be hungry on a frequent basis, or in which children's intake has been reduced due to lack of family financial resources, to the point that children are likely to be hungry on a regular basis and adults' intake is severely reduced.

Even when hunger is not present, adults in food insecure households are so limited in resources to buy food that they are running out of food, reducing the quality of food their family eats, feeding their children unbalanced diets, skipping meals so their children can eat, or taking other steps that impair the adequacy of the family's diet.

FEDERAL NUTRITION PROGRAMS

School Breakfast Program (School Year 2007-2008)
Average Daily Student Participation 20,942
Free and Reduced-Price Students 11,898
Paid Students 9,043
Change in Free and Reduced-Price Participation in Last 10 Years 53.8%
Free and Reduced-Price Student Participation Rate (Compared to School Lunch Participation) 35.0
Rank Among States 48
Additional Free and Reduced-Price Students Served if Participation Rate Reached 60% 8,510
Additional Federal Dollars State Would Receive if Participation Rate Reached 60% $1,882,259
Number of Schools Participating 407
School Participation Rate (Compared to Number of Schools Serving Lunch) 81.6%
Federal Funding for School Breakfast $3,439,738
School Breakfast Mandate in State Law (Yes/No) No

National School Lunch Program (School Year 2007-2008)
Average Daily Student Participation 113,134
Free and Reduced-Price Students 34,014
Paid Students 79,119
Number of Schools Participating 499
Federal Funding for School Lunch $17,069,668

Summer Nutrition Participation (July 2007)
Average Daily Summer Nutrition Participation in July 4,303
July Summer Food Service Participation 3,353
July National School Lunch Participation in Free and Reduced-Price Lunch 950
Change in Average Daily Summer Nutrition Participation in Last 10 Years 53.2%
Low-Income Participation Rate (Compared to Regular Year Free and Reduced-Price School Lunch) 14.1
Rank Among States 28
Additional Low-Income Children Served if Participation Rate Reached 40% 7,884
Additional Federal Dollars State Would Receive if Participation Rate Reached 40% $475,150
Number of Summer Food Service Sponsors 25
Number of Summer Food Service Sites 90
Federal Funding for Summer Food Service Program $551,679

SNAP/Food Stamp Program (FY 2008)
Average Monthly Participation (Individuals) 63,583
Change in Participation in Last 5 Years 42.0%
Average Monthly Benefit per Person $93.58
Participation Rate of Eligible Persons (FY 2006) 68%
Rank Among States 25
Participation Rate of Eligible Working Poor (FY 2006) 59%
Federal Funding for SNAP/Food Stamps $71,404,026

Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) (FY 2008)
Average Monthly Participation 17,905
Women 4,316
Infants 4,606
Children 8,983
Change in Participation in Last 10 Years -4.1%
Federal Funding for WIC $12,966,139

Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) (FY 2008)
Number of Participating Family Child Care Homes 164
Family Child Care Home Average Daily Participation of Children 1,336
Change in Family Child Care Daily Participation in Last 10 Years -31.8%
Number of Participating Child Care Centers (Includes Head Start) 142
Child Care Center Average Daily Participation of Children (Includes Head Start) 5,668
Change in Center Daily Participation in Last 10 Years 22.9%
Federal Funding for CACFP $3,159,392

The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) (FY 2007)
Federal Entitlement Funding $339,139
Federal Bonus Commodity Funding $427,823
Administrative Funding $143,391
Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) (FY 2007)
Average Monthly Participation 6,967
Federal Funding for CSFP $1,682,613

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New Hampshire
Demographics, Poverty and Food Insecurity
Population (2007)
Total People 1,315,828
Children (Under Age 18) 298,598
Income and Poverty (2007)
Median Household Income (2007) $62,369
Rank Among States 6
Total People Living In Poverty 90,204
Poverty Rate 7.1%
Rank Among States (Highest to Lowest) 51
Children (Under Age 18) Living In Poverty 25,622
Child Poverty Rate 8.8%
Rank Among States (Highest to Lowest) 51
Total People Living Below 185% of Federal Poverty Level 214,859
Food Insecurity Among Households (2005-2007, 3-Year Averages)
Number of Households that are Food Insecure 39,000
Percent of Households that are Food Insecure 7.7%
Number of Households that are Very Low Food Secure 12,000
Percent of Households that are Very Low Food Secure 2.3%
Federal Nutrition Programs
School Breakfast Program (School Year 2007-2008)
Average Daily Student Participation 20,942
Free and Reduced-Price Students 11,898
Paid Students 9,043
Change in Free and Reduced-Price Participation in Last 10 Years 53.8%
Free and Reduced-Price Student Participation Rate (Compared to School Lunch Participation) 35.0
Rank Among States 48
Additional Free and Reduced-Price Students Served if Participation Rate Reached 60% 8,510
Additional Federal Dollars State Would Receive if Participation Rate Reached 60% $1,882,259
Number of Schools Participating 407
School Participation Rate (Compared to Number of Schools Serving Lunch) 81.6%
Federal Funding for School Breakfast $3,439,738
School Breakfast Mandate in State Law (Yes/No) No
National School Lunch Program (School Year 2007-2008)
Average Daily Student Participation 113,134
Free and Reduced-Price Students 34,014
Paid Students 79,119
Number of Schools Participating 499
Federal Funding for School Lunch $17,069,668
Summer Nutrition Participation (July 2007)
Average Daily Summer Nutrition Participation in July 4,303
July Summer Food Service Participation 3,353
July National School Lunch Participation in Free and Reduced-Price Lunch 950
Change in Average Daily Summer Nutrition Participation in Last 10 Years 53.2%
Low-Income Participation Rate (Compared to Regular Year Free and Reduced-Price School Lunch) 14.1
Rank Among States 28
Additional Low-Income Children Served if Participation Rate Reached 40% 7,884
Additional Federal Dollars State Would Receive if Participation Rate Reached 40% $475,150
Number of Summer Food Service Sponsors 25
Number of Summer Food Service Sites 90
Federal Funding for Summer Food Service Program $551,679
Food Research and Action Center State of the States 2008 www.frac.org New Hampshire p.2 Updated February 2009
New Hampshire Continued
SNAP/Food Stamp Program (FY 2008)
Average Monthly Participation (Individuals) 63,583
Change in Participation in Last 5 Years 42.0%
Average Monthly Benefit per Person $93.58
Participation Rate of Eligible Persons (FY 2006) 68%
Rank Among States 25
Participation Rate of Eligible Working Poor (FY 2006) 59%
Federal Funding for SNAP/Food Stamps $71,404,026
Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) (FY 2008)
Average Monthly Participation 17,905
Women 4,316
Infants 4,606
Children 8,983
Change in Participation in Last 10 Years -4.1%
Federal Funding for WIC $12,966,139
Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) (FY 2008)
Number of Participating Family Child Care Homes 164
Family Child Care Home Average Daily Participation of Children 1,336
Change in Family Child Care Daily Participation in Last 10 Years -31.8%
Number of Participating Child Care Centers (Includes Head Start) 142
Child Care Center Average Daily Participation of Children (Includes Head Start) 5,668
Change in Center Daily Participation in Last 10 Years 22.9%
Federal Funding for CACFP $3,159,392
The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) (FY 2007)
Federal Entitlement Funding $339,139
Federal Bonus Commodity Funding $427,823
Administrative Funding $143,391
Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) (FY 2007)
Average Monthly Participation 6,967
Federal Funding for CSFP $1,682,613
State Economic Security Policies
Minimum Wage (2007)
State Minimum Wage $6.50
Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) (2007)
State EITC (Yes/No) No
Refundable (Yes/No) No
Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) (FY 2006)
Average Monthly Participation (FY 2006) 13,742
Adults 4,229
Children 9,513
Maximum Monthly Benefit per 3-Person Family (FY 2005) $625
Federal and State Funding for Cash Assistance $34,949,364