Episode Information
The rising cost of food is taking a toll on personal budgets, but it's really hitting hard at soup kitchens and public schools.
Organizations who provide food for the homeless or hungry are dealing this triple threat: Higher expenses for food - as much as 5 or 6% - an increased demand for their services, from people hit hard by the economy; and so-called "donation fatigue" as people make tough choices, and cut down on their charitable giving.
Meanwhile - schools are seeing more students asking for free or reduced price lunches, causing a drain on school budgets.
Today, Where We Live, a conversation about the rising price of food, and how it's hitting some of our most vulnerable people and institutions.
You can join the conversation about balancing food costs, food availability, and nutrition. Add your suggestions, questions and comments below. 
Block photo by Simon Shek, Flickr Creative Commons
Listener Email from Lucy Nolan
Hi- great show today and of course I have several things to offer in that regard:
Low-income people are not heavier because they are getting too much food from the government or handouts. Less expensive food is generally processed more making it higher in fat and lower in fiber and therefore more calories and harder to work off…consider the cost of a liter of Coke to a gallon of milk – there’s about a $3.00 difference…consider a bunch of broccoli and a Grab Bag of Lays potato chips – not to mention the ease in preparation. I won’t even go into the stress that is related to not knowing where your family’s next meal is coming from. That’s why it’s so important to have healthy foods in schools so kids get to have those foods as part of their everyday diet – what we are exposed to in schools, from food to sports, has lifelong impact on all of us. For some kids, the meals they get at school are their sole nutrition – they need to be healthy. Thankfully the Food Service people are working within the great confines they have to make nutritious foods happen for many kids.
As for the Food Stamp Program – while it may not go as far as it did, I would hate to dissuade anyone from applying because it may not be enough. It’s something and it allows people to buy the very food they want and are used to cooking and will eat. At the pantry that choice may not be there.
The state of Connecticut is in the process of taking a state option that will open up the program to those that may be over limit now – so once that is put into place we will help get the word out that people who had been denied because they were just over the limit and let them know they should reapply. This will help many people, and we are glad to be working with the Dept of Social Services on this.
Finally, please tell people to go to our web-site at www.ctfoodstamps.org to see if they are eligible for food stamps or call our new food stamp eligibility phone line available at 860-560-2106 (and in a matter of days the number will also be toll free at 866-974-SNAP). I urge anyone who believes they may be eligible for food stamps to call that number to see – both options are very private. Additionally EHC! has 4 outreach workers for food stamps and they can help anyone with problems with the program.
In regards to tomorrow’s show, we had legislation last year that would have fed many more kids in the state, while bringing in about $9 million in federal money at a cost of $500,000. That does not include the federal money that the food stamp program brings in to local communities – for every $5.00 in food stamps that comes into a community it generates over $9.00 in economic activity. The federal nutrition programs are key to not only feeding people but to feeding the state’s coffers as well – and our legislative leaders and Governor should be taking full advantage of that.
Lucy P. Nolan
Executive Director
End HungerConnecticut
www.endhungerct.org
www.ctfoodstamps.org