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Washington is the 10th hungriest state in the nation. To
reduce hunger and food insecurity among Washington state
residents, priority recommendations include provision
of adequate support for nutrition and food programs and
improving access to nutrition programs.
The description below illustrates what organizations and
communities are doing to support priority recommendations
to reduce hunger and food insecurity.
The Family Food Hotline is Washington’s first statewide, toll-free information and referral line for food resources.
Family Food Hotline staff connect callers to local programs and resources
such as the Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), the Basic Food Program
(formerly called Food Stamps), the Summer Food Program, local food banks, and Farmer's Markets.
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Target
audience: Low-income families in Washington State, specifically those with pregnant women
and young children.
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Evaluation:
Data is collected on number of calls received, number and type of referrals given (i.e. number of referrals to Basic Food, WIC,
Summer meals sites, and food banks), caller age, caller gender, number of children in the house, and pregnancy status.
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Partners: Children's Alliance; Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of WA
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Lead
agency role: Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Washington (HMHB) connects low income families across Washington state to nutrition and health resources, including
free and low cost health insurance, the Basic Food Program (Food Stamps), the
Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), prenatal care, family
planning services, immunization services and developmental screenings.
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For
more information:
Sharon Beaudoin
Tel: 206 830-5166
Web: http://www.familyfoodline.org/
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Community Gardens provide residents access to health-promoting foods and contribute over the long term to obesity prevention.
Gardeners in Moses Lake contribute to reducing hunger and food insecurity among other residents by participating in the "Plant a Row for the Hungry Campaign," in which a portion of their
harvest is donated to the local Food Bank. The Moses Lake Youth Wellness Team, a sub-group of the Moses Lake Community Gardens Coalition,
maintains a garden site on the Jobs Corps campus and also contributes food.
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Target audience: Residents of Moses Lake
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Evaluation: Gardeners are annually surveyed about
what they do with their harvest. Recipients besides the families themselves included
Head Start families with pregnant mothers, older people, family and friends. The Youth Wellness group donated two-thirds of their harvest to the Job Corps campus cafeteria and other third was donated to the community food bank.
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Partners: Washington State DOH, Healthy Communities Project Advisory Committee & Leadership Team, City of Moses Lake, Parks and Recreation Department, Grant County Health District, Columbia Basin Job Corps, local service clubs, Moses Lake community members, and the UW Center for Public Health Nutrition evaluation team.
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Lead agency role:
The Grant County Public Health District provides critical programs and services
for all people in Grant County. Public Health Services help communities to be
healthy places to live, work, and play. The Grant County Health District has been an active participant
on the Moses Lake Community Garden Board as well as an advisor to the Youth Wellness Team.
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For more information:
Sally Goodwin
Tel: 509-766-7960 ext. 21
Web: http://www.ci.moses-lake.wa.us/245.html
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