Transcript Document
STRATEGIES FOR EXPANDING AT-RISK AFTERSCHOOL MEALS SPONSORSHIP KARA PANOWITZ, No Kid Hungry Maryland/ Share Our Strength MELISSA MOORE, Family League of Baltimore City CLARISSA HAYES, Food Research and Action Center Setting the Scene for Success Partnerships and Planning are Key Mapping and Targeting are Useful Tools Advocacy and Communication is Necessary What is the At-Risk Afterschool Meals Program? • • • • School or community site located in a low-income area where at least 50% of the children are eligible for free or reduced price school meals. Serves children 18 and under Must follow USDA nutrition guidelines Programs must include an enrichment or educational component USDA Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE)administers program at state level Sponsor- handles financial aspect, food procurement and distribution to sites Ex: Baltimore County Public Schools Ex: Food Bank Schools Sites- distribute meals to youth, keep tally of # of students, train with sponsor to adhere to health guidelines Elementary Sites YMCA Community Center Middle High Partnerships Partnerships can be school based or community based, traditional or nontraditional, formal or informal • • • • Traditional partner: School Food and Nutrition Services Office, Food Banks, Anti-hunger organizations Non-traditional partner: School Office of Engagement, Office of Attendance, RSVP volunteer organization Formal partner: Dept. of Social Services, Mayor’s Office of Neighborhoods Informal partner: “Community Champions.” These folks are the unofficial head of the neighborhood (Ex. the “Mayor” of Howard Park) Planning Establish goals and regular communication Shared calendar Roles and responsibilities chart Timing- coordinate timely outreach, trainings, etc. Maryland Partnership to End Childhood Hunger – How it Works! Led by No Kid Hungry/ Share Our Strength MD and the Governor’s Office for Children Established goals: serve10% of eligible students Meets bi-monthly, monthly newsletter, shared calendar What we do: outreach, address barriers, advocacy Partners include: USDA, MSDE, Farmer’s Market Association, Department of Social Services, Food Banks, Maryland Out of School Time Network, Sponsors, Other Service Providers MD At- Risk Afterschool Meals Workgroup Meets monthly, monthly OST newsletter What the group does- planning Outreach: newsletter, materials, presentations (i.e. Local Management Boards, Elected officials) Address statewide issues such as health permits Connect groups statewide to increase sites and share ideas Leverage relationships Share opportunities (grants, webinars, conferences, etc). Partners: USDA, Maryland State Dept of Education, Governor’s Office for Children Share Our Strength, Maryland Hunger Solutions, Family League of Baltimore Maryland Out of School Time Network, Food Banks Sponsors County/ City Workgroups What they do: Planning and partners!!! Increase awareness: outreach to potential sites Who’s involved: sponsors, school system Food and Nutrition Services, sites, DSS, anti-hunger organizations, non-profits focused on youth, elected officials, PTA, faith-based groups, county health initiatives, local management board Why local? knowledge of local area, connection to community Finding the Sites What is the need? What is your capacity? Existing contacts Mapping1. 2. 3. 4. USDA Capacity Builder Feeding America Mapping the meal gap State Agency Maps Partner lists- ex. Maryland Out of School Time Network afterschool programs list Conducting Outreach & Tracking Your Progress Mailers are good -- meetings are better Who is my audience? Outreach form tracks dates of contact, roles, next steps, concerns and solution Afterschool Meals Advocacy Who is an advocate? Four Elements of Advocacy Head Heart Hands Feet Organize Site Visits Write letters Engage the public Develop Relationships with Elected Officials Share success stories Share data Spread the word Educate Make calls You are an advocate as long as you are spreading the word about the Afterschool Meals program! Child Nutrition Reauthorization Current law expires September 30th, 2015 Opportunity to improve and strengthen this program! Resources Food Research and Action Center FRAC.org No Kid Hungry/Share Our Strength http://bestpractices.nokidhungry.org/ USDA FNS http://www.fns.usda.gov/cacfp/afterschool-meals http://www.fns.usda.gov/capacitybuilder Afterschool Alliance http://www.afterschoolalliance.org Questions for you! Who do you partner with? What are your examples of effective advocacy? How do you engage elected officials and agency leaders? How do you reach out to eligible sites? Which groups/ organizations/ agencies will you reach out to when you get back home? Kara Panowitz No Kid Hungry Maryland [email protected] Melissa Moore Family League of Baltimore [email protected] Clarissa Hayes Food Research and Action Center [email protected]