Laura Sugarwala, RDMember Relations Manager

May 7, 2015

Overview

• Who is Foodlink and why does it matter?• Rochester’s child food insecurity• Partners in the community• CHAMPS grant• Take-a-ways

Foodlink• Regional food bank/ food hub

• Founded in 1978

• 5,700 square miles in Central/Western NY

• 500 community partners

• Emergency and “Non”-Emergency

• 19 million pounds/year

• 30+ food-related programs

• 65 FTE staff

Child Food Insecurity

• 21% of children in Foodlink’s service area are food insecure

• Rochester• 5th poorest city in the U.S (among top 75)• 7th highest child poverty rate in the nation

– 55%

• Almost 90% of children in RCSD qualify for free and reduced price meals

Map the Meal Gap, Feeding America

Information

• Center for Governmental Research

• City of Rochester Summer Meals Assessment

Key Indicators of CGR Report

• Location• Gap analysis

Findings of CGR Report

• 21,000 RCSD students participated in free and reduced-price school lunch in 2012– 4,750 participated in Summer Meals– Gap of almost 16,000 students

• City of Rochester ranked 8th of 20 communities in NYS serving low-income children through SFSP

• Summer Meals had decreased by 15% (2010-2012)

Call to Action

• Increase Summer Meals 20% each year for 4 years

• 2016 Rochester City Goal: 9,850 meals per day

Who’s Involved?

CHAMPS Grant

• Cities Combating Hunger Through Afterschool and Sumer Meals Programs

• Grant period: September 2013- August 2014• Focused on– Increases to Summer Meals and Afterschool Meals– Targeted underserved neighborhoods for program

expansion– Collaborative marketing campaign

Partners for CHAMPS

Results of CHAMPS

• Afterschool / CACFP – 2013-2014– Average daily participation: 2050– Total 302,232 meals served for year– 45 active sites

• Summer Meals – 2014– 10% increase from 2013– Total 247,456 meals served

Lessons Learned

Challenges

• Bringing new afterschool programs on later than planned

• Identification of key decision makers at school level

• School day vs. afterschool

Successes

• Shifted efforts toward year-round food access

• Capital equipment grants to meal sites

• Strengthened relationship with Expanded Learning division of RCSD

Other Successes!

• Recommendations for Children’s Policy Council of Greater Rochester – State level advocacy to require extended day

schools to serve breakfast after the bell and afterschool meal

• City-wide collaboration for Summer Meals Kick Off

Keys to Partnership

• Decide who needs to be in the room• Keep inviting key people• Appoint key representative as point person• Survey your community• Respond to the need• Simplify• Make items actionable!

Next Steps for Rochester

• Continued collaborative Summer Meals work– 20% increase goal

• Kitchen relocation• Value-Added Processing– Farm to School

Suggestions for Partnerships

Who

• Research organizations• Local colleges and

universities• School districts• Foundations• Local grantors• Advocacy and health

organizations

What

• Common goals– Advocacy– Incremental change– Collaboration

Contact and Connect

www.foodlinkny.org

Laura Sugarwala, RD

Member Relations Manager