Charitable food assistance programs such as food banks, food pantries, soup kitchens and community meals are the main food resource available to Canadians who are experiencing food insecurity. A survey was conducted with 48 agencies that operate food assistance programs in Greater Victoria, 30 of which were providing meals. In comparison to groceries or hampers, meals made up the majority of food relief available in the region. An exploration of the characteristics, resources and resource-related challenges of charitable meal programs provided insight as to how the food relief system operates, who is being served and the limitations facing agencies responding to food needs at the community-level. A comparison of meal provisioning in a selection of meal programs in 2011 to a similar survey conducted in 2008 found meal provisioning increased two-fold over this three year time span, all while agencies relied more on food donations and nearly half underwent major changes to their services mainly due to constrained resources. This study afforded the opportunity to discuss responsiveness of this system to food insecurity in Greater Victoria. / Graduate

Charitable food assistance programs such as food banks, food pantries, soup kitchens and community meals are the main food resource available to Canadians who are experiencing food insecurity. A survey was conducted with 48 agencies that operate food assistance programs in Greater Victoria, 30 of which were providing meals. In comparison to groceries or hampers, meals made up the majority of food relief available in the region. An exploration of the characteristics, resources and resource-related challenges of charitable meal programs provided insight as to how the food relief system operates, who is being served and the limitations facing agencies responding to food needs at the community-level. A comparison of meal provisioning in a selection of meal programs in 2011 to a similar survey conducted in 2008 found meal provisioning increased two-fold over this three year time span, all while agencies relied more on food donations and nearly half underwent major changes to their services mainly due to constrained resources. This study afforded the opportunity to discuss responsiveness of this system to food insecurity in Greater Victoria. / Graduate

Refugees resettled in the United States are expected to quickly become self-sufficient members of society despite the numerous challenges they face due to adaptation and integration into new systems and ways of life. Issues with dietary and nutritional adaptation persist for resettled refugee communities in the United States and are not prioritized by national, state, or local policy and practice. This research aimed to help mitigate problems with food assistance benefits and healthy eating issues faced by resettled refugees in Hillsborough County through an applied intervention in local English as a Second Language (ESOL) classes. ESOL materials designed to teach refugee students about healthy eating and accessing, maintaining, and using food assistance benefits such as SNAP and WIC were piloted in two classes of intermediate to advanced English ESOL students. The results of this research indicate that ESOL classes can be an effective site for intervention for food assistance, dietary, and nutritional issues affecting refugee communities. Future applications for this research can help shape future programming for other populations and communities to better address similar issues and target students with lower English abilities.

Food deserts are a growing problem in the United States, and occur in areas of low-income where people have limited access to healthy foods. In response, the presence of farmers’ markets has grown exponentially, and improved healthy food access. Additionally, the USDA has strived to connect families to healthy foods through food assistance programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and the Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP). This study investigated the relationship between farmers’ markets, their acceptance of food assistance benefits, and their locations within Tennessee food deserts census tracts. Using the 2017 Farmers’ Market Directory, this study merged market data, including geocoded addresses, with the appropriate census tract data from the 2015 Food Access Research Atlas. Chi-square tests of independence and spatial visualizations were used to assess the relationship of census tracts, farmers markets, and food assistance benefits. Of the 1,497 Tennessee census tracts, 18.0% were food deserts. Of these food deserts, 9.3% had at least one market present. Of these food deserts, 92.0% were urban. Of 130 farmers’ markets in Tennessee, 34.6% accepted any food assistance benefits. Additionally, 56.9% of all markets were in areas of high socioeconomic status (SES). Results indicated that markets were clustered in urban areas, and few were identified as food deserts. Additionally, few markets were in food deserts and accepted any food assistance benefit. Due to these findings, the definition of food deserts should be expanded to include additional food retailers other than supermarkets. Also, additional policies and research is needed to reinforce farmers’ markets and food assistance programs as food access interventions.

Objective: To evaluate changes in shopping behaviors among low-income families over a one-month period of time in Utah County, Utah. Design: Two researchers conducted thirteen 90-minute focus groups. Setting: Two community organizations serving low-income populations and a university campus. Participants: Seventy-two low-income adults who were the primary household food shoppers and who had at least one child less than 18 years in their household. Main Outcome Measures: Shopping behavior changes during one month period of time. Analysis: Focus groups were recorded and transcribed, and then coded independently by two researchers with any differences reconciled. Paired t-tests were used to test differences of food expenditures by food group between the beginning and end-of-the-month shopping behaviors. Results: Shopping habits among low-income families changed throughout the month and were impacted by use of food assistance programs, food prices, and shopping logistics. Participants reported purchasing more varied foods at the beginning of the month versus more starch-based and canned foods at the end-of-the-month. To overcome economic barriers, participants used numerous strategies including weekly or monthly menu planning, price matching, and bulk buying. Conclusions and Implications: Low-income families make strategic decisions based on economic circumstances and other factors, including participation in food assistance programs, or the timing of the month, in order to stretch food expenditures. Our results suggest limited economics throughout the month may hinder families' ability to consume a varied, nutrient-rich diet, which may impact future health status.

No description available.

The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) provides HIV-related medical and support services for uninsured and underinsured people living with HIV (PLWH) in the United States. In addition to HIV-related medical care, the program provides medical nutrition therapy and food assistance. The role of nutrition in the health of PLWH is well-documented, especially in resource poor areas; however, the role of medical nutrition therapy and food assistance provided through the RWHAP in resource rich areas is not well documented. This study addressed the association between the nutrition services of food assistance and medical nutrition therapy and the HIV-related health outcomes of viral suppression, retention in care, and CD4 counts. The behavioral model for vulnerable populations was used as the theoretical foundation for this quantitative cross-sectional study. A sample of 428 RWHAP clients was used from the Ryan White Services Report data. Pearson's chi-square was used to examine the association between medical nutrition therapy (MNT) and viral suppression. Findings indicated statistically significant associations between MNT and viral suppression, retention in care and any nutrition service (food assistance, MNT, or both), and MNT and retention in care. Implications for social change include emphasizing the role of nutrition services in HIV-related health outcomes for PLWH in resource rich areas.

abstract: ABSTRACT Fruit and vegetable intake is not uniform across levels of socioeconomic status (SES) and researchers have identified low SES as a risk factor for poor intake of fruits and vegetables. In an effort to eliminate public health disparities and increase fruit and vegetable intake, the Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) program implemented additional food assistance programs, with a specific emphasis on fresh fruits and vegetables. The Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) provides pre-existing WIC clients with coupons to purchase fresh, locally grown produce at farmers' markets. In addition, Congress also approved the WIC Cash Value Voucher (CVV) program, which provides WIC participants with vouchers to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables at farmers' markets or grocery stores. The purpose of this thesis was to investigate the relation of FMNP coupon use with accessibility and WIC CVV redemption rates at farmers' markets. Furthermore, this thesis addressed whether WIC shoppers redeemed a higher percentage of their WIC CVV value at farmers' markets or grocery stores. WIC CVV and FMNP issuance and redemption data were analyzed to establish overall redemption rates and total perecent of WIC CVV value redeemed. Accessibility was assessed using the Geographic Information System, which allowed me to calculate the distance that WIC participants would have to travel to redeem their FMNP coupons at FMNP-approved farmers' markets. The results showed that less than 1% of WIC shoppers redeem their WIC CVVs at farmers'markets in Arizona. However, the redemption of WIC CVV was significantly higher during the months when shoppers had the option of using both WIC CVV and FMNP coupons at farmers' markets. Furthermore, the percent of total CVV value redeemed at farmers' markets was 99%, significantly higher than grocery stores (93.5%). Average FMNP coupon redemption rates for 2008-2010 was 43.3%, well below the national average of 59%. However, my spatial analysis revealed that there was no significant association between the distance traveled to farmers' markets and FMNP redemption rates. This indicates that the distance traveled to farmers' markets is not a major barrier to redemption of FMNP coupons in Arizona. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.S. Nutrition 2012

The diploma thesis on the topic of Food Aid and Food Banks in the Fight Against Poverty in the Czech Republic endeavours to look into the issue of poverty and presents food aid and food banks in the Czech Republic as a possible tool in the fight against it. The aim of this work is to present the activities of the food banks in the Czech Republic, to describe their structure, to point out the significance of food aid, the importance of cooperation between the food banks and organizations that fight hunger and poverty, to give information about the European Union FEAD project and finally to present the management of a food bank. The first part of the work describes the basic issues, deals with poverty, concepts of poverty and measuring poverty, since these are directly linked to food aid and are connected with the idea of food banks. It zooms in on the concepts associated with poverty, such as material deprivation and social exclusion, and points to the fact that it is necessary to see poverty in the broader context and to focus on other dimensions of poverty, such as health, education, access to services and security. The second part of the work specifically deals with food aid and the food bank project. It focuses on the right to food as the right of all people to full observance of human rights in the area of food and nutrition, it defines human rights with a focus on social rights, including the legislative regulation of the right to food in international documents. This section also introduces the types and forms of food aid and global organizations fighting against hunger and poverty. The work deals with European food aid in more detail, it presents the activities of the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived, and also the Operational Programme of Food and Material Assistance in the Czech Republic. Special attention is given to food banks, their mission and goals, it focuses on the activities of the food banks in the Czech Republic, describes their structure, management and highlights the significance of food aid and the importance of cooperation between the food banks and organizations that fight hunger and poverty. This thesis brings comprehensive information on the issue of food aid and the food banks project in the fight against poverty and can contribute to an understanding of the importance of such assistance.

<p>Food insecurity, or limited access to enough foods for an active, healthy life, characterizes the situation of 65% of US food pantry clients. Food insecurity is associated with poor dietary intake of key food groups and nutrients, diet-related chronic disease, poor physical and mental health, and reduced quality of life. Although food pantry clients are prevalently food insecure, there is a sizeable proportion of clients who are classified as food secure (FS), or report having adequate access to healthy foods. Previous studies suggest that food secure pantry clients may use pantry resources differently, and have diets that differ in quality and intake, compared to food insecure clients (including low food secure [LFS] and very low food secure [VLFS] clients). </p><p>Food pantries may be an important venue for interventions to improve food security and dietary outcomes. Since dietary intake and use of food pantries may differ by food security status, the efficacy of such interventions may also differ by food security status. A social ecological modeled (SEM), community-based intervention in the food pantry setting is promising in sustaining local change efforts and may facilitate long-term implementation of strategies to improve diet-related outcomes among food pantry clients. Therefore, the aims of this dissertation were to 1) characterize differences in diet quality and intake between FS, LFS and VLFS pantry clients; 2) explore associations between the nutritional quality of the pantry food environment (foods in stock and foods distributed to clients) and client diet quality by food security status; and 3) evaluate the intermediate effects of a SEM, community-based intervention to improve diet-related outcomes among pantry clients with comparison by food security status.</p><p>Aim 1 was addressed by examining associations between food security and both diet quality and usual intake (in separate mixed multiple linear regression models) in a cross-sectional analysis of adult food pantry clients at baseline. FS status was associated with a higher Healthy Eating Index-2010 (HEI-2010) whole grains score, as well as a higher mean usual intakes of whole grains and iron, compared to LFS status. FS status was also associated with higher mean usual intakes of dark green vegetables and total dairy compared to LFS and VLFS status.</p><p>Aim 2 was addressed by evaluating the relationship between the quality of the mix of foods in stock (pantry inventories) and distributed (client food bags) at food pantries with client diet quality, and investigating how these relationships varied by food security status, in a cross-sectional analysis of adult food pantry clients at baseline. Client food bag HEI-2010 scores were positively associated with client diet scores for the total vegetables, total fruit, total protein foods, and sodium components, while pantry inventory HEI-2010 scores were negatively associated with client diet scores for the total score and for the total fruit and fatty acids components. VLFS clients consumed more whole grains from client food bags compared to FS clients, and consumed more greens and beans from pantry inventories compared to LFS clients.</p><p>Aim 3 was addressed by evaluating longitudinal changes in adult food security, diet quality and usual intake over the first two years (baseline to midpoint) of a three-year SEM, community-based food pantry intervention‒ Voices for Food (Clinical Trial Registry: NCT0356609). Adult food security score improved in the intervention group, while HEI-2010 total score and several component scores improved in the comparison group. When comparing the change in main outcomes over time between the intervention and comparison groups, no favorable differences were observed at this intermediate time point.</p><p> </p><p>Food pantries do not comprise a homogeneous population of clients. Pantry clients have different quality diets and rely on pantries to acquire different types of foods depending on their food security status. Food pantries may be an important venue to target interventions that improve diet-related outcomes, with consideration for the complex interplay between food security status, the pantry food environment and availability of resources to prepare healthy foods. Evaluation of the final study time point, as well as further investigation of the dose-dependent effect of each intervention component and other individual community characteristics, may elucidate the relationship between the intervention and client outcomes.</p><p></p>