Budget Request - Surplus Agricultural Product Grant. House Budget

Transcription

1 Budget Request - Surplus Agricultural Product Grant House Budget Request: Support the House Budget s increase in funding for Texans Feeding Texans (Surplus Agricultural Product Grant) to $10M for Fiscal for the statewide network of food banks. (House Budget, Article VI-7, Rider 10) Our statewide network of food banks is committed to helping every Texan reach their full potential for a healthy, productive life. The state of Texas has been our trusted partner for 15 years through the Texans Feeding Texans grant program administered by TDA. These funds offset the cost of harvesting and transportation for farmers who want to donate their surplus produce to our food banks. We combine this fresh produce with proven nutrition and health interventions to help low-income families change their diets. We call this combined approach Feeding with Impact. We're already tracking positive health outcomes from this approach. These improvements will ultimately reduce state Medicaid costs associated with treating diet-related illness. Economic research by Dr. Ray Perryman shows that every $1 invested in this strategy returns $3.27 to the state in reduced health care costs and increased tax revenue. We've steadily grown our partnership with TDA over the last 15 years, but we still only capture a fraction of the available produce due to limited funding for acquisition and transportation. We estimate 350M pounds of surplus produce is made available in Texas every year. The key to scaling the health outcomes associated with Feeding with Impact is more fresh produce. To do this we ve built a privately-funded system that optimizes our ability to move donations from field to fork at the lowest cost per pound. The House Budget increases funding for this grant in the next biennium from $5.9M to $10M. This will allow us to capture approximately 114M pounds of produce annually in We currently only capture 55M pounds annually. This increase will allow us to truly move the needle on health care costs in Texas. 17

2 House Budget: Article VI-7, Rider 10: Surplus Agricultural Product Grant Program Texans Feeding Texans (Surplus Agricultural Product Grant Program). Amounts appropriated above out of the General Revenue Fund in Strategy C.1.2, Nutrition Assistance for At-Risk Children and Adults (State), include $5,000,000 in fiscal year 2018 and $5,000,000 in fiscal year 2019 to fund the Texans Feeding Texans (Surplus Agricultural Product Grant Program) to offset the costs of harvesting, gleaning and transporting agricultural products to Texas food banks. SB1: Article VI-7, Rider 10: Surplus Agricultural Product Grant Program Appropriation: Texans Feeding Texans (Surplus Agricultural Product Grant Program). Amounts appropriated above out of the General Revenue Fund include $2,930,353 in fiscal year 2018 and $2,937,765 in fiscal year 2019 to fund the Texans Feeding Texans (Surplus Agricultural Product Grant Program) to offset the costs of harvesting, gleaning and transporting agricultural products to Texas food banks. 18

3 Budget Request - Surplus Agricultural Product Grant Senate Finance Committee Request: Increase funding for Texans Feeding Texans (Surplus Agricultural Product Grant) to $10M for Fiscal (SB 1, Article VI-7, Rider 10). This would match the amount proposed in the House version of the budget for the statewide network of food banks. Our statewide network of food banks is committed to helping every Texan reach their full potential for a healthy, productive life. The state of Texas has been our trusted partner for 15 years through the Texans Feeding Texans grant program administered by TDA. These funds offset the cost of harvesting and transportation for farmers who want to donate their surplus produce to our food banks. We combine this fresh produce with proven nutrition and health interventions to help low-income families change their diets. We call this combined approach Feeding with Impact. We're already tracking positive health outcomes from this approach. These improvements will ultimately reduce state Medicaid costs associated with treating diet-related illness. Economic research by Dr. Ray Perryman shows that every $1 invested in this strategy returns $3.27 to the state in reduced health care costs and increased tax revenue. We've steadily grown our partnership with TDA over the last 15 years, but we still only capture a fraction of the available produce due to limited funding for acquisition and transportation. We estimate 350M pounds of surplus produce is made available in Texas every year. The key to scaling the health outcomes associated with Feeding with Impact is more fresh produce. To do this we ve built a privately-funded system that optimizes our ability to move donations from field to fork at the lowest cost per pound. That's why we're asking the Senate Finance Committee to increase funding in the next biennium - from $5.9M to $10M. This will allow us to capture approximately 114M pounds of produce annually in We currently only capture 55M pounds annually. This matches the amount appropriated in the House budget and will allow us to truly move the needle on health care costs in Texas. 19

4 SB1: Article VI-7, Rider 10: Surplus Agricultural Product Grant Program Appropriation: Texans Feeding Texans (Surplus Agricultural Product Grant Program). Amounts appropriated above out of the General Revenue Fund include $2,930,353 in fiscal year 2018 and $2,937,765 in fiscal year 2019 to fund the Texans Feeding Texans (Surplus Agricultural Product Grant Program) to offset the costs of harvesting, gleaning and transporting agricultural products to Texas food banks. House Budget: Article VI-7, Rider 10: Surplus Agricultural Product Grant Program Texans Feeding Texans (Surplus Agricultural Product Grant Program). Amounts appropriated above out of the General Revenue Fund in Strategy C.1.2, Nutrition Assistance for At-Risk Children and Adults (State), include $5,000,000 in fiscal year 2018 and $5,000,000 in fiscal year 2019 to fund the Texans Feeding Texans (Surplus Agricultural Product Grant Program) to offset the costs of harvesting, gleaning and transporting agricultural products to Texas food banks. 20

5 PUBLIC POLICY ADVOCACY About Us Leading a unified effort for a hunger-free Texas. The economic strength of our state depends on the health and productivity of every Texan, which begins with access to nutritious food. Celia Cole, CEO, Feeding Texas Feeding Texas is a unique 501(c)3 nonprofit that connects the dots between a statewide network of 21 regional food banks and 3,000 partner organizations, developing innovative public-private partnerships and scaling best practices to break the cycle of hunger and food insecurity. FOOD SOURCING SOCIAL SERVICES NUTRITION EDUCATION CLIENT EMPOWERMENT We leverage public and private resources to increase the variety, quality, and distribution of fresh produce and lean protein for hungry Texans. We connect vulnerable Texans including seniors, veterans and rural residents to life-saving federal nutrition programs as we help them move to selfsufficiency. We provide proven nutrition education and health interventions tailored to local communities. Partners Partners Partners We build partnerships between food banks and local providers of health and financial empowerment, while bringing the voices of our clients to the center of the public conversation. Partner We empower state and federal decision-makers with critical data, timely analysis, and proven solutions while building the political will needed to solve hunger in Texas. Partners 21

6 S About Us Our job is to help our clients break the cycle of food insecurity so that they can get on a path to independence and prosperity. Celia Cole, CEO, Feeding Texas Member Food Bank of West Central Texas Abilene Food Bank Service Areas High Plains Food Bank Amarillo Central Texas Food Bank Austin Southeast Texas Food Bank Beaumont Brazos Valley Food Bank Bryan 21 FOOD BANKS 1 MISSION shared by all. serving the great state of Texas. Montgomery County Food Bank Conroe Food Bank of Corpus Christi Corpus Christi North Texas Food Bank Dallas El Pasoans Fighting Hunger El Paso Tarrant Area Food Bank Fort Worth Houston Food Bank Houston South Texas Food Bank Laredo South Plains Food Bank Lubbock Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley Pharr West Texas Food Bank Odessa Concho Valley Regional Food Bank San Angelo 3,000+ LOCAL PARTNERS San Antonio Food Bank San Antonio Serving all 254 counties. Galveston County Food Bank Texas City East Texas Food Bank Tyler Food Bank of the Golden Crescent Victoria Wichita Falls Area Food Bank Wichita Falls Indicates Shared County 22

7 The Opportunity A Bountiful Surplus of Fresh Produce 350M lbs of surplus produce Texas generates a surplus of 350M lbs of produce each year. FOOD BANK Centralized, Optimized sourcing/logistics Feeding With Impact is an innovative public-private partnership that bridges the gap between farmers with surplus produce and families who are struggling to put enough food on the table. Last year, Feeding Texas collaborated with Texas farmers, private funders, state and federal agencies to rescue and redistribute 55 million pounds of surplus produce through our network of 21 food banks and their 3,000 faith-based and community partners. Evidence-Based health interventions Our innovative approach paired this produce with proven health interventions, improving the dietary health of struggling Texans while reducing state costs related to illnesses like obesity, diabetes, and hypertension. Public-Private funding partners For every dollar invested in Feeding with Impact, we see an ROI of $3.27. Almost half of that - $ comes in the form of health care savings. Ray Perryman, Economist Better Nutrition, LOWERED HEALTH COSTS FOR 3.5 MILLION TEXANS 23

8 The Opportunity A Bountiful Surplus of Fresh Produce Feeding with Impact follows the old adage: If you give a man a fish, he ll eat for a day. If you teach a man to fish, he ll eat for life. Celia Cole, CEO, Feeding Texas Below are some of the innovative programs Feeding Texas has nurtured through the Feeding with Impact partnership: A clever mashup between a convenience store and food truck, the Mobile Mercado brings healthy foods into Texas food deserts and allows for live cooking demonstrations, which gives low-income visitors the chance to learn how to make healthier meals. Brighter Bites delivers fresh fruits and vegetables directly into families hands, while teaching them how to use and choose healthier foods for snacks and everyday meals. Diabetes Hands On is a multi-week nutrition course that teaches clients to manage their disease more effectively by engaging with primary care providers and measuring improvement in blood glucose control. Food Insecurity Screenings In alignment with new Acadamy of Pediatrics recommendations, this initiative encourages healthcare providers to screen clients in a clinical setting and then refer them to nearby food pantries who have committed to providing healthy options. As part of the No Kid Hungry campaign to end childhood hunger in America, Cooking Matters teaches participants to shop smarter and use nutrition information to make healthier choices in order to cook delicious, affordable meals. THE NUDGE PROJECT Based on proven research studies, the Nudge Project is designed to reframe pantry environments in a way that makes choosing healthy food options easier for the families the pantry serves. Find out about additional innovations at feedingtexas.org 24

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