STRATEGIES FOR EXPANDING
AT-RISK AFTERSCHOOL MEALS SPONSORSHIP
KARA PANOWITZ, No Kid Hungry Maryland/ Share Our Strength MELISSA MOORE, Family League of Baltimore CityCLARISSA 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
Ex: Food Bank
Ex: Baltimore
County Public
Schools
YMCA Community Center
ElementarySites
Sites- distribute meals to youth,
keep tally of # of students, train with sponsor to adhere to health
guidelines
MiddleSchool
s
High
Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE)- administers
program at state level
Sponsor- handles financial aspect, food procurement and distribution to sites
PartnershipsPartnerships can be school based or community based, traditional or non-traditional, 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 Mapping-
1. USDA Capacity Builder2. Feeding America Mapping the meal gap3. State Agency Maps4. 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
Develop Relationships with Elected OfficialsShare data
Share success stories
Spread the word
Write letters
Make calls
You are an advocate as long as you are spreading the word about the Afterschool Meals program!
Engage the public
Educate
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 Melissa Moore
No Kid Hungry Maryland Family League of Baltimore [email protected] [email protected]
Clarissa HayesFood Research and Action Center