The Emergency Food Assistance Program – TEFAP 101

101, Government Programs

TEFAP 101

It has been a while since I brought you a 101 post about an American or international hunger relief program. But we’re not out of programs to explore. That’s one of the things I’ve learned as I researched for these 101 posts – there are A LOT of different programs and participating distribution organizations out there! Here are the agencies and organizations we have looked at so far…

SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, aka food stamps) – Longer-term (time in the program varies widely) assistance by way of money for food (in the form of a prepaid card that works only for qualifying food purchases) given to individuals who make their own choices within the program guidelines.

WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) – Food handouts for women and their children from pregnancy through kindergarten in exchange for the mothers taking nutrition training courses.

NSLP (National School Lunch Program) – Targeted provision given to schools so they can provide free and reduced price lunches to school-age children in low-income families.

UN World Food Programme – (International) Food relief arm of the United Nations

Meals on Wheels – A non-profit organization that receives money from these government funding sources to provide meals and a check in for seniors who are trying to remain independent. Meals on Wheels is not a government program, but is one of the partner non-profits that administers some of the government spending.

Head Start – A preschool version of the NSLP designed to meet the vital nutritional requirements of a growing preschool age child.

TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program) – a food distribution program that buys agricultural products and distributes them to emergency feeding organizations like food banks and soup kitchens.

 

And still to come…

Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) –

Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) – Program specific to provisions for Native Americans living on reservations.

Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) – Senior specific food aid program.

Other smaller programs, international organizations, and aid distributing organizations

For today, let’s take a quick look at TEFAP:

TEFAP stands for The Emergency Food Assistance Program. Through the TEFAP program, the US Department of Agriculture sends actual physical food to agencies in each state (such as food banks or soup kitchens) that provide emergency provision for people in need. The organizations have to meet certain criteria, like providing the means to protect the food from spoilage and loss. They are also responsible for making sure that the households receiving the food meet state eligibility standards. The food items provided by TEFAP include things like dry pasta and beans, canned fruits and vegetables, soups, dairy products, etc.

The program started in 1981 as a means to help reduce surplus government food stores while also helping those in need. In 2014, the program cost the government $318.15 million, $49 million of which went to administrative costs. The rest covered the cost of the food. Compared to some of the big programs, like SNAP, NSLP, and WIC, the money spent on TEFAP is small potatoes.

Because many emergency food distributors rely on the products they receive from TEFAP, so their clients have to meet income guidelines to keep the organization eligible for the TEFAP food. There are also food banks and charitable services that do not require users to meet eligibility guidelines. This is important to know because sometimes a person or family’s circumstances change suddenly, while on paper things don’t look so bad. Agencies receiving government support from programs like TEFAP need that layer of accountability, while other organizations can have broader standards because they raise their funds from private donors who believe in their mission. Both types of organization play an important role in feeding the 10-12% of Americans who struggle with food insecurity.

Does your organization receive support from TEFAP? We want to hear about your experience in the comments below!

Service Project: School Supplies Drive

Service Projects

School Supplies Drive

I find that my sympathy leans toward children more easily than adults. Sometimes an adult’s struggle is the result of poor decisions, but children generally don’t deserve the challenges they face. On top of that, it seems that kids have more of an opportunity to break the cycles of poverty and succeed in life, which makes an investment in kids that much more rewarding. One way I like to help kids is school supplies. I LOVE school- and art supplies. Yes, you’ve heard my story, you know how I longed and lusted for that big box of crayons with the sharpener in the back. My parents were practical and practically broke through much of  my childhood, so we didn’t get shiny new supplies every fall just because. We got the cheapest possible version of things we needed when we needed them.

As a parent, I see the ways in which I internalized these memories. I am happiest in a paperie (stationary store) or even an office supplies store. I own hundreds of well-loved colored pencils, scrapbooking markers, drawing pencils, etc. (I even have a Facebook page for the little pictures I doodle). I loved taking my son shopping for back-to-school (he’s going to high school this year (!!!) so the plain notebooks and pens aren’t as much fun to buy), and I always bought him quality art supplies. But I never bought him that big box of crayons. I make him use backpacks, shoes, jackets, and clothes until they don’t fit or are too beat up. I find myself pulled between the half of me that wants him to have everything I ever wanted as a child, and the half of me that appreciates my parents’ practical frugality. I don’t think it’s healthy for a kid to be handed everything he ever wanted; it spoils them. I want J to appreciate things, but at the same time I don’t want him to suffer for lack.

Many kids go back to school embarrassed by their lack. They get some cheap crayons and pencils during the great back-to-school sales, and they smuggle them into the classroom in a brown paper bag. Teachers are pretty good about making sure their students get what they need by pooling supplies for the whole class to share, or even spending some of their limited income to fill in gaps. But you don’t have to be a teacher to help with this need. Here’s a simple plan for a school supplies drive you can do at your office, church, or community group.

  1. Make clear decisions so everyone is on the same page. Pick a specific school that the supplies will go to, make a list of what’s needed, and have a specific, central drop off location.
  2. Find out what the real needs are. Once you’ve decided on a school to work with, call the office and ask what their biggest needs are. When our MOMS Club chapter did a school supplies drive we learned that backpacks are hard for low income families to get, as they cost a lot more than pencils and erasers. Kids without a backpack are more likely to lose permission slips and other important information that needs to get home and back.
  3. Share the information with your group of people. Make a flyer or email that clearly states where the supplies are going, what the biggest needs are, and where people can drop things off.
  4. Think outside the (pencil) box. Back to school means more than just art supplies and notebooks. Back to school means tennis shoes, clothes, and for those of us in the frozen northland, time to start thinking about fall jackets and winter gear. Ask the school about their non-craft supply needs as well. You might be surprised what you learn. In working with a local elementary school, our church learned that underwear is a real need for the schools. Younger kids have accidents, and school nurses like to have something on hand to get kids back to class with minimal learning time disruption or embarrassment. We had some fun with that one and held and “Undie Sunday” where people were encouraged to bring new packages of underwear and diapers that were distributed through the school and The Diaper Drive. The unusual theme of that drive made people laugh, and they remembered to pitch in!
  5. Consider accepting cash donations as well. In your information about the event, let your participants know that you will also accept cash donations and exactly what that cash will go for. You might say something like, “cash donations will be pooled together to provide more backpacks,” or you could even give the cash right to the school and let them put it to work wherever it’s needed most (maybe field trip fees, recorders for music class, etc. The possible expenses are endless – all the parents say “AMEN!”)
  6. Follow through. Drop off the supplies in a timely manner and be transparent about how much cash came in and where it went. Make another flyer or email that cheers donors and lets them know the results of their generosity.

Kids deserve an equal opportunity to learn and grow; thank you for making it possible!

Are you a teacher? Have you hosted a school supplies drive? Do you have any additional suggestions? Leave a comment!

Book Review – When Helping Hurts by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikker

Book Review, Ministry, Resources, Service Projects

When Helping Hurts

I read a story in one of Jen Hatmaker’s books about a school in Africa visited every summer by a group of American teens on a short-term mission trip. Every year the local leaders sent kids to muddy the walls of their school in preparation for the Americans coming in. The building didn’t need painting, but they needed the Americans’ support, so they had to give the missions team something to do to feel useful. Clearly the Americans thought they were helping, but the local people didn’t have the heart (or possibly the power) to tell them they were wasting time and ridiculous amounts of money. Having been on a short term missions trip and part of outreaches, it made me wonder how often I have reinvented a perfectly good wheel and gotten in the way of what really needed to be done.

A few years ago I heard about the book When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor and Yourself by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert. I’ll admit it paralyzed me. Until I read the book, just knowing that it was out there made me afraid I would find out that the mission trip and outreach programs I had participated in were full of mistakes that had done more harm than good. As we prepared for the Convoy of Hope event, I decided that it was time to read the book. Maybe it would give me some guidance as we planned the outreach.

I didn’t love it. There are some good points, for sure. But I feel that it lacks focus. Some parts are for average people who want to help, and some parts are like a policy manual for people starting a non-profit or establishing benevolence policy for a church. Not being a pastor or policy maker, I became frustrated with the advice about things I can’t control, and bored with the technical financial jargon. There are a ton of acronyms and technical financial concepts (not my particular skill set). I feel it should have been two books – one for minimizing the mistakes of average people involved in charitable work, and one more technical manual for pastors and policy makers.

Least you think I hated the book, let me share with you some of the good parts:

“Our relationship to the materially poor should be one in which we recognize that both of us are broken and that both of us need the blessing of reconciliation. Our perspective should be less about how we are going to fix the materially poor and more about how we can walk together, asking God to fix both of us.” (p.79)

There is a necessary emphasis on helping the poor in a way that empowers them and restores dignity. The authors encourage people to start their charitable programs by taking an inventory of what a community has to work with, rather than what it lacks. “…the very nature of the question – What gifts do you have? – affirms people’s dignity and contributes to the process of overcoming their poverty of being. And as they tell us of their gifts and abilities, we can start to see them as God does, helping us to overcome our superiority, that is, our own poverty of being.” (p. 126)

“Pouring in outside resources is not sustainable and only exacerbates the feelings of helplessness and inferiority that limit low-income people from being better stewards of their God-given talents and resources.” (p. 126)

“The money spent on a single STM (short term missions) team for a one- to two-week experience would be sufficient to support more than a dozen far more effective indigenous workers for an entire year.” (p. 173)

So you see, there are valuable practical insights throughout the book, but I’m afraid they’re lost on the less business-minded. I found it hard to keep reading when the authors spent several chapters on banking details and interest rates, as that’s not likely something I’ll ever make decisions about.

The other problem I have with this book is the way the authors encourage us to judge people in need to determine not just what type of aid will be most beneficial, but whether we should help at all or let people learn from consequences. In my experience, most people are more than happy to blame the poor for their plight and use that excuse to not help. A Christian engaging in relief work should look first and foremost to the Bible for direction, and the Bible tells us “judge not.” On the other hand, if you’re a policy maker for a church or non-profit, there are judgments you have to make to efficiently and responsibly manage your organization. Separating this into two books would have made this clear and allowed the authors to go into greater detail for the different audiences.

So I give this book a mixed review. On one hand it has many thought-provoking insights, and on the other hand, it spends too much time on technical financial issues and encourages judgment over mercy. If you’re in a position to be making benevolence policies for your church or non-profit, it’s worth a read. If you’re just an average volunteer who wants to avoid making blunders, don’t let the knowledge that this book exists stop you from getting involved. A little compassion and respect is what you really need to make sure your help doesn’t actually hurt.

Washing Feet and the “Least” of These

inspiration, Ministry, Service Projects, , ,

Washing Feet and the Least of These

The big weekend is finally here! Naturally the last minute stuff for the Convoy of Hope Minneapolis rally is taking up a lot of my time, so my blog post today is based on the devotional I have been putting together for the Children’s Shoes volunteer team. If your mission this week is Convoy, serving at your church, or any other means of blessing others, let this word encourage your work!

John 13:3-17 (at the last supper)
Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”  “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!” Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean. When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

Right away verse 3 just jumps off the page to me. Jesus KNEW his place in the kingdom. He knew who he was in God’s eyes and had eternity in mind. When we know our worth we don’t have to go around proving it by seeking status. When we keep eternity in mind we’re less interested in the earthly version of position.

Have you ever had a really good boss? He or she probably supported you, encouraged you, and made sure you had the tools to succeed. Bad leaders are all about their own ego and reputation. The best leaders are servant leaders like Jesus. It’s not about being on top, it’s about making sure everyone has the support and resources they need to succeed.

Jesus knew who he was, he knew it was all about eternity, and he led by taking care of others so the message could be magnified.

Matthew 6: 31-46
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

I have long been bothered by this word “least.” It sounds like a statement of value, and Americans don’t like that idea. We like “all men are created equal,” not greatest/least. So who are the “least of these”? I don’t think Jesus was referring to value when he said “least.” The Bible affirms the value of people over and over. The psalmist says that God knit you together in your mother’s womb and journaled out the days of your life. Jeremiah reminds us that He has good plans for us. Romans 8:28 says that all things work together for the good of those who love God. I think what Jesus means by “least” is those with the least power or least access to resources, like widows, orphans, and those with physical or mental limitations. The people we minister to through our volunteer work are valuable, hardworking people, many of  whom (and for a variety of reasons) have less power and less access to resources. Our role is NOT to judge whether or not they are truly in need or if they are to blame for their own situations. Our only role is to be the hands and feet of Jesus – the same Jesus who forgave prostitutes, healed lepers, and forgave tax collectors.

We volunteer so the hungry, jobless, shoeless, etc. can get back on a more level playing field where we can run the race of life side by side.

We can’t “fix” the poor and hungry. We are broken, flawed people, not gods. But we can recognize that there is need in this world and that we have the means (money, time, etc.) to partner with these people who are just trying to take care of their families. I hope that you to see the people you serve as your equals in value who may be the “least of these” in terms of their power and/or access to resources.

So laugh with a child. Bless a mom who is working hard to get her kids ready for school. Make an immigrant family feel welcome in their new home. Wash some feet. And remember what it says in Colossians 3:23, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord.

Screenshot_2015-07-31-09-32-22-1
Two Convoy of Hope trucks have arrived at Spring Lake Park High School for Saturday’s Minneapolis rally

6 Cheap Meals Your Family Will Love

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Cheap Meals

If you’re on a tight budget, trying to live simply, or if you’re just frugal by nature, I’m sure you have bemoaned the cost of feeding a family these days. In past blog posts I have talked about food you can regrow from scraps, and saving money with coupons. Today I want to add to that food budget saving toolkit by sharing with you all some of my favorite cheap meals that you and your family will love.

*Make your own chicken stock for FREE: This isn’t a meal, I know, but chicken stock is the foundation for a ton of recipes, and it’s kind of expensive. A few years ago I learned how easy it is to make it yourself and I have been doing it ever since; I call it “liquid gold.” When your family eats chicken, hold on to those bones! Same goes for veggies that are not so fresh, but not actually rotten (I keep 2 large zipper bags in my freezer). As an added bonus, you can control the sodium in your stock and it’s free of preservatives and artificial ingredients!

Chicken Stock:
– Roughly three chickens worth of bones
– Assortment of vegetables (fair warning: broccoli doesn’t smell good when it’s cooking away for hours, and your house will stink for days, so think twice about including broccoli)
– Salt
– Water

In a large stock pot, combine the bones, vegetables, and a generous sprinkling of salt. Add enough water to cover everything, and simmer, covered, for about 4 hours. After four hours, allow the stock to cool and then remove the solids. Pour through a fine strainer into 3 cup containers, and freeze until ready to use.

*Rice and Beans: Last fall my church accepted a challenge from Venture Expeditions to spend an entire week eating rice and beans for our evening meal. I was amazed by how much money I saved. We still had our normal breakfasts and lunches, but dinners of rice and beans lowered my grocery bill by $60 that week. Since then, we have continued to include Rice and Beans in our regular dinner rotation. Here are two favorite recipes I found during Hope For Dinner:

Cheesy Rice and Beans from The Cheese Pusher

Best-Ever Black Bean Soup with Cilantro Lime Rice from Iowa Girl Eats:
-1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
-1/2 small onion, minced
-2 garlic cloves
-2 teaspoons chili powder
-1/4 teaspoon cumin
-2 cans seasoned black beans, drained but not rinsed
-1-1/2 cups water
-1 cup chicken broth
-4-5 dashes green Tabasco sauce

Toppings: sliced avocado, salsa, sour cream, cilantro

For the Cilantro-Lime Rice:
-1 cup long grain white rice
-2 cups water
-1 Tablespoon canola or vegetable oil (I used olive oil, it’s the only one I keep around)
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-juice of 1/2 lime
-3 Tablespoons chopped cilantro (my fam isn’t into cilantro, so I kept this on the side)

Directions: Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onion, season with salt and pepper, then sauté until soft, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for 30 more seconds, stirring constantly. Add chili powder and cumin then sauté for 30 more seconds.

Add drained beans, water, and chicken broth, bring soup to a boil, then lower heat slightly and simmer for 15 minutes. Scoop 2 ladle-fulls of soup into a blender or food processor then blend until almost smooth. Alternatively use a hand-held immersion blender to process 1/3 of the beans in the soup pot. Add blended soup back into the pot then add hot sauce and stir to combine.

For the Chipotle-Lime Rice: While soup is simmering, bring water, oil, and salt to a boil in a saucepan. Add rice, place a lid on top, then turn heat down to medium-low and simmer until rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Stir to fluff then add lime juice and chopped cilantro.

To serve, scoop cooked rice into bottom of bowls then top with hot soup. Top with sliced avocado, salsa, sour cream, etc.

*Cauliflower “alfredo”: Pasta is an inexpensive meal, but pasta sauces aren’t healthy, and they can be kind of expensive. This “alfredo” sauce made from cauliflower is healthy and so, so delicious:

Creamy Cauliflower Sauce from Pinch of Yum (bonus other dishes with this sauce on the blog post) – size adjusted my me:
-4 large cloves garlic, minced
-2 tablespoons butter
-1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
-3 cups chicken stock
-1 teaspoon salt (more to taste)
-½ teaspoon pepper (more to taste)
-½ cup milk (more to taste)

Directions:
Sauté the minced garlic with the butter in a large nonstick skillet over low heat. Cook for several minutes until the garlic is soft and fragrant but not browned (browned or burnt garlic will taste bitter). Remove from heat and set aside.

Cauliflower: Bring the water or vegetable broth to a boil in a large pot. Add the cauliflower and cook, covered, for 7-10 minutes or until cauliflower is fork tender. Do not drain.

Puree: Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cauliflower pieces to the blender. Add 1 cup vegetable broth or cooking liquid, sautéed garlic/butter, salt, pepper, and milk. Blend or puree for several minutes until the sauce is very smooth, adding more broth or milk depending on how thick you want the sauce. You may have to do this in batches depending on the size of your blender. Serve hot! If the sauce starts to look dry, add a few drops of water, milk, or olive oil.

*Goulash and Briar Patch Bake: These aren’t particularly healthy, but sometimes you just need a quick, easy dinner that’s cheap!

Goulash (don’t shoot me! I know this isn’t REALLY goulash, that’s just what we called it growing up)
-2 cups elbow macaroni
– ½ pound ground beef, browned (if you have a larger family, use a whole pound. As is this will serve 3-4 adults)
-1 can of concentrated tomato soup

Boil the macaroni until tender. Combine the pasta, beef, and soup concentrate (do not add water or milk). Stir together over low heat until heated through. Top with cheddar cheese.

Briar Patch Bake:
-2 boxes of macaroni and cheese, made according to package directions
– ½ pound ground beef (again, you can make this with a whole pound if you want it meatier or have a bigger family to feed)
-1 cup barbecue sauce
-1/2 of a medium onion, chopped

Cook mac and cheese according to package directions. While it’s cooking, brown the meat with the onion until the onion is tender and no pink remains in the meat. Add the barbecue sauce to the meat. In a greased casserole dish, layer ½ of the mac and cheese, ½ of the meat mixture, the other half of the pasta, and the other half of the meat (the meat mixture should be on top because the pasta will dry out in the oven without it). Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes.

Bon Appetit! And be sure to share your favs in the comments!