Resources

Vermontfoodhelp.com
is your primary resource for information on the Food Stamp Program!

This site is designed to be used by advocates, community service providers, and anyone interested in learning more about food stamps for themselves or on behalf of a friend or family member. This website gives Vermonters easy access to information about eligibility requirements, how to apply, and the economic and nutrition benefits of the Food Stamp Program. In addition, vermontfoodhelp.com will give Vermonters the opportunity to determine what their benefit level may be.

Washington County Guide to Food Shelves and Community Food Sites

A brochure listing locations, hours of operation, food options, and contact information for all food shelves in Washington County is available free of charge. To order copies for distribution, please complete the order form here. This brochure was made available through a collaboration of the Vermont Campaign to End Childhood Hunger, Central Vermont Community Action Council, the Washington County Hunger Council, and Northfield Savings Bank.

Hunger & Nutrition Links

Below are website descriptions and links to sites on hunger, nutrition, policy, resources, and general nutrition information.

America's Second Harvest: www.secondharvest.org

• Network of national food banks & food rescue organizations
• Sponsors an annual National Conference in the early fall
• Website includes a special section on childhood hunger (profiles of children being served, information about what is being done to help children, and a link to the Feeding Children Better program)

Bread for the World: www.bread.org

• Network of people concerned about hunger who lobby the nation's policy makers to help the hungry
• Bread for the World Institute is the branch that conducts research and educates the public about hunger and poverty

Center for Rural Studies: http://crs.uvm.edu

• Nonprofit, fee-for-service, research organization that addresses social, economic, and resource-based problems of rural people and communities
• Provides consulting, research, and program evaluation services in Vermont, the United States, and abroad
• The Center also serves as the U.S. Census Bureau's Vermont State Data Center

Center on Hunger and Poverty: www.centeronhunger.org

• In conjunction with Brandeis University, this organization's activities include research and policy analysis, public education initiatives, and assistance to policy makers and organizations across the country on poverty- and hunger-related issues

Economic Policy Institute: www.epinet.org

• Nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank that seeks to broaden the public debate about strategies to achieve a prosperous and fair economy
• Website has information on living wage, minimum wage, poverty and family, retirement security, social security, unemployment, and welfare

Educational Concerns for Hunger Organizations (ECHO): www.echonet.org

• Nonprofit, Christian organization whose mission is "to network with community leaders in developing countries to seek hunger solutions for families growing food under difficult conditions"
• Provides missionaries and development workers with project ideas, training, information, and seeds that are critical to their fight against hunger

Food Research and Action Center: www.frac.org

• Nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that connects and supports anti-hunger groups from across the country and researches policy changes that can be made to end hunger and promote nutritious eating habits
• Conducts research to understand the effects of hunger on children's development and develops public education campaigns to promote further understanding and progressive changes in public policy
• Compiles hunger statistics for all US states in an annual State of the States profile. To view Vermont's profile, click here.

Forum on Child and Family Statistics: www.childstats.gov

• Website offers easy access to federal and state statistics and reports on children and their families, including: population and family characteristics, economic security, health, behavior and social environment, and education. It publishes an annual report on child well-being in the US

Hunger Action Network of New York State: www.hungeractionnys.org

• Statewide anti-hunger coalition that combines grassroots organizing at the local level with state level research, education and advocacy to address the root causes of hunger, including poverty
• Website has information on hunger in NY, action alerts, federal nutrition programs, and reports and publications

Institute on Assets and Social Policy: www.assetinstitute.org

• Supports policies that broaden wealth, reduce inequality, and improve the social and economic wellbeing of American households
• Website includes research, policy initiatives, and educational materials

MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger: www.mazon.org

• Allocates donations from the Jewish community to prevent and alleviate hunger among people of all faiths and backgrounds
• Funds emergency food providers, food banks, multi-service organizations and advocacy groups both in this country and abroad

National Agricultural Library: www.nal.usda.gov

• Links to the AGRICOLA database (agricultural literature), IBIDS, Nutrient Database, & others
• Includes a listing of news & special events
• AgNIC, a guide to agricultural info on the Internet

National Center for Children in Poverty: www.nccp.org

• Identifies policies to prevent childhood poverty & improve lives of low-income families
• Supplies fact sheets for distributing to media, tables on comparable benefits across states, and an income converter (translates income into a percentage of federal poverty line or state median income)

National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness: www.nscahh.org

• Prioritizes education, service, and action among college campuses to address hunger and homelessness in local communities
• Helps students organize Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week

Nutrition Consortium of New York State: www.hungernys.org

• Statewide, private, nonprofit organization dedicated to addressing problems of hunger
• Website has information on federal nutrition programs, outreach materials, publications, and links

Progressive Policy Institute: www.ppionline.org

• PPI's mission is to define and promote a new progressive politics for America in the 21st century. Issues include health care, education, work, family, and community

RAP: Dept. for Children and Families: Research and Planning: www.dsw.state.vt.us/rap/rap.html

• Website with access to current statistical Vermont data regarding food stamps, Reach-Up, health care, general assistance, and statewide information

The Congressional Hunger Center: www.hungercenter.org

• Supports leadership development within the anti-hunger network
• Website includes list of food aid organizations, hunger resources, etc.
• Sponsors the Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellows Program and the Leland International Fellows program

USDA Food and Nutrition Service: www.fns.usda.gov/fns

• Website has information on all of USDA's food and nutrition services including WIC, food stamps, school meals, summer food service program, child and adult care food program, food assistance for disaster relief, and food distribution. There are also nutrition links and information about grants

USDA: www.usda.gov

• USDA is the federal agency that administers the Food Stamp, School Lunch, School Breakfast, and the WIC Programs

Vermont Children's Forum: www.childrensforum.org

• Advocates for a policy agenda that places the well being of our children at the forefront
• Provides data and analysis on the well being of children and youth and the conditions and issues that affect them

Vermont Department for Children and Families: www.dcf.state.vt.us

• Administers state and federal programs, such as the Food Stamp Program; serves more than 75,000 families each year

Vermont Office of Economic Opportunity: www.dcf.state.vt.us/OEO/index.shtml

• Administers grants, provides support, and connects programs to useful resources

Vermont Agency of Human Services: www.ahs.state.vt.us

• Aims to further the health of all Vermont citizens
• Connects service agencies, has information on grants

Vermont Dept of Education- Child Nutrition Programs: http://education.vermont.gov/new/html/pgm_nutrition.html

• Manages the federal nutrition programs, such as the National School Lunch Program, the School Breakfast Program, the Child and Adult Care Food Program, and the Summer Food Service Program
• Website provides information about nutrition guidelines and statistics regarding eligibility for federal programs, and includes links to other child nutrition resources

Welfare Law Center: www.welfarelaw.org

• Works with and on behalf of low-income people to ensure that adequate public funding is available whenever and to the extent necessary to meet basic needs and foster healthy human and family development
• Website includes information on childcare, disability, food stamp access, Medicaid access, welfare