CHARLESTON, W.Va. - A bill at the Legislature to require food benefits be used for healthy options could have unintended consequences - including maybe making it harder for some low-income folks to shop at farmers' markets.

Senate Bill 626 is intended to require that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits - formerly known as food stamps - only be used to buy more nutritious food items approved by the Women Infants and Children (WIC) program. But Bradley Wilson, director of WVFOODLINK, a project to improve state access to information about food resources. said it's not at all clear how that will impact smaller merchants on the margins - including at farmers markets new to accepting SNAP benefits.

The state Department of Health and Human Resources "will have to create new standards across the state," he said. "Farmers' markets will have to comply with them. Additional costs, a lot of additional work, and a lot of confusion."

SB 626's supporters have said WIC items are healthier because they have to meet a much higher nutrition standard. The bill has passed the Senate and is now in the House.

One big issue is that nearly 2,000 retailers in the state take SNAP, but only about 300 are WIC certified. Many of the SNAP stores have WIC items, said Wilson, an assistant professor of geography at West Virginia University. However, he said, it's not at all clear how the rules will work - and they could chase many of the SNAP stores out of that market, which could leave many of the one in five state residents who use SNAP too far from healthy options.

"If there are no healthy choices in their area, restricting their ability to use SNAP dollars increases food insecurity," he said. "It deepens the food desert problem."

SB 626 would make the state DHHS secretary seek a waiver from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which administers SNAP, to implement the new requirement. Wilson said it would be better to pursue a USDA initiative that would modestly increase the number of healthy options SNAP stores have to offer. He said that could help the bill avoid unintended consequences.

"I don't think that it's mean-spirited," he said. "I don't think that the folks want to deny people access to healthy foods, but there are only 293 stores in West Virginia that meet the WIC requirement."

More information on WVFOODLINK is online at foodlink.wvu.edu. Track SB 262 at legis.sate.wv.us.


get more stories like this via email

Groups working to end hunger in Nebraska are reaching out to all parts of the state to train food insecure people to advocate for others facing similar issues.

The advocacy group Nebraska Appleseed's Food Access Community Advocates Cohort educates people over nine months how to build advocacy, community organizing and storytelling skills, so they are better equipped to understand policies affecting the state's most food insecure people.

Megan Hamann, senior community organizer of food and nutrition access for Nebraska Appleseed, said having experienced hunger puts them in a better position to understand and talk about policy issues affecting hungry people in Nebraska.

"They have this lived experience that is really useful, I think, when it comes to making sure that our decision-makers know the impact of the policies they are considering," Hamann explained.

Nebraska Appleseed will start taking applications for new program participants Friday.

Hamann pointed out the number of food insecure people in Nebraska is greater now than it was during the pandemic, when demand at food banks was already high.

"I think with the passage of the recent federal budget reconciliation bill, we are looking forward to a period of time where that need is going to reach new extremes," Hamann projected.

This will be the fourth year of the cohort program. Many past participants have taken leadership roles in their communities and are now leading local efforts to educate others about the best ways to address food insecurity.


get more stories like this via email

It has been about three weeks since the Rowena Fire in Oregon's Columbia Gorge was put out, and the local food bank remains vital to recovery efforts.

The fire burned 3,600 acres in Wasco County, destroying 56 homes and 100 other structures.

Breen Goodwin, executive director of the Columbia Gorge Food Bank, said they are always prepared to assist during disasters with ready-to-eat emergency food boxes and water. She added many displaced families are living with relatives, in hotels, or camping and remain uncertain about their next steps.

"It is difficult in a community of our size to absorb housing needs for that many families who have lost homes," Goodwin acknowledged. "That next step of the recovery process of truly: 'How are those families being supported with more long term recovery efforts?'"

Breen pointed out the food bank has been serving as a distribution site to hand out supplies from Adventist Health of the Columbia Gorge and other organizations who donated nonfood items, including air purifiers, generators, hygiene supplies and stuffed animals for kids.

One of the biggest challenges, Breen noted, is keeping a supply of drinking water flowing once people start to return home.

"We're able to drop full pallets of water directly into the impacted communities because most of the time the drinking water is no longer safe until enough testing has been done," Breen explained.

The Columbia Gorge Food Bank is one of 21 regional food banks in the Oregon Food Bank Network. Breen emphasized the number of people visiting the food bank rose to about 6,500 per month during the pandemic and has remained at that level. People can visit OregonFoodFinder.org to find pantry locations in their area.

Indiana families are navigating the summer without SUN Bucks, a federal grocery benefit which delivered $120 per child last summer.

Gov. Mike Braun's administration chose not to participate in 2025, citing prior planning gaps.

Mark Lynch, director of advocacy for the Indy Hunger Network, said the funding blackout hit the state hard.

"We really are feeling and seeing the impacts of not having the SUN Bucks program this year," Lynch emphasized. "That $120 per summer for those students that they had last year have created some longer lines at our food pantries."

State leaders said administrative hurdles kept Indiana out of the program. Supporters argued skipping SUN Bucks puts pressure on food banks and leaves low-income families with fewer options.

Lynch noted to help bridge the gap, Indiana expanded its summer meal sites to include prepackaged meals, which do not require daily pickups.

"But there's school starting soon and they're giving their workers some time off for the summer, so that might be ending in the next week or two," Lynch explained. "That's just an example and that happens around the state in rural, suburban, and in city communities."

The Indy Hunger Network and other partners continue to support Hoosiers through tools like the Community Compass app, which shows nearby meal sites and grocery assistance programs.


get more stories like this via email