ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- Maryland is experiencing a hunger crisis during the pandemic, and schools will need to reach out to more low-income children with school breakfast programs to at least help kids get food, according to two new reports.

The first report shows a 400% increase in Maryland applicants to the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), in April after unemployment rose from pandemic shutdowns in March.

Michael J. Wilson, director of Maryland Hunger Solutions, which put out the reports, said the rise is historic.

But he noted even before the pandemic, about 630,000 Marylanders were already receiving SNAP benefits.

"Having 844,000 people using SNAP in a state that has six million residents is a tremendous percentage," Wilson emphasized. "And it's both because of historic inequities, historic poverty and the pandemic on top of that."

The second report noted a rise in Maryland's childhood hunger during the pandemic and that breakfast programs in schools are needed more than ever.

But last school year, only about 62 Maryland low-income students ate school breakfast for every 100 who ate school lunch.

Wilson said when schools reopen, counties will have to shift how they provide breakfasts to boost those numbers.

He pointed to an innovative federal program that's helping right now, called "Pandemic-EBT," which gives families electronic benefit cards to buy food if their children have lost access to free school meals.

But he said the election next week could make or break some government assistance.

"Because most of these programs are federal programs, SNAP, school meals, whatever happens in the election is going to have an impact on how we deal with these issues going forward," Wilson explained. "And so, food insecurity is on the ballot next Tuesday as well."

During non-pandemic times, Wilson said the minimum benefit for people enrolled in SNAP is 16 dollars a month. The state supplements that amount, so Marylanders age 62 and older get at least $30 a month.


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COLUMBUS, Ohio - A new survey of Ohioans confirms assistance programs have been a lifeline for families reeling from the effects of the pandemic.

The findings from The Center for Community Solutions showed that nearly all forms of public assistance and benefits saw increased use during the pandemic, with 45% of Ohio households reporting a loss of employment income and 78% struggling to afford living expenses.

Lead study author Alex Dorman said most of the people surveyed said they also experienced food insecurity.

"What absolutely shocked me," he said, "was the high number of lower- and middle-income households in Ohio that not only were worrying about running out of food, but at one point did experience running out of food during the pandemic."

In the survey, 40% of households said they've turned to food banks in the pandemic, compared with about 20% who did so before. There also was a 12% increase in the use of unemployment insurance and a 7% increase in people who received SNAP benefits.

Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, executive director of the Ohio Association of Foodbanks, said it's clear that pandemic-assistance programs improved the lives of those hit hardest. The concern now, she noted, is what happens when temporary assistance ends.

"We have learned very valuable lessons during this crisis," he said, "and we need to make sure that we understand that there is interdependency between the health and safety and the overall well-being of our hungry friends and neighbors."

Hamler-Fugitt said she also sees a new awareness of the role food pantries and charities play in responding to the needs of the community.

"It's a combination of both public and private," she said, "but we need to make sure that we've got a strong safety net and support basic needs - like food, personal care, the capacity of food banks and food pantries to effectively and efficiently be able to serve their communities at large."

She contended that means passing public policies such as the "Build Back Better" plan in Congress. She said she believes it would strengthen communities through investments such as the refundable Child Tax Credit that's helped many Ohio families meet basic needs.

RICHMOND, Va. - Demand at Virginia food banks has skyrocketed during the pandemic, and a new effort aims to get these community lifelines fully stocked with healthier items.

Ahead of the Richmond Heart Walk, the American Heart Association is collecting nutritious, nonperishable foods to deliver to local food pantries in the Tri-Cities area. Research has shown that food insecurity can lead to hypertension and diabetes, risk factors for heart disease.

Xiomara Encarnacion, Latinx outreach coordinator at the Chesterfield Food Bank, said finding healthy, affordable food for the region's growing Hispanic and Latino population can be difficult.

"It's very hard to find food that is appropriate for our culture, but also, the prices are very expensive," she said. "If you want to buy something that's organic, it's double the price. We offer that at the food bank. People do wait for hours and hours, because that's the best choice for them at this time."

The Richmond Heart Walk is to start at 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 23 at Libbie Mill. The American Heart Association already is taking donations, which can be dropped off at the group's office in Glen Allen. Bulk pickups also can be arranged.

Zakia McKensey is executive director of the Nationz Foundation, a health nonprofit serving Virginia's LGBTQ community. The foundation offers a food pantry in its Richmond office, as well as with pantries in its mobile HIV testing units. McKensey said since the pandemic, the foundation has been busy trying to ensure people in need of its services have access to fresh food.

"They were already dealing with oppression and unemployment and housing instability, and with the pandemic happening, everything is just compounded," she said. "We've been really diligent about making sure that our doors stay open, that we provide safe interactions for our staff, to continue to meet the needs of the communities that we serve."

Heart Walk attendees also can drop off last-minute donations at the event. Some of the donations AHA is asking for include canned beans and fruits, whole-wheat pasta, and more.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- After weeks of pressure on Gov. Ron DeSantis to apply for a one-time pandemic food-stamp program, this week Florida became the last state to apply and get approval for more than a billion dollars in Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) federal funding.

The program was issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in April to aid those children that depend on the school meals distributed during the summer. More than 30 Democratic state lawmakers and 80 advocacy groups urged the governor to apply for the program.

Niki Fried, Florida agriculture commissioner, said it was shameful for the state to take so long to apply.

"I don't know if it was politically motivated, I don't know if DCF dropped the ball, and then when we called them out on it, they had to come up with some excuse," Fried asserted. "But regardless, at the end of the day, the money is coming down to our families across the state."

A spokesperson for the governor once said Flroidains did not need the program because kids were back in school. The program is aimed at helping an estimated 2.7 million children in Florida. Families with children in poverty will receive an additional $375 in benefits over a 30-day period beginning Nov. 15.

Fried said every penny counts for those who are food insecure.

"$375 may not sound like a lot to some people, but for many Floridians, it will make all the difference in the world," Fried contended. "Providing money to shop for groceries, so this week's paychecks can cover rent or car payments."

Children younger than age six who went to child care and whose families already were enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), can also apply for the added benefit.