WashingtonCAN

Reducing Hunger in Wasington State

Hunger is a dramatic problem in the Pacific Northwest. In 2004, Washington State continued an 8 year trend of having one of five highest state-wide hunger rates in the country. Factors contributing to Washington’s high hunger rate include: unemployment, high healthcare costs, unaffordable rent, and lack of living wage jobs. Each year, over 100,000 families go hungry in Washington. However, because of barriers to accessing food assistance programs, only 55-67% of eligible persons in Washington participate in the Basic Food program.

After over a year of hard work we got the Washington State Legislature to pass the Act for Hungry Families!

In the summer of 2001, WashingtonCAN and the Northwest Federation of Community Organizations (NWFCO) surveyed over 100 low-income families about their experiences with hunger. The surveys found that the many families experiencing hunger also faced barriers to obtaining food assistance. Results of these surveys are documented in the June 2002 report, A State of Hunger.

WashingtonCAN began organizing in order to reduce the barriers to food stamp access. In 2002, our members joined with activists across the country to lobby for the reauthorization of the Food Stamp Program through the passage of the Farm Bill. The Farm Bill passed and was signed into law by President Bush on May 13th, 2002, providing states with a number of optional ways to simplify the program and streamline benefit delivery, and remove administrative barriers to accessing Food Stamps.

Following passage of the Farm Bill in 2002, WashingtonCAN members began meeting with administrators in Washington’s Department of Social & Health Services to demand improvements to the Food Stamp Program, which included implementing several options put forth in the Farm Bill. Through working with DSHS, WashingtonCAN was successful at making several improvements, including:

• Reducing the Food Stamp application from 6 pages to 2 pages, and
• Implementing a state-wide waiver to eliminate strict 3-month time limits on the receipt of Food Stamp benefits for certain single adults.

In addition, in 2003 WashingtonCAN began working on state legislation to improve access to Food Stamps and other food assistance programs. Our policy recommendations are outlined in the reports, Freed Today, Hungry Tomorrow (2003), and Unnoticed, Unaddressed & Unacceptable (2004).

In March of 2004, we were successful in passing the Act for Hungry Families which passed with overwhelming margins in both the House and Senate, and was signed into law by Gov. Locke.

Revealing & Attacking Washington’s Persistent Hunger Problem

Why Food Stamps And Not Food Banks?

Click here for the answer.

Food Stamp History and Important Terms

Click here for a short history of food stamps in America.

Usda Food And Nutrition Services

Get to know your government’s policies. Click here.