Just a Bite

Happy Earth Day! Sarah speaks with one of the visionary leaders in the climate-smart agriculture space, A.G. Kawamura. They talk about the strong partnerships between farmers, growers and producers and their local foodbanks, the U.N. sustainable development goals, and what A.G. calls the agricultural renaissance. They discuss what investments farmers need in the 2023 Farm Bill to continue making strides toward more sustainable agriculture, where we work with the land instead of against it. 

References:  

Learn more about the U.N. sustainable development goals. 

Check out A.G.’s national nonprofit, Solutions from the Land, and their recent report, 21st Century Agricultural Renaissance. View more resources from Ohio Smart Agriculture: Solutions from the Land, co-chaired by our executive director, Lisa Hamler-Fugitt.

Check out what A.G. is doing locally to combat hunger, develop urban agriculture, and educate the community about farming in Orange County, California with Solutions for Urban Ag.  

Find your local foodbank to find help, volunteer, and donate here.  

Enjoyed this episode? Please leave a review and subscribe to get episodes in your podcast feed as soon as we upload every other week!   

Want more updates? Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn and take our latest hunger-fighting actions!  

We are licensed to use the song, Goals and Dreams by Boomer, which is distributed and owned by PremiumBeat. 

Ohio Association of Foodbanks is a registered 501c3 nonprofit organization without party affiliation or bias. We are Ohio’s largest charitable response to hunger and our mission is to assist Ohio’s 12 Feeding America foodbanks in providing food and other resources to people in need and to pursue areas of common interest for the benefit of people in need. 

In this episode, Sarah meets with the association’s executive director, Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, and the president & CEO of Second Harvest Foodbank of North Central Ohio, Julie Chase-Morefield. They discuss what Ohio’s foodbanks are experiencing amid rising costs and supply chain shortages and what makes these two foodbank leaders proud to lead, especially during these challenging times. They round out the discussion by talking about what they hope to see over the course of the upcoming year and what opportunities there are on both the state and federal levels to support our foodbanks and the clients we serve.  

References:  

See our ARPA request and our tweet thread detailing our request.  

With inflation, supply-chain kinks, plight of Ohio food banks grows, by Marty Schladen, Ohio Capital Journal 

Ohio food banks urge lawmakers to take action amid ‘impossible scenario’ for many families, by Lisa Hamler-Fugitt and Daniel R. Flowers, Akron Beacon Journal Opinion 

Support the Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio through the annual Harvest for Hunger Campaign, going on now.

Apply to serve through one of our many AmeriCorps VISTA positions, available throughout Ohio, or encourage someone you know to consider national service.

Find your local foodbank to find help, volunteer, and donate here.  

Make sure you are getting all the tax credits that you are entitled to here.  

Enjoyed this episode? Please leave a review and subscribe to get episodes in your podcast feed as soon as we upload every other week!   

Want more updates? Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn and take our latest hunger-fighting actions!  

We are licensed to use the song, Goals and Dreams by Boomer, which is distributed and owned by PremiumBeat. 

Ohio Association of Foodbanks is a registered 501c3 nonprofit organization without party affiliation or bias. We are Ohio’s largest charitable response to hunger and our mission is to assist Ohio’s 12 Feeding America foodbanks in providing food and other resources to people in need and to pursue areas of common interest for the benefit of people in need.  

In this episode, Joree speaks to Kam McKenzie, manager of SNAP outreach at the Freestore Foodbank, and Katie Gedeon, outreach manager at the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and their work in connecting clients to SNAP and other benefits. They discuss how their work has changed because of the pandemic and what they would change about SNAP enrollment to make it easier and better for clients.  

References:  

Learn more about SNAP outreach and how to get help here.  

Listen to our primer on the Thrifty Food Plan and SNAP here.  

Are you an older adult enrolled in SNAP or do you know an older adult enrolled in SNAP? Fill out our survey interest form here.  

Find your local foodbank to find help, volunteer, and donate here.  

Make sure you are getting all the tax credits that you are entitled to here.  

Enjoyed this episode? Please leave a review and subscribe to get episodes in your podcast feed as soon as we upload every other week!   

Want more updates? Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn and take our latest hunger-fighting actions!  

We are licensed to use the song, Goals and Dreams by Boomer, which is distributed and owned by PremiumBeat. 

Ohio Association of Foodbanks is a registered 501c3 nonprofit organization without party affiliation or bias. We are Ohio’s largest charitable response to hunger and our mission is to assist Ohio’s 12 Feeding America foodbanks in providing food and other resources to people in need and to pursue areas of common interest for the benefit of people in need.   

In anticipation of AmeriCorps Week next week (March 13-19), we show our appreciation for all our AmeriCorps members – both past and present – that have built the capacity of our network, committed to serving their country and community, and have deeply impacted their colleagues, their host sites, and the communities they serve. In this episode, Joree interviews our director of community services, Maureen Allen, and our national service program coordinator, Carrie Dennis, about what makes service to your country and community so special.  

Thank you to AmeriCorps VISTA members Carl Alcorn, Destiny Braden, Adam Householder, Amanda Draeger, and Tracy Excell for sharing their experiences and their impact with Just a Bite!  

References:  

Find open AmeriCorps VISTA positions within our network here.  

Learn more about AmeriCorps Week here. 

Read about the history of AmeriCorps.

Make sure you are getting all the tax credits that you are entitled to here.  

Find your local foodbank to find help, volunteer, and donate here.  

Enjoyed this episode? Please leave a review and subscribe to get episodes in your podcast feed as soon as we upload every other week!   

Want more updates? Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn and take our latest hunger-fighting actions!  

We are licensed to use the song, Goals and Dreams by Boomer, which is distributed and owned by PremiumBeat. 

Ohio Association of Foodbanks is a registered 501c3 nonprofit organization without party affiliation or bias. We are Ohio’s largest charitable response to hunger and our mission is to assist Ohio’s 12 Feeding America foodbanks in providing food and other resources to people in need and to pursue areas of common interest for the benefit of people in need.

It’s 2-22-22, on a Tuesday no less! Yes, today is the last palindrome date until January 20, 3021 and since neither of us plan on being alive in a millennium from now, your Just a Bite podcast duo wanted to celebrate Twos-day with a look-back at some other important dates related to food security, nutrition, poverty, foodbanking, and more. Join us for a discussion about some of the data and dates of our past and present on this Twos-day! 

References:   

Feeding America: History of Food Banks  

Feeding America: Our Lawmakers Must Invest in TEFAP  

Congressional Research Service TEFAP Background and Funding  

“2 years after Hesiman speech, Burrow’s contribution still being felt by Ohio food pantry,” Whitney Harding, NBC4  

AOF Public Benefits Eligibility Infographic   

AOF Winter 2022 Family Checklist  

Make sure you are getting all the tax credits that you are entitled to here.   

Email and call your U.S. representative to support an additional $900 million in TEFAP funding.   

Find your local foodbank to find help, volunteer, and donate here.   

Enjoyed this episode? Please leave a review and subscribe to get episodes in your podcast feed as soon as we upload every other week!   

Want more updates? Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn and take our latest hunger-fighting actions!   

We are licensed to use the song, Goals and Dreams by Boomer, which is distributed and owned by PremiumBeat.  

Ohio Association of Foodbanks is a registered 501c3 nonprofit organization without party affiliation or bias. We are Ohio’s largest charitable response to hunger and our mission is to assist Ohio’s 12 Feeding America foodbanks in providing food and other resources to people in need and to pursue areas of common interest for the benefit of people in need.

Sarah spoke with Lauren Jones, a professor in the Department of Human Sciences and the John Glenn College of Public Affairs at The Ohio State University, about the expansion of the enhanced Child Tax Credit. Lauren walks the listeners through some of the leading research about cash payments and tax credits to families and its benefits to the children receiving these payments. Professor Jones also addresses the common misconceptions about the enhanced Child Tax Credit, explaining why these arguments may be inconsistent with the research. We hope that listeners walk away understanding the Child Tax Credit as an anti-poverty, anti-hunger policy by the end of this episode.  

Resources:   

The letter signed by 400+ economists, including Professor Jones, urging Congress to make the enhanced Child Tax Credit (CTC) permanent.  

“Expanded Child Tax Credit should be made permanent, research says” by Lauren E. Jones, Columbus Dispatch Opinion 

9 in 10 Families with Low Incomes are using Child Tax Credits to Pay for Necessities, Education by Claire Zippel, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities  

U.S. Census Bureau Week 40 Household Pulse Survey 

“The Anti-Poverty, Targeting and Labor Supply Effects of the Proposed Child Tax Credit Expansion” by Kevin Corinth, Bruce Meyer, Matthew Stadnicki, and Derek Wu, Becker Friedman Institute for Economics at the University of Chicago 

“Estimating the Net Fiscal Cost of a Child Tax Credit Expansion” by Jacob Goldin, Elaine Maag, and Katherine Michelmore, National Bureau of Economic Research  

“The Effects of Child Tax Benefits on Poverty and Labor Supply: Evidence from the Canada Child Benefit and Universal Child Care Benefit” by Michael Baker, Derek Messacar and Mark Stabile, National Bureau of Economic Research 

“Child cash benefits and family expenditures: Evidence from the National Child Benefit” by Lauren E. Jones, Kevin Milligan, and Mark Stabile, Canadian Journal of Economics 

“Income, the Earned Income Tax Credit, and Infant Health” by Hilary Hoynes, Doug Miller and David Simon, American Economic Journal 

“The Impact of Family Income on Child Achievement: Evidence from the Earned Income Tax Credit” by Gordon B. Dahl and Lance Lochner, American Economic Review 

“Can giving parents cash help with babies’ brain development?” by Dylan Matthews, Vox 

Letter sent to President Biden and Vice President Harris by Senator Brown (D-OH), Senator Bennet (D-CO), Senator Booker (D-NJ), Senator Warnock (D-GA), and Senator Wyden (D-OR) about the need to extend the CTC expansion.  

AOF’s checklist to make sure that families continue to receive the benefits and tax credits (including the remainder of this year’s CTC) for which they are eligible. 

Follow Professor Lauren Jones and her work on her website, her biography on OSU John Glenn College of Public Affairs website, and her twitter.  

Find your local foodbank to find help, volunteer, and donate here.   

Enjoyed this episode? Please leave a review and subscribe to get episodes in your podcast feed as soon as we upload every other week!    

Want more updates? Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn and take our latest hunger-fighting actions!   

We are licensed to use the song, Goals and Dreams by Boomer, which is distributed and owned by PremiumBeat.  

Ohio Association of Foodbanks is a registered 501c3 nonprofit organization without party affiliation or bias. We are Ohio’s largest charitable response to hunger and our mission is to assist Ohio’s 12 Feeding America foodbanks in providing food and other resources to people in need and to pursue areas of common interest for the benefit of people in need. 

Sarah has a conversation with Kelsey Bergfeld and Sarah Hudacek from Advocates for Ohio’s Future (AOF) about their work around the allocation of American Rescue Plan Act discretionary funds and the need for the state to engage in a transparent process and solicit public input to allocate those funds. As a partner of AOF who is anticipating ever-growing need in our foodbank lines, AOF is supportive of our $183 million request for ARPA funds to address immediate needs and support strong recovery so that Ohio can continue to weather future crises.  

Resources:   

The Ohio Association of Foodbanks Request for ARPA Funds 

“Ohio foodbanks starting to go hungry,” by Marty Schladen, Ohio Capital Journal  

“Org leaders: Health, food security should be top priority in ARPA spending,” by Susan Tebben, Ohio Capital Journal 

State of Ohio: “Supremes Throw Out GOP Maps, COVID Effect on the Hungry,” hosted by Karen Kasler, Statehouse News Bureau 

“How States Can Best Use Federal Fiscal Recovery Funds: Lessons from State Choices So Far,” by Ed Lazere, Center on Budget & Policy Priorities 

Visit the Advocates for Ohio’s Future website for more information on the American Rescue Plan and their other work.  

Connect with Advocates for Ohio’s Future on Facebook and Twitter.  

Find your local foodbank to find help, volunteer, and donate here.   

Enjoyed this episode? Please leave a review and subscribe to get episodes in your podcast feed as soon as we upload every other week!    

Want more updates? Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn and take our latest hunger-fighting actions!   

For a transcript of this episode, click here.   

We are licensed to use the song, Goals and Dreams by Boomer, which is distributed and owned by PremiumBeat.  

Ohio Association of Foodbanks is a registered 501c3 nonprofit organization without party affiliation or bias. We are Ohio’s largest charitable response to hunger and our mission is to assist Ohio’s 12 Feeding America foodbanks in providing food and other resources to people in need and to pursue areas of common interest for the benefit of people in need.   

Happy 2022! To kick off the year, Joree and Sarah give listeners a run down of what 2022 has in store for the Ohio Association of Foodbanks advocacy agenda. We predict that 2022 will be a busy year on both the state and federal levels, with the continued implementation of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) at the state level, the possible end of the public health emergency, the Build Back Better Act (still!), Child Nutrition Reauthorization, preparation for the next state budget and the Farm Bill, and more. Everything feels very uncertain right now, but we are hopeful for the future. We are ready to get to work! 

Resources:   

The Ohio Association of Foodbanks Request for ARPA Funds 

“Ohio foodbanks starting to go hungry,” by Marty Schladen, Ohio Capital Journal  

“Supporting food banks of Ohio,” column by Senator Sherrod Brown, Wilmington News Journal 

Want to help spread the word? Click here to order free marketing materials, and find template social media content at getcoveredohio.org/outreach. Connect with Get Covered Ohio on Twitter and Facebook. 

Find your local foodbank to find help, volunteer, and donate here.   

Enjoyed this episode? Please leave a review and subscribe to get episodes in your podcast feed as soon as we upload every other week!    

Want more updates? Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn and take our latest hunger-fighting actions!   

For a transcript of this episode, click here. 

We are licensed to use the song, Goals and Dreams by Boomer, which is distributed and owned by PremiumBeat.  

Ohio Association of Foodbanks is a registered 501c3 nonprofit organization without party affiliation or bias. We are Ohio’s largest charitable response to hunger and our mission is to assist Ohio’s 12 Feeding America foodbanks in providing food and other resources to people in need and to pursue areas of common interest for the benefit of people in need. 

In this mini-episode, Sarah and Joree close out the year by sharing some of their favorite holiday traditions, reflecting on the particular mixed bag that is Christmas 2021, and sending everyone off with a couple of favorite budget-friendly recipes to ring in the new year.

References:  

Org leaders: Health, food security should be top priority in ARPA spending, Ohio Capital Journal 

Recipe for budget-friendly cabbage and noodles here (courtesy Fox Valley Foodie) 

Recipe for budget-friendly oven pancakes here (courtesy of All Recipes - Joree's grandmother's version replaces the butter with vegetable oil) 

bell hooks, groundbreaking feminist thinker, dies at 69, PBS News Hour 

Find your local foodbank to find help, volunteer, and donate here.  

Enjoyed this episode? Please leave a review and subscribe to get episodes in your podcast feed as soon as we upload every other week!   

Want more updates? Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn and take our latest hunger-fighting actions!  

For a transcript of this episode, click here.   

We are licensed to use the song, Goals and Dreams by Boomer, which is distributed and owned by PremiumBeat. 

Ohio Association of Foodbanks is a registered 501c3 nonprofit organization without party affiliation or bias. We are Ohio’s largest charitable response to hunger and our mission is to assist Ohio’s 12 Feeding America foodbanks in providing food and other resources to people in need and to pursue areas of common interest for the benefit of people in need.   

In this episode, we gave our Director of Health Initiatives, Zach Reat, the mic to interview our partners at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. They talk about our Navigator program, our valued partnership with CMS, and how the work of connecting individuals to healthcare coverage has shifted because of the pandemic.  

Resources:   

2022 Open Enrollment for Healthcare coverage is here! You can make an appointment to shop for the health care plan that’s right for you with our Get Covered Ohio Navigators here or by calling (833) NAV-4INS (628-4467).  

You can access social media toolkits and other outreach materials from CMS (theme weeks) here.  

Here is the newly released data from CMS that was referenced in this episode.  

You can contact our partners in the Office of Program Operations and Local Engagement at CMS if you have any questions or if your organization wants to get involved: 

Gregg McAllister: [email protected]  

Brenda Delgado: [email protected] 

Want to help spread the word? Click here to order free marketing materials, and find template social media content at getcoveredohio.org/outreach. Connect with Get Covered Ohio on Twitter and Facebook. 

Find your local foodbank to find help, volunteer, and donate here.   

Enjoyed this episode? Please leave a review and subscribe to get episodes in your podcast feed as soon as we upload every other week!    

Want more updates? Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn and take our latest hunger-fighting actions!   

For a transcript of this episode, click here.    

We are licensed to use the song, Goals and Dreams by Boomer, which is distributed and owned by PremiumBeat.  

Ohio Association of Foodbanks is a registered 501c3 nonprofit organization without party affiliation or bias. We are Ohio’s largest charitable response to hunger and our mission is to assist Ohio’s 12 Feeding America foodbanks in providing food and other resources to people in need and to pursue areas of common interest for the benefit of people in need.