Indiana s Emergency Food Resource Network (IEFRN): A resource for emergency food providers in Indiana { Heather Eicher-Miller, PhD Briana Eicher, RD, CD Assistant Professor IEFRN Coordinator IEFRN Director brapp@purdue.edu heicherm@purdue.edu (260) 724-5300 ext 1239 (765) 494-6815 (765) 496-3455 http://www.purdue.edu/indianasefrnetwork/
Indiana s Emergency Food Resource Network over the years Dr. April Mason Dr. Carol Boushey Dr. Amy Mobley Dr. Heather Eicher- Miller 1990s 2011 - Current
Overall mission Indiana s Emergency Food Resource Network (IEFRN) seeks to support emergency food assistance programs, promote food security, and awareness of hunger issues throughout Indiana.
Emergency Food Distribution in Indiana
Purchase USDA foods Distribute to food banks Overview of The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) distribution in Indiana IEFRN Distribute to emergency food programs Distribute food to low-income, needy households
Indiana Food Banks + 9 regional food banks + Midwest Food Bank (Indianapolis, IN) + Dare to Care Food Bank (Louisville, KY) + Freestore Foodbank (Cincinnati, OH)
Directory Education Newsletter Webinars Online materials: video, food safety, nutrition, etc. Initiatives: Client Choice Civil rights / non-discrimination
Indiana's Emergency Food Resource Network www.purdue.edu/indianasefrnetwork/
Emergency Food Assistance Directory Online to facilitate quick and easy access to the emergency food system in Indiana Up-to-date, friendly resource for clients, emergency food providers, and community Examples: Food pantries, soup kitchens, congregate meals, meals on wheels, and summer feeding sites Visitors can search by county, city, or zip code & create own account Google map tool (to the right) Approximately 1,450 organizations
Education : Newsletter To sign up, email: brapp@purdue.edu Relevant nutrition and food safety information for emergency food programs, the clients they serve, and the public Bi-monthly, with supplemental insert published every other newsletter Each newsletter contains 4 sections: Ask the Expert Food Safety Eating Right In the News
Education : Supplemental Insert Published every other newsletter Provides extensive education about a certain topic
Education : Webinars Two recorded hour-long webinars online Identifying proper food handling and storage techniques and recognizing the meaning of different food package dates How to protect the quality of fresh food for clients in the emergency food system
Education : Online Materials Video Library Entertaining videos by Ken McKan The Food Safety Man Emergency food providers must understand food safety to ensure clients receive the freshest and safest foods
Education : Online Materials Posters and Handouts Most Wanted posters to provide a creative way to learn about harmful bacteria Visual handouts emphasize and show food safety principles
Education : Online Materials Client Choice Resources Client choice manual and guides, fact sheet Two client choice videos: Ken McKan Client Choice video and Safe Food for the Hungry Nutrition Information Resources Collection of useful links for more information about certain nutrition topics
Initiatives : Civil rights & client choice Promotion of equality in the emergency food assistance system All TEFAP pantries must display notification of their commitment to non-discrimination and equal rights for all clients. Promotion of client choice in the food pantry system IEFRN led the push for TEFAP to require that all participating pantries must offer client choice
United States history of emergency food distribution in food pantries Food bank and many emergency food providers developed What food should be given? President Lyndon Johnson launched War on Poverty. Pre-determined food boxes: expected to last a family for three days Mid 1970s brought improvements to US poverty, but from 1978 to 1982, hunger and poverty increased. Discussion about distribution frequency: once per month, due to government distribution of food assistance resources Client Choice Pantries: Why you don t and why you should!, Food Bank of the Rockies, 2009 Member Agency Conference, John Arnold
Client Choice Benefits Can enhance dignity in an already difficult situation Tailored to the food prep and equipment of the client household Reduces waste and accommodates the client s dietary or cultural needs Allows clients to use the nutrition and budgeting knowledge they have gained by making choices. ANY kind of choice is better than no choice Purdue University, Indiana s Emergency Food Resource Network, Client Choice Manual. John Arnold, Charity Food Programs that can End Hunger in America, 2004.
IEFRN promotes client choice To help accomplish our mission of promoting food security, we encourage all pantries in Indiana to use client choice and we provide resources and education on our website as a guide.
The more variety you offer your pantry s clients, the more you increase the chances of meeting their needs, and the more you and your pantry can become miracle workers. --John Arnold in Charity Food Programs that can End Hunger in America http://www.purdue.edu/indianasefrnetwork/resources/clientchoice.aspx
Collaborators: Clara Park, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow Russell Query, Webmaster for IEFRN Laura Palmer, RD, CD Graduate Students: Ashley Jacobs, MS, RD, Nutrition Science PhD student Rebecca Rivera, MPH, Nutrition Science PhD student Hannah Boeh, MPH Graduate Student Undergraduate Students: Amanda Crawford Sarah Crulcich Jennifer Mansfield Stephanie Kuo Raquel Reyes Megan Grassl Sara Foresman Special Acknowledgement: Carol J. Boushey, PhD, MPH, RD April C. Mason, PhD Amy R. Mobley, PhD, RD