Hunger and Nutrition Partnership

Bringing Legislators to the Table-Addressing Hunger and Nutrition in America

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Executive Summary

State legislators are in a unique position to tackle hunger and nutrition issues from various angles. They can provide incentives for schools to institute school meal programs, create legislation that would appropriate more funds toward a WIC farmers market nutrition program, or establish an award to recognize those individuals and organizations that are champions in the fight against hunger in their community. Furthermore, with their access to local and state organizations, legislators can bring together varied interests from the nonprofit, private and foundation sectors to inspire meaningful change and innovative solutions to best serve low-income communities. In short, state policymakers have the chance to serve as catalysts in the battle to end hunger in the United States, starting with their communities and their states.

Within this publication, Bringing Legislators to the Table: Addressing Hunger and Nutrition in America, are examples of inventive programs that have partnered with multiple organizations to address challenges in the areas of hunger and nutrition for low-income communities. These programs work to increase access to quality, fresh and low-cost food to local community residents. To do so, these initiatives have capitalized on funding from various federal hunger and nutrition programs. Rather than a categorical program approach, this guide takes a thematic approach, examining effective projects for specific populations, that also partner with different sectors in a given community to combat hunger. The thematic areas are:

Working with children
Working with schools
Working with senior citizens
Working with diverse communities
Working with farmers
Working with public-private-for profit partnerships

Each section features several examples of innovative programs in regard to design and delivery, focusing on partnerships that effectively leverage public and private resources to decrease hunger and improve nutrition in the communities they serve, as well as key information about the important role legislators can play in catalyzing these programs. In addition, examples are included of legislation relevant to the given thematic area, as well as information about how legislators can work to support similar programs in their home districts.

The guide was researched and published by NCSL’s Hunger and Nutrition Partnership. Although many great programs came to light, featured programs were selected based on the following criteria:

Uses federal and/or state funding;
Leverages funding across major sectors—public, private, nonprofit and for-profit;
Demonstrates innovation in program delivery;
Reflects diversity in rural and urban locales and different regions of the United States

Information about each of the unique programs that are featured was gathered through interviews with program administrators; referrals from our board of advisors; recommendations from various state and local agency experts in the thematic areas; and research into programs that fit within the above mentioned parameters.

This guide offers examples of innovative, practical projects that support healthy and productive lives for children, food assistance for seniors on fixed incomes, creating new partnerships with farmers, nonprofits, addressing hunger needs in communities of color and increasing access to healthy foods in our nations schools. The promising practices within this guide will illustrate the vital role that legislators can play in leveraging resources and expertise across the board to address the challenge of hunger in America