Highlights from the 11th Annual Food Stamp Forum

A popular and well-attended event, the Food Stamp Forum has long been a place to hear about the current state of the Food Stamp Program and discuss strategies for improving the program in California; learn about best practices and innovative policy reforms; meet and network with advocates as well as officials and employees working at the federal, state, and county levels; and, celebrate and honor the successes of our colleagues with the prestigious Stampy Awards.  The 2010 Food Stamp Forum was an exceptional event and we want to thank everyone who played a role in its success. 

 

Below are some of the highlights of the day-long event.  Forum resources and presentations are available to the left.

• Nearly 300 individuals from across the state and country gathered together at the historic Crest Theater in Sacramento on Thursday, February 18, 2010 for the 11th Annual Food Stamp Forum—the largest attendance in the history of the Forum!  

• The morning program commenced with a warm welcome by Ken Hecht, Executive Director at California Food Policy Advocates (CFPA), who spoke briefly about the history of the Forum and the role it continues to play in bringing together the right people to discuss the right topics to improve the Food Stamp Program in California.  

• Evonne M. Silva, Nutrition Policy Advocate at CFPA, provide a brief overview of the speakers, panel topics, program schedule and introduced George Manalo-LeClair, CFPA Senior Director of Legislation, who spoke about how we—advocates, policy makers, county and state employees, and the general public—can bring more hope and less misery to the Food Stamp Program in California, concluding with an “Oprah” moment, asking the audience to reach under their seats for a special prize.   

• During the morning session, we were delighted to hear from:

  • Kevin Concannon, Under Secretary for the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Services, who spoke about key federal policies and ways that California can increase access and participation in the Food Stamp Program by applying the recent waiver of the face-to-face interview to all 58 counties, addressing the excessive reporting requirements and lack of inter-county transfers, and finding alternative ways to verify identity and remove the outdated finger print requirement. 

  • John Wagner, Director of the California Department of Social Services, who highlighted the positive policy changes in California, including the expanded removal of the asset test to all households and increase use of phone interviews to increase access to the Program.

  • Stacy Dean, Director of the Food Assistance Program at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, who outlined how California fits within the federal picture, in terms of the labor market, rise in deep poverty, food stamp participation, and economic recovery.  She also highlighted ways that California can increase participation using existing policies to expand eligibility to more people and to increase program efficiency, while ensuring good customer service and program integrity.

  • Mary Ann Marshall, Assistant Director of SNAP Implementation for the Massachusetts Department of Transition Assistance, who spoke about their experience in implementing phone interviews across the state, providing solutions to common issues that arose, and other considerations for California. 

• We received an incredible number of nominations and over 1,500 votes for the 2010 Stampy Awards.  You can find a complete summary of the nominees on the left panel. The awards were presented before lunch and the winners for the 2010 Stampy Awards are:

  • Assembly Member Jim Beall – State Elected Official Category

  • Yvonne Lee, California Department of Social Services – State Employee Category

  • Cynthia Shelton, San Diego County – County Employee Category

  • Marina Sarte, San Diego County – Advocate Category

  • Yuba County HHSD – Best Program Access

  • Sacramento County DHA – Best PAI in Class

  • Tulare County HHSA – Best PAI in Class  

 

• The  afternoon was filled with panel presentations and discussions on topics that rise to the top in terms of ways to improve the Food Stamp Program in California. Panel details and panelists are listed below and the respective presentations can be found on the left panel.  Thank you to each of the panelists for participating in the afternoon workshop series.   Afternoon panel topics included:

  • The 411 on Food Stamp Phone Interviews Across California. This workshop examined how counties have implemented the recent waiver of the face-to-face interview and discussed key practices, policies, and procedures to increase program access and participation in the Food Stamp Program. Panelists included Evonne Silva, Nutrition Policy Advocate, California Food Policy Advocates; Maria C. Contreras, Program Specialist, Food Stamp Program, County of San Bernardino; Lino Rios, Food Stamp Nutrition Program, Los Angeles County,  Department of Public Social Services; and, Stephanie Nishio, Director of Programs, California Association of Food Banks.

  •  The Three R’s of Verification: Required, Reduce, Reform. This workshop discussed what verification documents are required, which are optional, and how California can reduce paperwork in food stamp offices across the state.  Panelists included Stacy Dean, Director of Food Assistance Policy, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and Mary Ann Marshall, Assistant Director, SNAP Program Implementation, Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance, and was moderated by George Manalo-LeClair, Senior Director of Legislation, California Food Policy Advocates.

  • From Case to Team Management: Increasing Counties’ Capacity to Serve. This workshop discussed the experiences, benefits, and impact of moving from a case to a team managed system in delivering social services. Panelists included Blake Shaw, Senior Partner, Change and Innovation Agency; Darlene Washburn, Self-Sufficiency Manager, Napa County; and, Leo O’Farrell, Food Stamp Program Director, San Francisco Human Services Agency.

  • Data and Action: The New Face of Food Stamp Eligibility. This workshop discussed data about today’s food stamp households, eligible non-participating households, and what it means for a county’s food stamp program.  Panelists included Detta Hunt, Food Stamp Outreach Coordinator, California Department of Social Services; Tia Shimada, Nutrition Policy Advocate, California Food Policy Advocates; and, Alexis Fernandez, Masters of Social Work Intern, California Food Policy Advocates.

  • Centralized Eligibility: Opportunities and Challenges. This workshop examined the opportunities and challenges of pursuing research and policy initiatives towards centralized eligibility in California.  Panelists included Pete Cervinka, Program Deputy Director, California Department of Social Services; Jessica Bartholow, Legislative Advocate, Western Center on Law and Poverty; and, Cathy Senderling, Senior Legislative Advocate, County Welfare Directors Association of California.

CFPA would like to thank the folks at the Crest Theater for their tremendous work in seamlessly producing this event and to Fox and Goose Catering for providing fantastic service and food throughout the day.