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348833301
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USDA [Department of Agriculture] Agencies: FCS [Food and Consumer Service]
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348833301
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USDA [Department of Agriculture] Agencies: FCS [Food and Consumer Service]
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Records of the Office of National Service (Clinton Administration)
AmeriCorps Files
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FOIA Number: 2013-0661-F
(3)
FOIA
MARKER
This is not a textual record. This is used as an
administrative marker by the William J. Clinton
Presidential Library Staff.
Collection/Record Group:
Clinton Presidential Records
Subgroup/Office of Origin:
Americorps
Series/Staff Member:
General Files
Subseries:
OA/ID Number:
24223
FolderID:
Folder Title:
USDA [Department of Agriculture] Agencies: FCS [Food and Consumer Service]
Stack:
Row:
Section:
Shelf:
Position:
S
66
1
4
1
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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
FOOD AND CONSUMER SERVICE
3101 PARK CENTER DRIVE, ROOM 803 770-4611
OFFICE OF THE ADMINISTRATOR
ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA 22302
STATES UNITED DEPARTMENT OF
TELEPHONE #: (703) 305-2064
BM
MD
11111.
FACSIMILE #: (703) 305-2908
DATE: 6.120,96
NUMBER OF PAGES (including this page): 5
TRACH FUX
FROM:
Donna Hines
TO:
SUBJECT/COMMENTS:
americorps funding
memo - FYI
Food security
Authority G
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CC: trady
JUN 1 1 1996
Jan hlya
done
19/11/1941
SUBJECT: Funding for AmeriCorps
TO:
Ronald Hill
Assistant General Counsel
Food and Nutrition Division
Office of the General Counsel
This is to request a legal opinion on the use of funds appropriated for the administration of
food assistance programs to support related activities of AmeriCorps, the national service
organization championed by President Clinton. As described below, the Food and Consumer
Service (FCS) has contributed funds in the past, and AmeriCorps now is seeking further
financial assistance for fiscal year (FY) 1996.
Background
Description of AmeriCorps: AmeriCorps is a domestic service program that engages
Americans of diverse backgrounds in service that fills unmet human, environmental,
educational, and public safety needs. Proposed by President Clinton and passed with
bipartisan support by Congress, the program involved over 20,000 people in its inaugural
year (1994-1995). In exchange for service, AmeriCorps members receive educational awards
that can be used to pay for college, job training, graduate school, or to repay student loans.
Most first-year AmeriCorps projects were funded through State commissions
appointed by governors and managed by non-profit organizations and local governments.
However, a small portion (less than 15 percent) of AmeriCorps positions were managed by
Federal agencies in tandem with local groups. The largest Federal agency award was
granted to USDA, which the Department used to create public/private partnerships that
sponsored AmeriCorps members in over 300 different urban and rural projects in 38 States.
FCS' Past Support of AmeriCorps Projects: Section 17(a) of the Food Stamp Act
states, "The Secretary may, by way of making contracts with or grants to public or private
organizations or agencies, undertake research that will help improve the administration and
effectiveness of the food stamp program in delivering nutrition-related benefits." Section
6(a)3 of the National School Lunch Program Act provides funds for research and technical
assistance in child nutrition programs. Under the aegis of these authorities, FCS transferred
food stamp research funds ($100,000 in each of FYs 1994 and 1995), child nutrition
technical assistance funds ($50,000 in FY 1994 and $250,000 in FY 1995), and Summer
Regional Office-Administered Programs State Administrative Expenses money ($200,000 in
not
6'
FY 1994) to support AmeriCorps initiatives focusing on food and nutrition issues.
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OAE
USDA/AmeriCorps Anti-Hunger Project Summaries
Note: The number of Members shown in parentheses indicates the number of Members
that are being requested for Year 3. For additional information, please contact Donna
Hines, at (202) 690-0693.
Vermont (40 Members)
The only statewide anti-hunger project, and the only one to involve an agency of State
government as the subgrantee for this USDA AmeriCorps project, the Vermont Anti-Hunger
Corps does an outstanding job of coordinating its activities among five almost-separate
regional structures. Although the VAHC was not technically "up and running" until January
1995, the group wasted no time whatsoever in becoming actively integrated into the Vermont
communities served by AmeriCorps. Community affirmation of the AmeriCorps philosophy
has been strong throughout the program, and most of the projects undertaken by the VAHC
are sustainable, in that they have been set up to continue even if AmeriCorps Members are
not there to coordinate them. The VAHC works closely with other State agencies, primarily
WIC and the Farm to Family program, to promote and enhance the services offered through
these State-administered, Federally funded food assistance programs. Significant work is
also done in the area of sustainable agriculture. Finally, in addition to initiating and
implementing an effective food salvage program with the cooperation of local grocery chains
in the Burlington area, the VAHC has expanded one of the most unique cooperative food
donation projects of any of the anti-hunger programs: inmates at the maximum security state
prison raise and harvest thousands of pounds of fresh produce that is picked up by the
truckload by volunteers from a Community Action Agency and then donated to low-income
families (mainly senior citizens) in the county. The AmeriCorps team not only helps with
this particular project, but has established a positive, receptive environment to extend the
concept to other locations throughout the State. Although not technically a gleaning/food
rescue operation, this initiative represents the best of such concepts, as previously unused
land and (perhaps most important) wasted human resources are converted into productive
efforts that benefit everyone involved: the producers, the agency that needs food to distribute
to low-income households, and the recipients themselves.
District of Cohumbia (10 Members)
In spite of the many management problems that eventually overwhelmed the DC Service
Corps during the first year of program operation, the USDA anti-hunger team was able to
have a positive impact an the lives of thousands of DC residents. For example, nearly 3000
senior citizens were provided with nutrition education as well as nutritional screening and the
opportunity to apply for food stamps; nutrition education was also provided to more than 600
elementary school children; and nearly 7,000 school age children received meals through the
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Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), largely because of the outreach and promotions done
by the USDA/AmeriCorps anti-hunger team. Members also began an active gleaning
program through which the anti-hunger team helped collect over 500 bushels of produce that
was then delivered to area soup kitchens to be used in the meals prepared and served there.
Many of these meals were also prepared and served by USDA AmeriCorps Members. Under
a new partnership with the Congressional Hunger Center for the second year, most of the
activities have been improved, enhanced, and/or expanded. The team has also initiated
community garden projects; established several new Self-Help and Resource Exchange
(SHARE) sites in the City; implemented a new-mother nutrition education program in
conjunction with Reading is Fundamental, that focuses primarily on women with low literacy
or English-speaking skill levels (with a direct impact on the infant mortality rate
improvement efforts among Hispanic families); forged partnerships with area high schools to
channel student community service hours toward fighting hunger in the District; and
researched the overall food security of Ward 2 using the 14-point Hunger Free Community
Report outline.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin (38 Members)
Run in partnership with the Milwaukee Community Service Corps, this USDA AmeriCorps
anti-hunger project also experienced some unexpected delays in becoming fully operational at
the beginning of the program year. Once these difficulties were resolved and a fulltime
project director was on board and accountable, events proceeded much more smoothly. The
major focus of the Milwaukee anti-hunger team was the network of donated foods provided
to low-income area residents. They continue to work hard to improve not only the quality of
foods provided through this network, but also facilitate the actual distribution process as
well, by repairing and refurbishing many of the food pantries and working to improve the
infrastructure of the physical facilities in some 15 food outlets. MCSC has also started
several community gardens which benefit area residents in a number of ways besides
improving their basic access to nutritious, affordable food, such as reclaiming a previously
vacant corner lot that had become a dangerous dumping ground/drug-dealing location. Last
spring/summer, the Milwaukee anti-hunger team was instrumental in the successful start-up
of Wisconsin's Farmers' Market Nutrition Program, by assisting the State and local WIC
offices with outreach about the program and food demonstrations at the markets.
Mississippi Delta (20 Members)
Administered in partnership with the Greater Jackson Youth Service Corps during the first
year, this project could be considered the most basic of USDA's five AmeriCorps anti-
hunger projects. Members worked not in Jackson, but in two of the Delta's neediest areas,
Humphreys and Sunflower Counties. Hundreds of flyers promoting USDA's food assistance
programs (Food Stamps, School Breakfast/Lunch, Summer Food Service Program, etc) were
developed, printed, and distributed by the team Members; some of the Members even made
local television and radio appearances to inform area residents about these programs, as well
as about the importance of nutrition education and food safety. Several presentations on
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nutrition education were given, particularly in the local schools, and Members established a
personalized senior citizens' garden as & pilot project for future efforts. Mississippi Action
for Community Education (MACE) has now assumed responsibility for the Delta anti-hunger
project, and is actively expanding the work that was begun last year. Because of the
extremely high levels of poverty in the service area (over 41 percent of the children come
from households with incomes well below the poverty line and live in substandard housing
conditions more generally associated with third-world countries), the anti-hunger work
underway still focuses primarily on food stamp outreach and access issues. Food banks will
also be established in each of the targeted counties this summer, in cooperation with the
Secretary's gleaning/food rescue program.
Los Angeles (40 Members)
Never afraid or hesitant to try anything new, the Los Angeles Anti-Hunger, Nutrition, and
Empowerment Team set out with the most ambitious agenda, and successfully completes
every one of its stated objectives. Administered through the Southern California Interfaith
Hunger Coalition, this group is well placed to implement several spectacular efforts designed
to promote nutrition education and the School Breakfast Program, such as the breakfast
promotion involving Stevie Wonder and more than 300 elementary students. As the recipient
of the largest amount of FCS funds provided to USDA AmeriCorps efforts, five Members
are assigned exclusively to improving and enhancing the Summer Food Service Program.
Neighborhoods are being reclaimed and revitalized through the Burlington and Esperanza
Community Garden projects and the Van Nuys Farmers' Market; literally thousands of
homeless - and hopeless - individuals are sheltered, and opportunities for job training or
employment provided to them; nearly 6,000 children across the city receive lunches during
the summer months; and over 1,000 high school students from every conceivable background
join together to attend the annual Youth Anti-Hunger Conferences sponsored by the
AmeriCorps team. Special recognition was given to the team's school gardening project by
Ellen Haas, Undersecretary of Agriculture for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services in
1995.
ascs
DEPLATMENT &
United States
Office of
Office of
Washington, D.C.
Department of
Public Affairs
Intergovernmental Affairs
20250
Agriculture
May 6, 1992
MEMORANDUM FOR DONNA BARRON
White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs
FROM:
Gwendolyn T. Bronson, Director
AAB
Intergovernmental Affairs
SUBJECT; State Briefing Paper for New York (West Chester County)
As a consequence of the urban character of West Chester County, New York,
there are very few agricultural issues of significance. The agricultural land that exists
supports mainly nursery stock operations and horse farms.
STEWARDSHIP INCENTIVE PROGRAM
The Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service and the Forest Service of
the United States Department of Agriculture have worked cooperatively to implement
the Stewardship Incentive Program (SIP). This program was authorized as part of the
Food, Agriculture, Conservation and Trade Act of 1990 to stimulate enhanced
management of nonindustrial private forest lands. A landholder can own 1000 acres or
less of qualifying land to be eligible for SIP. Authorizations may be obtained for
exceptions of up to 5,000 acres.
New York has been allocated $1.6 million for SIP in 1992. Of this amount,
$10,000 will go to landowners in West Chester County.
AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER