Food Stamp Enrollment Campaign

The Robert A. Fox Leadership Program, in partnership with the Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger (GPCAH) and the Philadelphia Higher Education Network for Neighborhood Development (PHENND) has developed a food stamp enrollment outreach campaign in Philadelphia. This campaign won a grant of more than $310,000 from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to involve local college students and faith-based volunteers in food stamp outreach efforts among the working poor, elderly, legal immigrants and low income families.

The USDA estimates that over 100,000 eligible people in Philadelphia do not receive food stamps. As a result, the Hunger Coalition estimates that poor people in the city are missing out on more than $100 million a year in benefits that would give them greater access to nutritious food while stretching the dollars they have to spend on rent, child care and transportation. According to the USDA's Economic Research Service every dollar spent on food stamps contributes almost two dollars to the local economy, so Philadelphia has a lot to gain from making this program more effective.

Mary Summers, a Senior Fellow in the Fox Leadership Program, is the principal investigator for the research project associated with this campaign, studying how to effectively use service-learning students and volunteers in encouraging food stamp enrollment among eligible people. The campaign has already involved seven area colleges and trained more than one hundred volunteers to screen people for their eligibility for food stamps, estimate their potential benefits and assist them with the application process. The campaign is developing a publicity campaign and is working with the Department of Public Welfare and the county assistance offices to address some of the bureaucratic barriers associated with the food stamp program.

Read Ms. Summers report on the Food Stamp Enrollment Campaign

To learn more or to participate in this campaign, contact Mary Summers at mysummer@sas.upenn.edu.



FLINOLA Penn Leads the Vote Big Brothers Big Sisters at Penn FarmEcology Medical Emergency Response Team Girl Scouts At Penn Food Stamp Enrollment Campaign PowerSpeak Archive Events Calendar		Food Stamp Enrollment Campaign The Robert A. Fox Leadership Program, in partnership with the Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger (GPCAH) and the Philadelphia Higher Education Network for Neighborhood Development (PHENND) has developed a food stamp enrollment outreach campaign in Philadelphia. This campaign won a grant of more than $310,000 from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to involve local college students and faith-based volunteers in food stamp outreach efforts among the working poor, elderly, legal immigrants and low income families. The USDA estimates that over 100,000 eligible people in Philadelphia do not receive food stamps. As a result, the Hunger Coalition estimates that poor people in the city are missing out on more than $100 million a year in benefits that would give them greater access to nutritious food while stretching the dollars they have to spend on rent, child care and transportation. According to the USDA's Economic Research Service every dollar spent on food stamps contributes almost two dollars to the local economy, so Philadelphia has a lot to gain from making this program more effective. Mary Summers, a Senior Fellow in the Fox Leadership Program, is the principal investigator for the research project associated with this campaign, studying how to effectively use service-learning students and volunteers in encouraging food stamp enrollment among eligible people. The campaign has already involved seven area colleges and trained more than one hundred volunteers to screen people for their eligibility for food stamps, estimate their potential benefits and assist them with the application process. The campaign is developing a publicity campaign and is working with the Department of Public Welfare and the county assistance offices to address some of the bureaucratic barriers associated with the food stamp program. Read Ms. Summers report on the Food Stamp Enrollment Campaign To learn more or to participate in this campaign, contact Mary Summers at mysummer@sas.upenn.edu.