SNAP-Education
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), or FoodShare in Wisconsin, is the first line of defense against hunger. FoodShare benefits are funded 100% by the federal government.
The USDA provides nutritional assistance programs for low-income individuals throughout the country. SNAP, the USDA’s cornerstone program, plays a critical role in feeding hungry families, not only by providing access to food and resources, but by focusing on improved nutrition through nutrition education and obesity prevention.
The goals of these educational components of SNAP, which include increasing the likelihood that SNAP-eligible individuals make healthy food choices within a limited budget, are the foundation of SNAP-Education, or SNAP-Ed. Hunger Task Force works closely with the USDA to executive SNAP-Ed programming to individuals, families and seniors in Milwaukee to improve nutrition and support the MyPlate healthy eating guide.
Hunger Task Force focuses on two unique SNAP-Ed programs each year to promote healthy choices amongst SNAP-eligible individuals: the Hunger Task Force MyPlate and the Farm-to-School program.
Hunger Task Force’s MyPlate initiative provides individual and group-based direct nutrition education, health promotion, family-friendly educational materials and hands-on activities to teach the pillars of MyPlate. From monthly nutrition education classes to regular samplings at MyPlate food pantries, individuals learn about nutrition, healthy eating and topics like label reading and healthy shopping on a budget.
The Farm-to-School program offers nutrition education to school-age students. During the school year program, approximately 30 third, fourth and fifth grade students from 7 classrooms and 3 schools receive weekly lessons. Each lesson has three consistent components: a nutrition education lesson, a healthy cooking demonstration (with taste-testing!) and physical activity. School year program students also take bi-weekly field trips to the Hunger Task Force Farm during the growing season. During visits to the Farm, students tend to 25 different varieties of fruits and vegetables in the 28-bed school garden and participate in harvesting and hands-on cooking lessons.