“Around the Region”

Southeast

Alabama

The Hunger Solutions Institute, in Auburn University’s College of Human Sciences, has been awarded nearly $3 million to lead a Healthy Fluid Milk Incentives program for 116 retail locations in four states, including Alabama. Auburn is the only entity to receive a Healthy Fluid Milk Incentives, or HFMI, award for 2022. The funding from the United States Department of Agriculture, or USDA, Food and Nutrition Service, or FNS, is the latest in a longline of grants Auburn’s Hunger Solutions Institute, or HSI, has been tasked with managing since the HSI was created a decade ago.  Auburn University: Auburn University’s Hunger Solutions Institute receives nearly $3 million to increase access, consumption of milk – India Education | Latest Education News | Global Educational News | Recent Educational News (indiaeducationdiary.in)

Florida

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) announced this week that it has reached an agreement with Florida which will send $11.4 million to the Sunshine State “to increase their purchase of nutritious, local foods for school meal programs.” USDA Sending $11.4 Million to Help Florida School Meal Programs Buy Local Foods - Florida Daily

Georgia

The Fulton County Board of Health and the Georgia Department of Public Health have created a new electronic setup that will let participants access a loadable benefit card in place of a paper voucher, making for a smoother and easier shopping experience. Georgia WIC benefits now available on new, reloadable E-card – WSB-TV Channel 2 - Atlanta (wsbtv.com)

Kentucky

As part of $50 million in federal grants for schools to invest in new food service equipment that will allow them to continue serving nutritious meals, Kentucky has been allocated $484,356. USDA provides grant funds to states, which use a competitive application process to award them to school districts that participate in the National School Lunch Program. School districts can use the funds to purchase upgraded equipment. Kentucky awarded federal funding to improve school meals | News | thetimestribune.com 

Mississippi

The Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS) and the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) have started releasing P-EBT benefits to children who were under six-years-old and received SNAP benefits during the 2021-2022 school year or summer 2022. P-EBT benefits released for SNAP children under six in Mississippi | WKRG

North Carolina

Over the past two years, North Carolina saw a 21 percent increase in participation in the federal Women, Infants and Children program, according to an October study by the Food Research & Action Center. The state had the largest increase in participation in the country.    North Carolina sees increase in Women, Infants and Children program participation - The Daily Tar Heel

South Carolina

The USDA signed a cooperative agreement with South Carolina to provide funding for school meal programs. The $3.1 million is part of a cooperative agreement between the USDA and the South Carolina Department of Agriculture in the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program. The program purchases and distributes local and regional foods and beverages for school children through the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs. South Carolina schools receive $3.1 million from USDA for school meal programs (msn.com)

Tennessee

White House Conference on Hunger, 2022 Staff members for Tennessee nutrition advocacy groups who attended the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health hope the event will galvanize the movement to end hunger for families, seniors and other low-income populations after the pandemic. Biden hunger conference draws Tennessee advocates – Tennessee Lookout