USDA National Hunger Clearinghouse Newsletter April 2020
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ARE YOU AN ORGANIZATION OFFERING EMERGENCY FOOD AID IN RESPONSE TO COVID-19? CLICK HERE ([link removed][UNIQID])
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** USDA NATIONAL HUNGER CLEARINGHOUSE NEWSLETTER
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THE USDA NATIONAL HUNGER CLEARINGHOUSE IS OPERATED BY HUNGER FREE AMERICA
APRIL 2020
** Find Meals for Kids While Schools are Closed
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To slow the spread of the new coronavirus (COVID-19), many schools have made the decision to safeguard the safety of their students and educators by closing schools. In doing so, there were hurdles that needed to be addressed regarding meeting the nutritional needs of children who rely on the free or reduced-price meals they receive at school. USDA is working with states to continue providing meals to students, nationwide, who may be in food-insecure households. Much like the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), school meal site information will also be available via an online database created by USDA. During the summer months, SFSP rules require that children gather and eat their meals onsite. However, due to the exceptional circumstances of this public health emergency and the need for social distancing, USDA was able to make temporary changes so that meals may be taken home, and parents or guardians may pick up meals for their children if the state allows. Families can use the online
database tool to find directions to nearby sites as well as hours of operation and contact information.
To learn more about the USDA Food and Nutrition service and our response to COVID-19, visit www.fns.usda.gov/coronavirus
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** BEST PRACTICES FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY
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Each month, Hunger Free America highlights anti-hunger best practices by groups across the country. This month we will highlight the work of IRS and the Free File Alliance.
Free File Alliance is a nonprofit coalition of industry-leading tax software companies partnered with the IRS to provide free electronic tax services. The Alliance operates Free File, which is a service dedicated to helping 70 percent of American taxpayers prepare and e-file their federal tax returns for free.
The IRS launched a new tool to help non-filers register for Economic Impact Payments also referred to by some as stimulus payments to help provide financial assistance to qualifying Americans who have been significantly impacted by the economic effects of COVID-19 which left many Americans without employment.
Who is considered a non-filer?
* Those who haven't filed a 2018 or 2019 return because they are under the normal income limits for filing a tax return. This may include single filers who made under $12,200 and married couples making less than $24,400 in 2019.
* SSI recipients and those who receive veteran's disability compensation, pension or survivor benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs and who did not file a tax return for the 2018 or 2019 tax years.
* Social Security, SSDI and Railroad Retirement beneficiaries with qualifying dependents.
In order to process these non-filer registrations the IRS will require applicants to provide basic information including Social Security number, name, address, and dependents. The IRS will use this information to confirm eligibility and calculate and send an Economic Impact Payment. IRS makes mention that using the tool to get your payment will not result in any taxes being owed. Applicants could choose to enter a bank or financial account information in order to allow the IRS to deposit your payment directly into your account. Otherwise, your payment will be mailed to you.
Eligible taxpayers who filed tax returns for either 2019 or 2018 and chose direct deposit of their refund will automatically receive an Economic Impact Payment of up to $1,200 for individuals or $2,400 for married couples and $500 for each qualifying child.
For more information about this tool and details about the economic impact, payment visit the IRS.gov ([link removed][UNIQID])
WHAT IS THE USDA NATIONAL HUNGER CLEARINGHOUSE?
USDA National Hunger Hotline is a great resource for people seeking food assistance such as food pantries, soup kitchens, SNAP, summer meals, and a number of other food resources.
WHAT ARE THE HOURS OF OPERATION?
Monday thru Friday 7 am - 10 pm Eastern Standard Time, Please be advised assistance is available in English or Spanish.
CAN I APPLY FOR OR RE-CERTIFY FOR SNAP BY CALLING THE HOTLINE?
Please be advised we do not have access to individual SNAP account information, we do have the ability to connect callers with their state hotline where they can request specific account information and obtain further instruction on ways to apply for SNAP.
or
To locate your SNAP State Hotline number text the word "SNAP" to 9-7-7-7-9
To locate your EBT Customer Service number text the word "EBT" to 9-7-7-7-9
IF YOU ARE AN EMERGENCY FOOD PROVIDER AND WOULD LIKE TO BE ADDED TO THE NATIONAL CLEARINGHOUSE DATABASE, CLICK HERE ([link removed][UNIQID])
The hotline can be reached at 1-866-3-HUNGRY (1-866-348-6479) or 1-877-8-HAMBRE (1-877-842-6273) (for Spanish), from Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET.
** USDA National Hunger Clearinghouse
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** Hunger Free America is currently operating the USDA National Hunger Clearinghouse database as well as the USDA National Hunger Hotline as well as USDA National Hunger Clearinghouse database. The USDA National Hunger Hotline is a great resource for people seeking food assistance. Anyone can call between the hours of 7 AM and 10 PM EST, to speak with a representative about the food resources near them in English or Spanish.
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** Anti-Hunger Grants
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** Hunger is, an anti-hunger program funded by the Albertsons companies foundation and the entertainment industry foundation, has awarded over 4.6 million dollars in grants within the past year to assist organizations seeking to join them in ending childhood hunger. Hunger Free America is proud to be a partner in their initiative to secure free school breakfast meals for all school-aged students. Their work has been instrumental in diminishing hunger nation-wide. For information on how to be a part of this upcoming year's round of funding, click here ([link removed][UNIQID]) .
The Kellogg foundation accepts healthy kids and community/civic engagement grant applications throughout the year with no submission deadline. To apply online,
click here ([link removed][UNIQID]) .
The Walmart foundation issues a variety of grants to organizations seeking additional funding, through its giving program. Grant applications for national-level organizations are available year-round, and applications for community impact grants can be submitted until December 31st. For more information on how to apply,
click here ([link removed][UNIQID]) .
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