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    ​Actions Taken to Address COVID-19 Related Food Insecurity

    The commonwealth has taken the following actions to address regulatory concerns related to food distribution and access, invest in programs and resources that encourage food security, collaborate with public and private partners, make it easier for people to find support, and support the food industry.

    Through these actions, we aim to promote, improve access to, and enhance the quality of available resources while empowering the workforce at every level. 

    Learn what the commonwealth is doing to address food insecurity through the Governor’s Food Security Partnership 2022 Report (PDF).

     

    Removing Barriers to Distribution and Access

    Increase flexibility and reduce oversight of charitable food distribution network

    The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture received approval from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to implement the Disaster Household Distribution program, easing the process for distributing food secured through The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). This ensures that those seeking assistance from food banks and those critically in need of food will no longer need to complete cumbersome paperwork and income verification requirements to prove that they are eligible for the food. It also allows food banks to push out more food that they have on hand to try and meet the needs while awaiting federal funds to flow through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), unemployment compensation, and other support programs.

    The Department of Agriculture also applied for and received an extension of the Disaster Household Distribution program due to ongoing need.

    Create stability around access to free, nutritious food.

    To slow the spread of the new coronavirus (COVID-19), many schools have closed unexpectedly. To ensure that children who rely on free or reduced-price meals at school are able to get the nutrition they need, USDA is working with states to continue providing meals to students. Usually, the rules require that children gather and eat their meals on site. 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 meals for their children if the state allows. Families can use this tool to find directions to nearby sites as well as hours of operation and contact information. Find a meal site near you.

    Allow for increased flexibility for soup kitchens to provide meals in non-congregate formats
    The Department of Agriculture has also provided direction to soup kitchens preparing meals using TEFAP foods, providing flexibility and allowing them to provide alternatives to congregate meals, such as take-out or curb-side pick-up.   

    Allow for increased flexibility for senior centers to provide meals in non-congregate formats
    The Pennsylvania Department of Aging is supporting and providing direction to the Area Agencies on Aging network in the delivery of alternate services. Senior centers have made arrangements to provide alternatives to congregate meals, such as takeout, curbside pickup, or they have established a system to deliver meals to senior center participants.  Older adults are encouraged to call their local Area Agency on Aging to request connection with meals.

    Maximize impact of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
    The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) helps families, older adults, and individuals pay for groceries. Benefits are loaded onto an EBT card, which can then be used to purchase food at grocery stores, supermarkets, some farmers markets, and other stores that accept SNAP. All SNAP applications are reviewed for expedited service. Those eligible for expedited service have benefits issued in five days. Pennsylvanians can apply for SNAP online. SNAP benefits provide food security, stimulate local economies, and support farmers and the agriculture industry through the purchases of Pennsylvania-grown and processed foods. 

    Continued Advocacy
    On April 27, the congressional delegation and the USDA were urged to advocate for further action to ensure access to SNAP to those who need it now and during the recovery months that lie ahead. The commonwealth requested permission to:

    • Issue an additional benefit equal to 50 percent of a household's monthly payment to all SNAP households;
    • Waive SNAP college student eligibility criteria to ensure that families with a student home from college can receive additional benefits to feed the whole family during the COVID-19 emergency;
    • Allow Pennsylvanians to self-attest to reductions in income due to the COVID-19 health emergency, just as self-attestation has been allowed for several other programs.
    • Expand flexibility to exclude Pandemic Unemployment Compensation from the SNAP grant benefit calculation, since counting these payments puts some families who have experienced job loss just over the income threshold making them ineligible or reducing their monthly allotment if they are still eligible.

    Work continues to secure these authorizations.


    Investing in Food Security

    Provide financial assistance to food banks to help meet increased budgetary demands
    The commonwealth announced nearly $16 million in funding to support Pennsylvania food banks that are providing critical assistance to Pennsylvanians during the COVID-19 health crisis. This includes $3.75 million in TEFAP money to cover administrative costs, $11.4 million in USDA Foods, and $1 million in emergency state funding for food and supplies through the Department of Agriculture, in conjunction with PEMA.

    In addition, Pennsylvania received $16,783,604 from the CARES Act -- $11,151,522 in food and $5,632,082 in administrative funding. The administrative funding is restricted by being used to "prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus."

    Additionally, the Department of Environmental Protection's new Food Recovery Infrastructure Grant Program offers grants of up to $200,000 to eligible nonprofit organizations to purchase equipment like refrigerators, freezers, and refrigerant vehicles in an effort to provide resources for additional food to be moved through the charitable food system. 

    Access additional federal funding to support the WIC program
    The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) offers nutritional assistance for pregnant women, nursing women, postpartum women, and infants and children younger than five. Benefits can be used for approved grocery items at stores that accept WIC.

    The Families First Coronavirus Response Act allocated $500 million to WIC nationwide. Because the funds were allocated into the Nutritional Services Administration line and not specifically assigned for COVID-19 response or recovery, the funds must go through the funding formula, which makes them inaccessible to the states.

    The Department of Health, in conjunction with the National WIC Association, has been advocating for changes to be made to the legislation so that this important funding could be rolled out to the states as quickly as possible. If approved, the Department of Health would use Pennsylvania's share of the funds to increase the ability of our statewide nutritionists to do assessments on new applications, which would help get benefits to those in need in a more timely manner.  

    Fully utilize the Pennsylvania Agricultural Surplus System (PASS) Program
    The Pennsylvania Agricultural Surplus System (PASS) program provides an efficient mechanism for PA's agricultural industry to donate safe, wholesome food products while being reimbursed for the costs involved in harvesting, processing, packaging, and transporting these foods. By forging the connections between production agriculture and the non-profit sector, we are able to get more nutritious food into the hands of Pennsylvanians at risk of hunger while reducing waste. 


    Collaborating with Public and Private Partners

    Operationalize PA's emergency Feeding Task Force
    The state's Feeding Task Force brings together state agencies, charitable food networks, business partners, federal partners, and other local partners to determine where food needs are, how many meals are needed, how food is getting to people, and how supplies and donations can be allocated to meet feeding needs across Pennsylvania. 

    PEMA is also in close communication with county emergency management personnel regarding the reportage of essential information, including those related to food security needs.

    Establish innovative partnerships to address the lack of consumer-sized goods in the food supply chain
    Operation BBQ Relief harnesses the power of shuttered restaurants, available restaurant workers, and available commercial sized food product to produce family-style meals to support people in need. In Phase 1, the Feeding Task Force is partnering with the Salvation Army and Operation BBQ Relief to distribute 720,000 meals over the course of four weeks across the state. Those needing assistance can contact their local Salvation Army Corps Center for information on upcoming distributions. In Phase 2, meal production will triple to support the unprecedented needs of Pennsylvania's food banks. 

    The Feeding Task Force is also coordinating the delivery of nearly 682,728 individual shelf-stable meals from the Defense Logistics Agency to charitable food networks and feeding programs, including home-delivered meal programs for seniors and food pantries, across Pennsylvania based on need identified through surveying feeding partners. The National Guard is the primary transporter of these meals.


    Working to Improve Awareness of Resources

    Cross-reference individuals with related need to existing resources
    Pennsylvania has created and continues to update the Responding to COVID-19 Guide as a comprehensive list of information and available supports.

    The Feeding Task Force developed the Access to Food survey to identify areas of high need. If participants note that they are in need of food and agree to be contacted, they receive a follow-up email with more information on available resources.

    As more than 1.6 million Pennsylvanians have applied for Unemployment Compensation, this process has been identified as a high touchpoint for individuals who may also be facing food security concerns. In response, email and print correspondence in both English and Spanish were developed to connect applicants with other resources that may be available for them at this time.

    Pennsylvania has also partnered with United Way 211 to connect people with immediate need to assistance in their community, specifically through 211's self-serve online resource database and text line (text zip code to 898-211). People can also dial 2-1-1 for support, though call centers are experiencing high call volumes and wait times are longer than normal. The United Way has also produced a guide to PA COVID-19 Resources that offers links to resources related to housing, utilities, food, federal stimulus, financial assistance, employment, and more. 

     

    Increasing Volunteerism

    Volunteer efforts to distribute meals and other life-sustaining services in Pennsylvania are considered an essential activity, even with a statewide Stay-at-Home Order in place.

    The charitable food system is supported by a foundation of tens of thousands of volunteers who generously give of their time week after week to ensure that no one in Pennsylvania ever has to wonder where their next meal is coming from. Because of increased need, as well as health concerns among many members of the traditional volunteer base, more volunteers are needed to help buttress the system. The Department of Agriculture provided guidance to food banks to safely continue operations and protect the public, volunteers, and staff. Community feeding guidance was also developed to protect those attending and working at community feeding locations throughout the commonwealth.

    The Feeding Task Force also engages with the Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster and SERVPA to identify volunteer capabilities that exist and connect them with needs that arise around the state.

    Conclusion

    Pennsylvania is well situated to meet the increased demand for food assistance and support throughout the commonwealth, and we must continue to utilize available data, collaborate with public and private partners, and stay nimble to ensure that no one is going hungry during the COVID-19 epidemic.

    This public health crisis has highlighted the importance of our essential agriculture industry for providing a safe, continuous food supply – and that our recovery and national security are impossible without it. It has also emphasized the importance of strengthening the wrap-around supports for individuals to ensure that all needs are met.