The Lunch Monitor: Increased 3SquaresVT Benefits and the Continued Importance of Universal School Meals

In October 2021, 3SquaresVT benefits increased in Vermont and around the country thanks to important changes made by the federal government to the food stamp program. This is the largest increase in benefits since the program began, which seems like good news for food-insecure families in our community, but there is more to the story.

Unfortunately, recent inflation rates in the US have also climbed to their highest in more than 30 years, which puts increased pressure on low-income families. The new maximum 3SquaresVT benefit per person for a family of 4 is now $6.86 per day. The average meal cost in Vermont is $3.60 per meal, so these benefits cover just 64% of their food costs for a family who is receiving the maximum benefit.

Veggie Van Go pickup

How do families in our community make up the difference? Many families rely on local food pantries like Foodworks and programs like the Vermont Foodbank’s Veggie Van Go Program for meals at home. For families with school-aged children, the fact that school breakfast and lunch are free again this year thanks to a temporary pandemic waiver from the USDA reduces financial stress for families.

School meals looks different than when we were kids!

There is currently a statewide effort to bring universal school meals to every public school in Vermont, to make breakfast and lunch free for all students permanently. 38.6% of families in Windham Southeast Supervisory Union (WSESU) receive 3SquaresVT benefits; therefore if universal meals were to become permanent in WSESU, that would directly benefit approximately 423 students in our district who might not otherwise have adequate nutrition to help them succeed in school. Additionally, 54% of eligible Vermonters are reluctant to apply for 3SquaresVT due to stigma, making programs like universal school meals even more crucial to the health of children and families in our community who are not receiving benefits. Multiple studies have confirmed that universal meals improve student learning, behavior, and health, reducing stigma in schools, and fostering a positive learning environment. Click here to show your support for universal meals.

Bringing Families Together Around the Dinner Table

A new program has cropped up in Townshend serving families in the West River Education District. Lead by RiseVT, Dinner Together provides meal kits to families to encourage healthy eating and more time spent together as a family. The recipes are simple, the kits have everything you need, and it’s available to everyone—no registration needed!  

From 2 to 4 PM on the last Friday of the month, swing by the West Townshend Country Store to pick up three different meal kits. We’ve tested many of the recipes ourselves here at Food Connects and can confirm that they’re incredibly simple and also easily adaptable, whether you want to spice things up or clear out a few extra ingredients from your kitchen. This makes the kits a great opportunity to get kids involved in the cooking process as well. 

“We eat everything so there are no limits. Having all the ingredients is the best part … Simple is better as we complete these together, generally. My 10 year old handled all of the January recipes on her own.” - West River Education District Parent

Most supplies for the program come from the Townshend Food Shelf and the VT Foodbank. Additional funding from RiseVT means local ingredients from the Food Connects Food Hub are also included every month. 

Swing by the West Townshend Country Store from 2 to 4 PM this March 26th to pick up some meal kits and give it a try! Check out this flyer for more info.

Working with Food & Trauma

Six community partners come together to work on trauma-informed approaches.

On an early spring day in mid-April, leaders from six community organizations came together to explore the question of how traumatic life experiences (and even the experiences of our ancestors) shape the way we eat. Guided by gifted trainers Kendra Colburn, Deb Witkus, and Angela Berkfield from Equity Solutions, staff from the Vermont Foodbank, Groundworks Collaborative, Food Connects, Brattleboro Food Co-op, Retreat Farm, Putney Foodshelf, and Pathways Vermont gathered together in the community room at the Retreat Farm for a day of learning about the connection between trauma and eating.

The goals of the training were:

• Learn about trauma and how it can impact people’s relationship to food

• Practice telling our own stories related to trauma and food

• Interrupt related biases and assumptions that are getting in the way of connecting with people

• Apply trauma-informed practice to our life and work

At the beginning of the training, each of the trainers shared their own food stories and created space for all participants to share food stories with each other as a way to practice vulnerability. Participants were also invited to contribute to a potluck lunch and to share with each other the values and beliefs that were connected to the food that they brought. After lunch, organizations were introduced to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA’s) 6 Core Trauma-Informed Practices, and working groups were formed to apply these practices to our work and to set goals.

The training was sponsored by the Vermont Foodbank, Groundworks Collaborative, and Food Connects—three organizations in the community that are actively engaged in conversations about becoming more trauma-informed in their approaches.  

Food Connects was the lead organizer of the event, and is the recipient of a 2-year grant from the Thompson Trust to support Trauma-Informed initiatives in the Brattleboro Town Schools, with a focus on the ways that Farm to School programming can support resiliency for students and families who have experienced trauma. Food Connects’ next step will be using SAMHSA's 6 Principles to a trauma-informed approach for an internal assessment, and based on that assessment staff will determine what actions make sense as Food Connects supports the Brattleboro Town Schools in their resiliency work.

The Trauma and Food training was one piece of the work that the Vermont Foodbank is undertaking towards becoming trauma-informed. The Foodbank hosted their annual Hunger Action Conference in early May with a focus on “Healing the Past.” The keynote speaker, Dr. Ken Epstein, gave a series of workshops throughout the day on trauma. Additionally, the Foodbank’s Community Impact Team hosted a daylong team retreat in early May to continue conversations and build on the action steps that came out of the Trauma and Food training.

At Groundworks Collaborative, food shelf staff met with residents at Great River Terrace and Groundworks shelter to gain insight from folks with lived experience on the food shelf intake process, hours of operation, and the physical layout, with the goal of gaining an understanding of why people may not feel comfortable using the food shelf and ways to make the space less stigmatizing and more inviting. Additionally, staff met with current volunteers to discuss ideas on how to implement each of the six principles of trauma-informed care. As the food shelf moves into a new space in the coming months, Groundworks hopes to use this as an opportunity to incorporate a trauma-informed lens in all decision-making processes.

Equity Solutions supported the training participants in gaining confidence in their ability to interrupt long-held biases, recognize the impact that systems have on individual outcomes, and take action for equity in their communities. Trainers encouraged the group to consider their own food stories and find the courage to share those with others. According to a post-training assessment, attendees demonstrated an increased understanding of what it means to be vulnerable and share stories with others.

After the training, one of the participants stated, “This training will dramatically impact how I approach my work, especially in the coming year with taking action on incorporating lived experience and figuring out how to walk with people in relational ways.”

Another participant said that they, “Loved that facilitators did not shy away from naming things people often talk around in ‘professional’ trainings—i.e. oppression, capitalism, power structures.”

Becoming a Trauma-Informed Community will require schools, community organizations, and town leadership to work together to change systems to better meet the needs of people in our community, and this training was one piece of the rewarding, challenging, powerful work that it will take to transform our community and make it a better place for all people.

Food4Kids is a Success!

Putney Foodshelf’s new program at Putney Central School, “Food4Kids,” has been incredibly successful so far this school year. Participation in the Food4Kids food shelf has been quite high, with nearly 70% of students impacted by the program. Modeled after Guilford Central School’s food shelf program, Food4Kids offers free food to all students one day each week. The program is generously organized and staffed by volunteers from the town food shelf and Putney families have been extremely supportive. According to Executive Director of the Putney Foodshelf, Hannah Pick, Food4Kids’ success is in large part due to the incredible collaboration of school faculty & staff, administrators, families, and Foodshelf volunteers.

Food4Kids is a member of the Vermont Foodbank and has received a wide variety of products to offer its students this fall, including things like cereal, canned soups, and other snacks. The Foodshelf staff make it a point to include items that meet students’ dietary restrictions as well as a few fresh items each week, such as apples and carrots for snacking. Older students at the school have engaged in food shelf operations by volunteering to stock shelves and keep things tidy. Favorite items so far have been apples, granola bars, canned fruit, fresh produce, and mac and cheese. Hannah mentions that “The kids love coming to Food4Kids. It’s so heartwarming to see. Many parents have told us that their kids are proud of the food they’ve chosen, and some have been inspired to try cooking at home”.

Other school-based food shelves in Windham County include Food for Kids at Guilford Central School and Leland & Gray’s food shelf for middle and high school students in Townshend. Whenever possible, school food shelves offer local items to students, including items like squash and apples.