2/8 training, FRAC sign on, SNAP info, DTA updates & MLRI budget analysis

FoodSNAP
02/01/22

A number of updates below including:

  1. Upcoming Find your Funds and SNAP Deductions training on 2/8

  2. MLRI’s SNAP 101 Advocacy resources 

  3. DTA updated outreach fliers, updates and staffing 

  4. MLRI Governor’s FY2023 budget analysis

  5. FRAC sign on letter re. Child nutrition by COB 2/2

 

  1. Training on 2/8: Find Your Funds and Maximizing SNAP With Deductions

 

On Tues, February 8 from 10-11:30 we will have a special Coalition meeting to hear about FindYourFunds.org and how to connect low income families to federal tax dollars. The second half of the Coalition meeting will include a deeper dive about how to help families claim all available deductions to maximize their SNAP benefits  as we get closer to the end of the Emergency Allotments. Zoom link here. 

 

  1.  SNAP 101 Advocacy Tools 

Last week MLRI did our annual SNAP 101 training, hosted by Mass Continuing Legal Education (MCLE). The 3 hour training covered the waterfront of SNAP eligibility - the household composition rules, college student, immigrant eligibility, the SNAP math, how to apply, reporting rules & Recertification, client rights and more!  We’ve posted all our resources from the training here and the powerpoint slide deck here. 

 

A special shout out to Lilydahn Stewart, our tremendous AmeriCorps member, for her work updating our SNAP At-a-Glance charts and other materials!

  1. DTA materials: Updated Outreach fliers, January DTA Updates & Staffing Report 

 

We’d like to highlight three updated resources from DTA for your advocacy work:

  • These simple SNAP fliers are a great resource for families, posted in 13 languages! DTA recently updated the gross income charts with the updated 200% Federal Poverty Level effective Feb 1st. 

  • Attached is a summary from DTA sent to the local office DTA Advisory Boards with a variety of January 2022 updates. (If you want to join a DTA Advisory Board, we can connect you to the DTA staff who help community partners join).

  • DTA has posted an updated organizational chart here. The last page includes a chart of DTA’s central staffing hierarchy. Also note data on staffing and case manager levels.
     

  1. MLRI’s Budget analysis of Governor Baker’s FY 2023 budget proposal 

The Governor released his budget proposal for state fiscal year 2023 last Wednesday. For  MLRI’s preliminary analysis of selected sections for the FY23 budget - DTA benefits, health care, housing, child welfare and more -  click here. 

  1. By TOMORROW 2/2: Sign on Letter to Extend USDA's Child Nutrition Waiver Authority though SY22/23

 

Please join FRAC, MLRI and other national, state, and local organizations in asking to extend further the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) nationwide waiver authority through the 2022–2023 school year. It is critical that USDA have the continued flexibility needed to respond to the ongoing and evolving impacts of the pandemic as well as its aftermath and to ensure that the federal child nutrition programs continue to operate and provide healthy snacks and meals to students. Click here to sign on.  Deadline is COB Wednesday, Feb 2nd.