Florida Partnership to End Childhood Hunger
Program Updates

• 03/24/08:

  Partnership to End Childhood Hunger News Conference

  On March 26, 2008, the Florida Partnership to End Childhood Hunger formally released its Ten-Point Plan that identifies more than $1 billion in federal food and nutrition funds Florida is not drawing down to feed children in need. It outlines a detailed plan for leveraging more of those dollars into the state. Click to view the final draft for the Ten-Point Plan (PDF doc, 797 KB).
  
  The news conference was hosted by the Lt. Governor Jeff Kottkamp and the Partnership's Honorary Chair, Grace Nelson. It featured a representative group of those who participate in these programs from communities around the state and county-level data for the local angle. The statistics show how well each county utilizes the federal programs (like food stamps and summer nutrition) to strengthen outcomes for children in low-income families and the estimated potential of unused dollars available to each community.
  
  In attendance were three agency heads from the Florida departments that administer federal nutrition programs: Charles Bronson, Commissioner of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; Bob Butterworth, Secretary of the Florida Department of Children and Families; Jean Kline, Deputy Secretary of Health; and Eric Smith, Commissioner of the Florida Department of Education.
  
  Also in attendance were the following list of Partnership Core Advisory Group Members: Pat Nicklin, Share Our Strength, Washington, D.C.; Crystal FitzSimmons, Food Research and Action Center, Washington, D.C.; Debra Susie, Florida Impact; Vivian Alarcon, Florida Children's Services Council; Bernie Friedman, Becker & Poliakoff; Sam Bell, Pennington, Moore, Wilkinson, Bell & Dunbar; Doris Reeves-Lipscomb, Groups-that-work, Clearwater; Patrick Colley, Florida Association of Food Banks; Ted Granger, United Way of Florida; Vonda Richardson, Florida A&M University; Sharon Yeago, Florida Association of Farmers Markets; Louvenia Sailor, representing Bishop McKinley Young for the African Methodist Episcopal Church; Michael Farver, End Childhood Hunger, Broward County; Kim Mowatt, J.B. Callahan Neighborhood Center; Dick Batchelor, Florida's Children and Youth Cabinet Member.
  
  Click to view the news advisory for the news conference (PDF doc, 93 KB).
  

  		Listen to related story on Florida Public Radio, WFSU 03/26/08 (MP3 file)
  		View related story Millions Wasted on Hunger Programs in Florida, WCTV 03/26/08 (WMV file)

  
  
  
• 12/10/07: The Southeast Regional Meeting, involving Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach counties, took place on Wednesday, December 5th at the Jewish Federation of Broward County. Leaders from various organizations from these three counties were in attendance to discuss the implementation phase of the 10-Point Plan. Click to Read the majority of their bios.