Community Action Board of Santa Cruz County, Inc.

“Hunger” is the title of the 9th program in a series of programs on Community Television of Santa Cruz County called “The War On Poverty in the 21^st Century”. Produced by Community Television and the Community Action Board of Santa Cruz County, Inc.

·               Produced: Monday, November 25th, 2002

·               On Air December 2nd through December 30th, 2002

·               Mondays and Thursdays at 6:30 pm and Fridays at 3:

·               Channel: 25 on AT&T Cable

·               Title: “Hunger”

·               An article on this series was featured in The Good Times on May 23^rd. You can view this article at:  http://www.cabinc.org/War_Goodtimes_poverty_tv.htm

According to a nationwide report on hunger and food insecurity from The Center on Hunger and Poverty entitled, "Hunger and Food Insecurity in the Fifty States: 1998-2000.”  California has grown to be the 5^th largest economy in the world and yet, in spite of our amazing agricultural abundance, over a million people are hungry and 5 million live in fear of hunger.

In fact, California ranks as the 15th worst state for food insecurity with hunger by the US Department of Agriculture.  California is actually above the national average in percentage of households living under these conditions.  

About half of food stamp eligible people in California do not receive food stamps. In fact, in the last five years the number of food stamp participants dropped 40% from over 3 million to less than 2 million.

 3 million children in California are eligible to receive free or reduced priced school meals, and though the National School Lunch Program feeds many of them, 70% of these children do not receive school breakfast.

About 2 million children receive free or reduced price school lunches but during the summer, less than half received lunch.

On the central coast more and more retired or disabled people on fixed incomes are being forced to choose between food, rent, medical care, or prescription drugs.

The program features a video that puts a face on the issue of hunger.  The video is about 12 minutes long and is called “Living With Hunger”, produced by America’s Second Harvest.

Guests for this program:

Kenneth Hecht is the executive director and co-founder of California Food Policy Advocates a statewide nutrition policy and advocacy organization. 

Willy Elliott-McCrea has been the Executive Director of Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Cruz & San Benito Counties since 1988.  He is the Founding President of California Association of Food Banks and Vice President and Secretary of Western Region of Second Harvest Food Banks. 

Yolanda Henry is the Executive Director of Familia Center a family and community resource center serving low income & Latino families in Santa Cruz County. Services provided by the center include a weekly grocery distribution. 

·               Executive Producer of the series is Geoffrey Dunn, Executive Director of Community Television of Santa Cruz County.

·               Kathy D’Angelo produces the series for Community Television.

·               Paul Brindel produces the series for the Community Action Board

·               Christine Johnson-Lyons is the Associate Producer for the Community Action Board

·               Craig Jutson directs the program series.

·               Contact:  For Community Television, Kathy D'Angelo– 425-8848

·               For Community Action Board, Paul Rachuy Brindel – 457-1741 ext 160

·               For more on the Community Action Board of Santa Cruz County, Inc go to: www.cabinc.org

·               Go To The War On Poverty Index of Programs and Resources at:http://www.cabinc.org/War_on_poverty_Index_of_programs.htm

·               For more on Community Television of Santa Cruz County go to: http://communitytv.org/index.html

·               Monday, November 27, 2002