About the Food Stamp Office Resource Kit

The newly developed Food Stamp Office Resource Kit has been shipped to 53 of California’s 58 counties, fulfilling orders for 255 certified food stamp sites.  Elements of the kit include the “Good Food TV” video in VHS and DVD formats and a kiosk housing a poster, bilingual recipe cards and brochures in English and Spanish.

The Food Stamp Office Resource Kit will bring nutrition education into food stamp offices to provide clients with demonstrations, tips and recipes that will help them purchase and prepare low-cost nutritious meals and snacks for themselves and their families.  This information, combined with the increased food purchasing power of food stamps and the myriad of other services and community activities, will promote better health among low-income Californians.

The development of this kit was a collaboration of the California Department of Health Services’ Nutrition Network for Healthy Active Families; the California Department of Social Services Food Stamp Program; the Western Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service; and valued input from members of the California Welfare Directors Association.  Additionally, input from food stamp clients was provided during focus group sessions conducted in Oakland and Los Angeles.

Funded Network partners may order the kit for their own use by requesting an order form from Lawrence Montgomery.  Due to the relatively high cost of each kit and to ensure optimum cost efficiency, orders will be collected through October 15, 2006 before producing further materials, rendering an approximate delivery date of November 27, 2006.

Ideas and tips are:
- Easy-to-follow and inexpensive
- Presented in a fun, upbeat manner
- Presented in a way that breaks through the noise of other activities in food stamp office   waiting rooms.