The US Department of Agriculture recently warned that a program which helps millions of families across the country access healthy food and nutrition services could face a $1 billion shortfall if Congress fails to act, forcing aid for millions of pregnant women, new mothers and their children to be delayed or denied. The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, known as WIC, is a federally-funded program, administered by the states, that dates back half a century. WIC is founded on three pillars of support: Nutritious food packages, education and empowerment, and healthcare access. Its mission is to promote the health and wellbeing of low-income pregnant women, new mothers, breastfeeding mothers, infants, and children up to age five who are at nutritional risk. As for Pennsylvania, the Department of Health (DOH) confirmed their commitment to ensuring that Women, Infants and Children (WIC) participants, which include the Commonwealth’s most vulnerable residents, have access to safe food products, that the products are available when WIC participants go to the store, and the prices are competitive in comparison to non-WIC participating stores. To combat a decision either way from Congress, Pennsylvania told us that they have added three new WIC mobile units to reach more women, infants, and children in underserved areas with the resources they need closer to home. Each WIC Mobile Unit is customized to operate as a fully functional WIC satellite clinic that will reach both rural and urban areas and will help meet the needs of people facing transportation barriers. The fleet of clinics on wheels is increasing participation in the WIC program, delivering greater access and equity throughout Pennsylvania. The PA DOH plans to add additional mobile units in the coming months. Through partnerships with food retailers and healthcare professionals, each month WIC provides services to millions of people from these vulnerable populations, including nearly 40 percent of all babies born in the United States. The program serves as a critical lifeline during the most important stages of development for young children, and during a period when proper nutrition and care for mothers is essential. Participation cuts across geographic and ethnic divides, fostering a cycle of wellness that benefits not only the families involved, but their communities, local economies, and states as a whole. In recent years, as food insecurity has increased, so too has WIC usage. In Pennsylvania, nearly 10 percent of all children under the age of five are part of the WIC program. In January Pennsylvania’s WIC program participation increased to more than 179,000 participants, up 2,000 from December and more than 20,000 from the same time last year. Meeting this need are more than 1,300 WIC-authorized food retail locations across Pennsylvania. Participating businesses range from large supermarket chains to small,independent grocers. But whether large or small the level of commitment is the same, and so are the requirements. A retailer must go through a comprehensive application process that involves a thorough review, completion of a training program as well as ongoing requirements related to stocking levels, recordkeeping, and reporting. Pennsylvania officials from the Department of Health let us know that, in 2023, the Health Department also established a new vendor training process on its WIC Vendor Assistant portal and hosted local and statewide vendor trainings. In all, a total of 78 training sessions were held, with 1,243 vendors participating. Vendor Assistant provides retail store alerts that relay key program information and foster better communications with vendors. They also said that the DOH is continually working to identify new ways to expand vendor participation and is exploring funding opportunities for grocery stores where investing in the equipment to participate in eWIC could be a barrier to participation. For decades Congress has recognized the importance of the WIC program and fully funded it on a bipartisan basis. Failing to do so now would signal that our priorities have shifted, and that this country no is no longer committed to serving every eligible mother or child in need. The Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association, an organization representing businesses up and down the food supply chain in the Commonwealth, believes strongly in the value of good nutrition, and ensuring that families have access to healthy food, infant formula and other essentials. Our member retailers are proud to partner with the Pennsylvania WIC ORice and other agencies to help families in need. Anyone with children knows, at an instinctive level, just what a diference a nutritious meal can make. It is vital that Congress maintain its longstanding commitment to this important program. * This article is largely based on the Op-ed first appearing in City and State included here are additional comments from PA WIC.
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What are your top three legislative priorities in 2024? Making childcare more affordable and accessible for Pennsylvania families, ensuring that economic development initiatives in my district are supported, and passing a 2024 Pennsylvania Farm Bill that builds on the investments we made in 2019 and further establishes Pennsylvania as a leader in agriculture. What are the important issues facing your district? Housing is a huge issue in my district right now. A lot of folks are struggling to achieve homeownership because of how competitive the market is, and rent has skyrocketed. While the level of poverty has declined, too many people find themselves working several jobs and accessing charitable food outlets in order to maintain a minimum standard of living. What is your favorite vacation destination? Anywhere! I’m always up for traveling to a new country or city. What are the biggest challenges for grocers in your district? Retaining staff, operating efficiently and profitably and stiff competition from other food outlets. What are your biggest challenges and successes as a legislator? I’ve been in the minority my entire career, so if I want to pass a bill, I must work with the other party. I’m thankful to have a lot of great colleagues on both sides of the aisle that I’ve been able to work with on various issues. Last year, a bill I sponsored to provide data on maternal morbidity passed unanimously and was signed into law. I have a bill I sponsored with Sen. Michele Brooks to improve WIC services in Pennsylvania that passed the Senate and is awaiting a vote in the House. What is your favorite food or meal to cook? I love to cook and experiment in the kitchen. I’m currently finessing my pizza-making skills (with limited success!). What do you like to do for fun? I enjoy time with my family, especially my grandkids. I’m an avid gardener and grow vegetables as well as flowers. You can often find me in the library, too, searching for new historical fiction or a cookbook. What are your top three legislative priorities in 2024?
I continue to stand up for public safety, parents rights to choose the best education for their children, and to foster the creation of good-paying jobs by making Pennsylvania more competitive and attractive to job creators. What are the important issues facing your district? Public safety and inflation. The lack of prosecution that is happening in Philadelphia is having a ripple effect, making us less safe and impacting people’s desire to stay here. Inflation is hurting everyone. My district is mostly middle-class families already stretching their money to make ends meet and the impact of rising costs on everyday items is disastrous to them. What is your favorite vacation destination? Anywhere with a beach. What are the biggest challenges for grocers in your district? Inflation. With the rising costs of food, it’s hurting our grocers’ ability to keep prices reasonable and shoppers’ ability to purchase the same quantity they have in the past. What are your biggest challenges and successes as a legislator? The biggest challenge I currently face is working across the aisle with a new majority that seems more intent on playing politics than truly governing. In previous sessions, I was able to work with legislators from both parties to enact legislation benefiting Pennsylvanians. Today however, the liberal democrat majority is driving a radical agenda designed to appease their political supporters regardless of the real and negative impact those policies would have on people if they were actually implemented into law. What is your favorite food or meal to cook? Chicken cutlet What do you like to do for fun? always enjoy spending time with my family and friends. I also like to sit down with a good book. What is your greatest success as a legislator over the past few years? There are many legislative efforts I am proud to have worked on. Some of the more memorable would be standing up for police officers on multiple legislative efforts, the increases in EITC funding I advocated for, and of course the impeachment of District Attorney Larry Krasner. Retail Rescue, Other Programs, Bolster Feeding PA Food Banks to Feed Neighbors Year-Round11/30/2023 PFMA member Feeding Pennsylvania is the state association of nine Feeding America partner foods serving all 67 counties of the Commonwealth. There are 1.2 million people experiencing food insecurity in Pennsylvania—1 in 8 of them are children. Pennsylvania’s rural communities experience rates of food insecurity equal to or higher than our urban centers.
Feeding Pennsylvania food banks support neighbors in their communities by distributing more than 164 million pounds of food each year through a network of 2,700 food pantries and meal distribution services. Healthy and nutritious food is necessary to survive and thrive. Still, many neighbors living and working in Pennsylvania communities must make difficult decisions to purchase food, pay rent, or afford medications. Feeding Pennsylvania’s network supports these families in bridging the gap. How It’s Done A single Feeding Pennsylvania food bank may serve as many as 70,000 neighbors per month. Delivering nourishing, protein-rich meals to these families depends on a complex infrastructure of government nutrition and agriculture programs and private partnerships, with operations largely reliant on retail donations of excess products. Retail Donation & Rescue Feeding Pennsylvania food banks rely heavily on donations from retail partners to round out their food sourcing. Retailers can help reduce food waste by partnering with Feeding PA food banks on their retail rescue initiatives. Products nearing their freshness date and many prepared foods can be donated to food banks and rapidly redistributed to neighbors in their communities. Last year alone (October – September), Feeding Pennsylvania food banks received nearly 76 million pounds of food through retail sourcing and donations. Many food bank partners like pantries and other meal service programs will handle retail rescue logistics by picking up products directly from grocers, big box stores, convenience stores and restaurants. State-Funded Nutrition & Agriculture Surplus Programs SFPP is a state-appropriated program that funds food banks to purchase fresh and shelf-stable foods directly from food manufacturers and brokers. These products are then distributed through partner pantries that distribute the food directly to neighbors in their communities. The Pennsylvania Agricultural Surplus Program (PASS) and Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) are unique programs first intended to support Pennsylvania’s agricultural producers with excess commodities with an ancillary benefit to Pennsylvania’s charitable food network. Feeding Pennsylvania is contracted by the PA Department of Agriculture to administer these programs, which provide funds to PA food banks to purchase Pennsylvania-grown and produced agricultural commodities. Funds support the growing, processing, packaging and transporting of surplus commodities such as eggs, dairy, apples and more, which are purchased from producers and processors and distributed through Pennsylvania’s charitable food network. Last year alone, Pennsylvania’s food banks sourced over 9 million pounds of food through these two programs. The Mid-Atlantic Regional Cooperative (MARC) A program of Feeding Pennsylvania, based at the Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market, the MARC serves an expanded network of Feeding America partner food banks from Maine to Virginia, distributing more than 60 million pounds of food each year. The MARC sources surplus products from farmers, wholesalers, manufacturers, warehouses and importers and distributes them to regional food banks via tailored deliveries of five to ten different commodities per load—ensuring a dependable and efficient supply for food banks while enhancing the variety and value they can provide to neighbors. The MARC can solve your excess production and inventory problems while helping to get more healthy and nutritious foods into communities. Too many Pennsylvanians experience hunger. Retail partnerships paired with state nutrition and agricultural programs allow Pennsylvania’s charitable food network to help millions of individuals experiencing food insecurity. These partnerships ensure a complete and balanced approach to feeding neighbors in our communities while reducing food waste and supporting Pennsylvania’s agricultural industry and bolstering economic impact in the Commonwealth and surrounding states. If you want to support Pennsylvania’s charitable food network through any of these programs, please contact the food bank in your region or Feeding Pennsylvania to explore opportunities. Feedingpa.org. What are your top three legislative priorities in 2024? My top four legislative priorities will always remain the same: 1. Create pro-growth policies to advance the economy of the Commonwealth. 2. Improve the financial management of the Commonwealth. 3. Improve the transparency of government. 4. Weed out and eliminate fraud, waste and abuse wherever it resides in state government. What are the important issues facing your district? The top issues facing my district mirror Pennsylvania’s challenges: the economy and taxes. While York County is enjoying economic growth, the reality is inflation continues to slow progress. What is your favorite vacation destination? I don’t have a favorite vacation destination per say, but we are a beach vacation family. Personally, I love traveling and immersing myself in local culture. What are the biggest challenges for grocers in your district? The rising cost of doing business through inflation is a significant issue for my grocers. All businesses continually tell me they want to keep prices low, but with their low profit margins, they have no choice but to increase costs. What are your biggest challenges and successes as a legislator? My biggest challenge as a legislator is how long it can take to make changes. I go to work with big ideas, but the process moves intentionally slowly. I am very proud of the changes I have been able to make in transparency for Pennsylvania, from the forming of the Government Oversight Committee to my work on the State Government and Appropriations Committees. What is your favorite food or meal to cook? Grilling. It doesn’t matter what meat product and maybe some fruits and vegetables. Also, bacon. What do you like to do for fun? Fun for me is taxiing and watching my kids at their various sporting events and being the fiscal watchdog for the House Republican Caucus. What is your greatest success as a legislator over the past few years? As the Majority Chairman of the House State Government last session, I had two important tasks: managing the post-2020 election and Congressional Redistricting. After the 2020 election, we held ten hearings to determine how our elections operate and a review of the laws that govern them. Through these hearings, the committee developed a comprehensive solution that increased voter access, provided election security throughout the process, and updated a system predicated on a 1937 law. While Gov. Wolf vetoed the legislation without reading it, it offered the solutions we still need today. For the first time in the history of the Commonwealth, the State Government Committee provided a public and transparent process for redistricting, leading to the adoption of a citizen-drawn map by the General Assembly. While Gov. Wolf vetoed this historic citizen-drawn congressional map, and the Pennsylvania Supreme Court selected a map drawn by a Democrat dark money group. The process created should be the standard process for all future Congressional Maps. Now in its 27th year, PFMA is proud to accept applications for the 2024 Thomas R. and Laura Ridge Scholarship. Named for the parents of former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge, the Ridge Scholarship honors Thomas R. Ridge, who was a member of the food industry for 25 years, and his wife Laura, who was a great advocate of education for Tom Ridge, his brother David and sister Vikki. Over the years PFMA has awarded over $1.3 million to nearly 654 students since its start in 1995. Scholarship funds come from PFMA’s Education Trust and sponsoring PFMA members The GIANT Company, Karns Foods, Rutter’s, Sheetz and Wawa.
Eligible students can apply for a one-year, $2,500 scholarship for the 2024-2025 academic year. In 2023, 27 students earned a total of $67,500 towards their education and we look forward to awarding another 27 students in 2024. A panel of judges evaluates applications based on academic record, school and community involvement, a personal essay, and recommendations from school and work. “This scholarship is for you and your employee’s families. We encourage you to share this opportunity with those who have college-age children and your young employees. We are honored to be able to award so many outstanding young people every year to pursue higher education.” Said Alex Baloga, PFMA president and CEO. “The generosity of our members allows us to support a growing number of students by easing the financial burden of pursuing higher education. Special thank you to The Giant Company, Karns Quality Foods, Rutter’s, Sheetz, and Wawa for their contributions.” Current employees, their children, and the children of company owners who are PFMA members can apply for the scholarship at PFMA.org/scholarships. All scholarship applications must be made online. Applications are due no later than March 1, 2024. We were saddened to hear the news of our former PFMA colleague and friend, Randy St. John, losing his long battle with cancer in late October. Randy served as Sr. Vice President of the Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association from 1989 to 2017. Spending many days at the State Capitol, he worked in Government Relations, edited publications, including the Food Industry Advisor, and helped organize conventions and member events. Building partnerships with Governors, legislative and executive staff, municipal officials, or PFMA teammates, Randy brought intellect, humor, and generosity to projects he managed, having fun in the process. Randy was a great friend and associate of PFMA and was the consummate professional in the industry for decades. Many of you will remember Randy for his great sense of humor, professionalism, and kindness. We will miss him. Our entire organization and membership feel the loss of such a great leader in our industry. We celebrate our membership growth and development every month by highlighting our new members. Membership growth is a major priority of PFMA to maintain a strong association. We enjoy welcoming these new retail and associate members who represent a variety of industries. Meet our newest members below:
Med Free Living provides highly trusted products formulated with all-natural ingredients to help target common health conditions. As a health and wellness company, they provide lifestyle information for conditions that may be controlled through proper diet and exercise. Med Free Living is dedicated to helping you live the life you want – naturally. Learn more at medfreeliving.com Shelfmark is the DSD and prepared foods visibility platform. Access tools to enhance inventory management from forecasting through replenishment. Retailers. Learn more at shelfmark.co Crop’s Fresh Marketplace is an authentic, third-generation, family-owned, and independent grocery store started in 1953 by Robert Cropper. Visit Crop’s Fresh Marketplace at 1257 Horseshoe Pike, Downingtown, and find great recipes online at cropsmarketplace.com Phantom Fireworks is the leading retailer of consumer fireworks in the U.S. Phantom provides the widest range of consumer fireworks in all categories. Learn more at Fireworks.com Old City Media, Inc. is an international marketing agency helping brands connect with target demographics through experiential marketing. This process is achieved through their robust network of clients and proven formula of brand integration. They also help companies leverage their assets to a brand looking for that all-important niche audience. With over 20 years of experience in this field, their team has the ability to bridge the gap while saving you time and money. Learn more at Oldcitymedia.com The new associate members represent beverage retail and software systems management.
Canada Dry Delaware Valley is a proud locally-owned and operated bottler and distributor of various leading beverage brands. For over 60 years, customers from southern New Jersey through southeastern Pennsylvania and into Delaware and Maryland have been served by Canada Dry Delaware Valley. Flashfood is an app that allows shoppers to browse food items approaching their best before date, buy them at a discount and pick them up in store. Helping to create a better world for future generations, while creating affordable access to food to everyone. Keurig Dr Pepper is a leading beverage company in North America and the first to bring hot and cold beverages together at scale. Keurig Dr Pepper has annual revenue in excess of $12 billion and approximately 27,000 employees. The company offers 125+ hot and cold beverages designed to satisfy virtually any consumer need, any time, and available everywhere people shop and consume beverages. Through its Drink Well. Do Good. corporate responsibility platform, Keurig Dr Pepper is committed to sourcing, producing and distributing beverages responsibly, while ensuring it makes a positive impact on customers, employees, communities and the planet. What are your top three legislative priorities in 2023? My top legislative priorities mirror what our Democratic caucus is pushing for, and that is better jobs, better schools and safer communities. There are so many ways to achieve these goals, and I look forward to working with my colleagues in the House, Senate and our new Gov. Josh Shapiro to make that happen. What are the important issues facing your district? The three most important issues facing our district would be the quality of education, decreasing gun violence and home affordability. Where do you shop locally for food? I shop at the Fresh Grocer on Grays Ferry Avenue in the Grays Ferry Shopping Center in my district, which is not far from my home. What is your favorite vacation destination? It’s actually not a vacation destination, but a mode of vacation. I enjoy cruises. We could cruise to anywhere; I just enjoy the experience of going on a cruise. What are the biggest challenges for grocers in your district? I think getting and maintaining quality products, like fresh fruits and vegetables, and doing so at an affordable cost has been a problem for grocers in my community in the past. I think additionally, like most industries, grocers also have a need to train and grow a workforce, particularly a workforce that looks like and reflects the community the grocery store is serving. What are your biggest challenges and successes as a legislator? My biggest challenge has been not being able to always help everyone who needs help. Understanding that what I can do and what my office can do has limitations is difficult. While my heart wants to help and solve every problem, it’s hard to not always be able to accomplish that. My biggest success has been the collective work of our caucus to be united and stick together over the last few years as well as the bipartisan success of our Clean Slate legislation and the fact that Pennsylvania’s Clean Slate law has become a national model that has led to second chances in numerous other states. What is your favorite food or meal to cook? I make a really good parmesan chicken. It is by far my favorite meal to cook, but I also make an amazing seafood mac and cheese. What do you like to do for fun? I’ve grown up loving and I continue to love music. A lot of people don’t know that I grew up playing the piano in my church. I have a love for music, both listening and playing in my free time. Additionally, I’ve found myself more and more interested in writing. Not for any particular purpose or genre, but just writing out my thoughts. |
AuthorErica Logsdon, director of communications and public relations Archives
February 2024
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