Coi's Nutrition Outreach & Education Program
is Helping to Fulfill a Need

COI is one of 45 community based agencies that has been awarded the Nutrition Outreach and education program grant by the Nutrition Consortium of New York State.

COI will conduct outreach in order to generate awareness and increase participation in the Food Stamp Program throughout Chautauqua county with the help of state and local funding for the Nutrition and Outreach Education Program (NOEP). To do so, COI will use its intimate knowledge of the needs of local people and how much to reach potentially eligible groups such as low income senior citizens and working families with children. The Food Stamp Program, the nation's premiere defense against hunger, is designated to provide national support to families, working adults and senior citizens struggling to get by. However, statewide, approximately 44% of eligible households are not receiving the food stamp benefits to which they are entitled. New York State, acknowledging the need to improve access to the Food Stamp Program for legible New Yorkers, increased state and federal total funding for their NOEP this year by $2 million.

Linda Spaulding, the NOEP coordinator of COI says "The low level of Food Stamp Program Participation by eligible adults and children is due to a lack of awareness about the program and its eligibility requirements".

In Chautauqua County there are 5,076 potentially eligible individuals for the Food Stamp Program who are not participating. The unmet need is 27.39% of the county population. this translates to $5,22025 lost annually to the local economy due to program underutilization. The Food Stamp Program also provides a direct economic benefit to our community. When more eligible people receive food stamps and use them at local food retail stares and farm markets, the infusion of federal food stamp dollars boosts local economies and creates jobs. In fact, the Unite States Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates that each $1 spent for food stamp benefits generates about $1.84 in economic activity. For more information, contact Linda Spaulding, Nutrition Outreach & Education Coordinator at 664-4999, Ext. 202.

The scholarship was awarded to Massar by the North Carolina Primary Health Care Association. While in attendance, she was able to network and link with many other agencies from across the East Coast to share ideas to improve healthy outcomes for the migrant community.

Don't Miss a Meal With Food Stamps

You'd Be Surprised Who Qualifies!

Eat Healthy

Stretch Your Food $$$

Enjoy More Health Meals

Put More Food on Your Table

THIS IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY PROVIDER. Prepared by a project of the Nutrition Consortium of New York Stat, Inc. Funding provided by the New York State Department of Health, the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance and the USDA/FNS.

Helping People. Changing Lives.