HUNGER IN CALIFORNIA - WHAT INTERVENTIONS ARE NEEDED

Objective Although research exists on the nutritional status of indivi duals and families who seek emergency food, there is little guidance o n what to do about it. Our purpose was to develop effective nutrition interventions to assist individuals and families seeking emergency foo d. Design and subjects Two survey instruments were used to collect dat a on 697 emergency food providers and 3,365 emergency food clients in 20 California counties between 1986 and 1990. Statistical analyses per formed Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. Results Information from the food providers who staff the e mergency food sites revealed insufficient food to meet the growing dem and, client difficulties in using the donated food, and the need for i nformation to improve the safety and nutritional quality of the donate d food. Information from the emergency food clients documented that 70 .4% of them were families with children, 84% had incomes below the pov erty level, and 20% reported no income at all. In addition, most clien ts (70%) were not enrolled in the food stamp program. Applications/con clusions In response to the surveys, counties initiated a variety of i nterventions, including public awareness campaigns, community developm ent activities, and nutrition education programs. Important strategies are to teach recipients ways to optimize food resources, encourage el igible, individuals to enroll in federal nutrition programs, and link individuals with agencies that offer assistance.