Chickasaw Nation Nutrition Center a Model for the Country

The USDA has many great programs that it administers among its numerous agencies and the USDA also works hand in hand with service providers across the country. Today we had the chance to visit the Chickasaw Nation Nutrition Center and see first hand where the rubber meets the road.

Located in Purcell, Oklahoma the Chickasaw Nation Nutrition Center is serves approximately 4,680 tribal participants monthly. The Center administers many programs within the USDA's Food and Nutrition Service including, the WIC Program, SNAP Ed, and the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations.

However the Center and its staff have created a model for nutrition programs. The Chickasaw Nation made it a priority to implement their vision of serve its members with the utmost dignity and respect and set up a "food distribution program store." In the past, all food distribution participants received their monthly packages from either a tailgate site or over-the-counter at the tribal headquarters. The staff and leadership decided to take the program in a different direction with the store concept.



The store concept was a great success and the tribe now has several concept stores that service the Chickasaw nation and the 7,963 square miles the nation encompasses. Like more common grocery stores, participants can browse the aisles and the freezer section for their goods. Unlike a traditional store, participants have access to nutritional information and have access to a registered and licensed dietitian. Additionally, the setup at the Centers coordinates efforts amongst the various programs and initiatives thus providing maximum "bang for the buck" in the delivery of services.

It was an honor to tour the Chickasaw Nation's Nutrition Center. It is a model for the rest of the country.

Permalink  |  Posted at: 09:16AM Sep 16, 2009 by USDAblogger in General  |  Add Your Comment Here [0]

North Carolina Food Bank Receives Stimulus Commodities

During July, August and September, the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina will receive approximately 14,500 cases of USDA food purchased with TEFAP American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) funding, with a total value of $539,000. The commodities include cheese, whole chicken, canned peaches, and deli turkey.

“It’s very timely, and our partners are really excited about the availability of these commodities,” said Peter Werbicki, President/CEO of the food bank.

Established in 1980, the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina is a non-profit organization that provides food to people at risk of hunger in 34 counties in central and eastern North Carolina. In 2007-08, the food bank distributed over 31.6 million pounds of food through 870 partner agencies including soup kitchens, food pantries, shelters, and after school programs for children. Nearly 30 percent of the people served by the food bank’s network are children and another 18 percent are elderly. Thirty-eight percent of the families served are the “working poor.”

Today, the food bank provides more than 2.7 million pounds of food every month to nearly 900 nonprofit, community-based, emergency feeding programs (soup kitchens, food pantries, homeless shelters, and elderly nutrition programs), serving more than 400,000 individuals at risk of hunger in 34 central and eastern North Carolina counties. The agencies are served out of a primary facility in Raleigh and branch warehouses in Southern Pines, Durham, Greenville and Wilmington.

Permalink  |  Posted at: 09:54AM Aug 19, 2009 by USDAblogger in General  |  Add Your Comment Here [0]