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Tuesday, February 11, 2025

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A potent winter storm is thumping 1,500 miles of the US. Two more are right behind it; Amid scientists' warnings, Trump admin. sued over medical research cuts; Mississippi communities find local solutions to rural education challenges; CT groups rally against gas pipeline expansion.

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President Donald Trump approves 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum. Democrats who oppose dismantling the agency have been denied access to the Department of Education. And some places buck policy trends on sex education and immigration.

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Medical debt, which tops $90 billion has an outsized impact on rural communities, a new photography book shares the story of 5,000 schools built for Black students between 1912 and 1937, and anti-hunger advocates champion SNAP.

Revive SNAP Stretch, WV growers, consumers urge

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Tuesday, February 4, 2025   

Food advocates are calling on lawmakers to help jump-start the state's SNAP Stretch program, which was paused last year due to budget constraints.

The program, developed in 2018 by the West Virginia University Extension Service Family Nutrition Program and the West Virginia Food and Farm Coalition allowed SNAP participants extra dollars for every dollar spent toward locally grown produce at farmers markets statewide.

Kristin McCartney, associate professor and public health specialist for the extension service, said SNAP Stretch also benefited local producers and businesses.

"Not only to drive consumers to eat healthier foods but also this extra money is also going to fund people who are growing food in the community," McCartney explained.

Local produce is fresher and more nutrient-dense than food shipped into grocery aisles from other states or countries, and keeps money circulating in local economies, according to the Natural Agricultural Law Center.

SNAP Stretch has generated more than $4 million in economic impact, returned $3 million to the local agricultural sector and supported 79,000 Mountain State families.

The average benefit for SNAP Stretch is around $1.29 per meal. McCartney pointed out the federal food assistance program on its own is not designed to ensure people are receiving essential nutrients.

"Snap is supplemental," McCartney emphasized. "It's not there to cover everything you need. Every additional dollar that can be given and used to promote those healthier choices is a benefit to those individuals."

McCartney added while eating fresh whole foods regularly can be daunting, purchasing frozen fruits and vegetables can help fill the gaps and reduce prep time.

"You're still getting all the nutrients," McCartney noted. "But it takes a lot of that prep out, and they're still pretty budget friendly."

According to the nonprofit Feeding America, more than 266,000 West Virginia residents are facing hunger, and more than 73,000 of them are children.


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