Families

International food festival in Morristown hopes to help immigrant families integrate into the community

The HOLA Lakeway International Food Festival kicked off Saturday featuring music, games, and of course — food!

MORRISTOWN, Tenn. — An international food festival kicked off in Morristown on Saturday afternoon. There, families had the chance to enjoy food from across Central and South America while listening to music from different cultures.

The event was hosted by HOLA Lakeway, which facilitates the integration of immigrant families into the community. They teach people about where to go for services and helps people feel at home in Lakeway. Organizers also hoped the event would contribute to the area’s local economy by attracting people to visit, eat and shop.

“It’s a lot of food and it’s a lot of entertainment for the families,” said one organizer.

It was held in the Morristown Farmer’s Market, and visitors had the chance to shop local foods while enjoying the flavors and aromas of recipes from across different cultures.

For many families in the community, the event was eagerly welcomed. Organizers had to cancel last year’s event due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

It lasted all day Saturday, from 10 a.m. through 4:30 p.m. It was free to attend.

“This just helps us get awareness out there of what we have in our community,” said Jessica Bailiff, one of the organizers with HOLA Lakeway. “It’s a great community. The Lakeway area, Hamblen County, Jefferson County and the surrounding areas have grown tremendously.”

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Texas summer pandemic food benefits for families include a one-time benefit of $375 per eligible child

AUSTIN – Gov. Greg Abbott announced Tuesday that the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) has received approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for a third round of federal Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) food benefits for families with children who have temporarily lost access to free or reduced-price school meals due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Summer P-EBT, which covers June through August, provides a one-time benefit of $375 per eligible child and can be used in the same way as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food benefits to pay for groceries. The administration of summer P-EBT is a joint effort by HHSC, the Texas Department of Agriculture and the Texas Education Agency.

Summer P-EBT is for families with children in grades K through 12 who are certified for free or reduced-price meals through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and families with children born after Aug. 1, 2014 who receive SNAP food benefits.

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“Thank you to HHSC and USDA for working together to ensure Texas families can continue to put food on the table,” Abbott said. “This third round of pandemic food benefits will help us continue to provide access to nutritious food for both families and their children.”

“As children across the state start going back to school, we’re thankful we can provide this added benefit so Texans can provide nutritious food for their families,” said Wayne Salter, the HHS Deputy Executive Commissioner of Access and Eligibility Services.

Children in grades Kindergarten through the

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Edelman: Healthy Food for Hungry Families

By Marian Wright Edelman

“I worry in regards to child obesity…diabetes, cholesterol, and all of those things, but personally I worry more about the children than myself.”

“My kids—they’re the ones that I worry about eating right or making sure everything is good.”

Most parents know the worry of trying to make sure their children are eating well and getting the right balance of the healthy foods they need to grow and thrive. Those universal worries become even harder for families who are already struggling just to put food on the table.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) helps keep children and families fed and is our nation’s first line of defense against hunger. In 2018 SNAP helped feed nearly a quarter of all children in America. But a new report just released by the USDA showed nearly nine out of 10 SNAP participants faced barriers to providing their family a healthy diet throughout the month.

The study was conducted in 2018, so it did not capture the enormous new challenges many families have faced during the pandemic. But it did make it clear that even before the pandemic more help was already needed. When researchers asked participants why they needed SNAP benefits, the most common answer was unemployment or underemployment: “My husband had fewer hours and I’m not working.” “I wasn’t working anymore. I’m working a little bit now but not much and I need food.”

Other common reasons for needing SNAP included health problems and changes in family

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