Hello!

Welcome to your monthly source of information from The Idaho Foodbank. Please contact us if you have information to share, need to add someone to this distribution list, or have other inquiries: Partnerships@IdahoFoodbank.org.

Save the Date for our regional Hunger to Health Conferences. The Eastern Idaho Hunger to Health Conference is March 31st in Pocatello. The North Central Idaho Hunger to Health Conference is April 6th in Lewiston. Registration information is coming soon! 

Canned Meat Recall 

Conagra Brands Inc., is recalling more than 2.5 million pounds of canned meat and poultry because of a packaging defect. Some of the brands include Kroger, Great Value, Goya, and others. The products have the establishment number “P4247” on the can.  

The Idaho Foodbank recommends destroying any of these recalled canned meat products you have on hand. You can learn more about this recall in an article by Food Safety News. As a reminder, please sign up to receive recall information from the USDA on their website.  

The Idaho Foodbank Warehouse Closure Calendar 

Below is a calendar of when our warehouses will be closed this year. During warehouse closures, there will be no pick up or delivery scheduled.  

If your pickup or delivery is scheduled for one of these days, please contact your local Idaho Foodbank representative or email partnerships@idahofoodbank.org if you need help rescheduling. We hope that this will help you make arrangements during these closures. Please keep in mind that there might be some special circumstances that require us to be closed on dates that are not listed. If this happens, we will send out an email letting you know. 

Partner Training Sessions 

Thank you all for attending our past training sessions. We will now be doing individual training with our partners to help meet your needs. If you have ideas on sessions that would help your organization and team, please contact your Idaho Foodbank point of contact. They will work with you to get you the training that your organization needs.  

• Partners in Clearwater, Idaho, Latah, Lewis & Nez Perce Counties
  •  Lisa Tupin:  lturpin@IdahoFoodBank.org 
• Partners in Bannock, Bear Lake, Bingham, Bonneville, Butte, Caribou, Clark, Custer, Franklin, Fremont, Jefferson, Lemhi, Madison, Oneida, Power, & Teton Counties
  • Maren Nelson: manelson@idahofoodbank.org 
• Partners in Adams, Canyon, Gem, Owyhee, Payette & Washington Counties 
  • To Be Announced, but you can reach out at partnerships@idahofoodbank.org  
• Partners in Ada, Boise, Elmore, & Valley Counties
  •  4: Leticia Garcia: lgarcia@idahofoodbank.org 
• Partners in Blaine, Camas, Cassia, Elmore, Gooding, Jerome, Lincoln, Minidoka & Twin Falls Counties 
  •  Pete Valdon: pvaldon@idahofoodbank.org 

Nonprofit Updates
Medicaid Qualifications are Changing 

Medicaid re-evaluations were paused during COVID, but they are coming back. Approximately 150,000 Idahoans will be receiving letters from the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (DHW) about this re-determination process. For individuals who receive a letter from DHW with the color pink on it, their Medicaid coverage will discontinue if they do not contact DHW. They should complete the requested information as soon as they receive it. 

Everyone enrolled in Medicaid should make sure their current address and contact information are on file with DHW so they do not miss important information about their coverage. To report any changes or confirm their mailing address, e-mail, or phone number, people receiving Medicaid can call DHW at 877-456-1233, email MyBenefits@dhw.idaho.gov, or visit idalink.idaho.gov.  

Please encourage the people you serve who are on Medicaid to make sure DHW has their current address, email, and phone number. You can find more information on the DHW website here or read a news story about it from Idaho Reports here.  

Grinning for Dental Care 

Access to quality dental care is essential to wellbeing, but unfortunately this can feel out of reach for many Idahoans. That’s why The Idaho Foodbank is proud to partner with organizations like Delta Dental. Delta Dental provides free and reduced cost dental care to children and seniors across the state who otherwise may not have access through their “Grins on the Go” and “Grin Well for You” programs.  

“Grins on the Go” is a cavity prevention clinic provided to income-qualifying elementary and middle schools throughout the state. More than 117,000 students have received services in the form of dental sealants, fluoride varnish, and education since the program began. “Grin Well for You” provides access to free preventative and restorative dental procedures to income-qualifying Idaho adults over the age of 60 and helps them establish a dental home.  

Interested in doing more to support the oral health of your neighbors? Look out for dental kits on the Agency Express partner shopping list during the month of February.
                      

New Allergen: Sesame 

As of January 1, 2023, The US Food and Drug Administration recognizes sesame as part of the major allergens list. The nine major allergens cause the majority of serious food allergic reactions. Please handle sesame products as you would with any other major allergens. Look at the label if you are unsure if the product has sesame in it. You can read more on the USDA website for more information. 

Rental Housing Bills in the Idaho Legislature 

The Idaho Legislature is currently in session. Many of our partners have shared that finding and affording housing is a consistent challenge for people they serve. A bill has been introduced to require all fees for rental housing to be reasonable and that these fees be disclosed in rental agreements. You can use this action tool here from the Idaho Asset Building Network to contact your representative in the Idaho State Senate and let them know you support this bill. You can subscribe to receive information on other bills related to housing in the Idaho Legislature on their website. 

Echo Hills Church’s food pantry in Lewiston has been helping their community for more than 10 years. They are very passionate about helping their neighbors who need some assistance. In the last couple of months, they have seen an increase in the need for food assistance. They continue to participate in their community to try to serve and assist as much as they can. One of the ways that they are doing this is by partnering with their local Public Health District to have Health for Free health screening. People will be able to obtain free health screenings on cholesterol, diabetes, and blood pressure, as well as other exams. 
         

American Heart Month 
February is also American Heart Month, which is a time to increase awareness and education around heart disease. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute has created an American Heart Month Toolkit. These toolkits include resources that can help spread awareness through social media, fact sheets, and other information that is beneficial.