Delmar Stone

Cheers to the Idaho Press-Tribune for running this column on hunger assistance from National Association of Social Workers Idaho Chapter Executive Director Delmar Stone.

Some members of Congress are calling for cuts in social service programs, including government food and nutrition programs.

Stone argues these cuts will result in even more hungry people. And although some fraud may exist it is unfair to abolish a whole program because of a few bad apples, he said.

“While there are, undoubtedly, some folks who take advantage of these programs, no one is getting rich off them, and we certainly shouldn’t eliminate any because a few dishonest people are abusing our nation’s safety net,” Stone wrote. “Instead, we should continue to expand the programs that have been proven to work and increase efforts for fraud prevention.”

Cornered: Therapists on Airplanes
New York Times
“I often say, ‘I run a nonprofit association in  Washington,’ ” said Betsy Clark, a social worker who serves as executive director of the National Association of Social Workers, a professional group.

Without grant funding, school social worker jobs could be cut
York Daily Record
By ANGIE MASON Ginia Moorehead, a senior at York’s William Penn High School, said social worker Barb Leonard helped her find a home when she was nearly homeless.  She knows she can call Leonard whenever she needs to, she said. Other students seek Leonard out, too.

Doctor’s wife had legacy as leader
Denver Post
By Joanne Davidson Ernestine Wallace Gipson, here with her husband as a newlywed, made a quiet impact as a social worker and community leader.

New campaign aims to end hunger in Minnesota
Minnesota Public Radio
Clinical social worker Cheryl Champion sees the toll of hunger on children every day. And it extends far beyond tummy aches.

Tips for dealing with unnecessary worries
Herald Times Reporter
Diane M. Berry, MSW, LCSW, JD, is the clinic director and clinical social worker with Blue Waters Family Counseling in Manitowoc.

When the Abuser Is No Stranger: The Quest for Erin’s Law
TIME Magazine
She was taught how to ride out a tornado, instructed in the eight steps for turning down illegal drugs, and told how to react to a friendly stranger who might try to abduct her. But nothing prepared her for two traumatizing events that have turned Merryn, now 25, into an activist, determined to prevent the same thing from happening to other children.

Oberlin: Psychiatric service dogs to help veterans
WKYC-TV
Jane Miller is a Clinical Social Worker and dog trainer who is using her skills to not only help the mentally ill, but also help returning veterans dealing with the scars of war.

The biography Jane Addams deserves
Salon
Louise W. Knight’s riveting new biography, “Jane Addams: Spirit in Action,” rescues this fascinating figure from the twilight of textbooks and polemics to bring her complex career into view.

Christina Garris. Photo by Shamus Ian Fatzinger, Fairfax County Times

Kudos to Washington Post for taking time to describe the work social workers do to help hungry families. The article “Pantry shelves becoming bare while needs increase” did the usual take on the bad economy and the rising numbers of families seeking food assistance. What set this article apart was that it took the time to mention the role of social workers in this process.

“Families and individuals are referred by county social workers to the program, (Our Daily Bread Food Organizer) Christina Garris said. Once their four-month service period is over, families go back to their social worker for an additional referral if they need more help from the pantry.”

Photo Courtesy of Minot Daily News

We commend the Minot Daily News in North Dakota for covering the Minot State University Student Social Work Organization’s push to raise awareness of hunger and homeless in that region. The group is trying to break the misconception that the homeless are mostly veterans living under a bridge or a person living in a box. Women and their children are the largest homeless group in the area, assistant professor of social work Deb DeWitz said. To read the full story click here.

UPDATE: Here’s a follow-up news article on the hunger and homeless drive.

Photo courtesy of Washington University

Nearly half of American children will be fed using food stamps at some point in their childhood, according to a new study from George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis. “Food stamp use is a clear sign of poverty and food insecurity, two of the most detrimental economic conditions affecting a child’s health,” said Dr. Mark Rank, the study’s author. For more information click here.