You answered our call for help with securing funding in the SC House budget for the SC Department of Social Service’s (DSS) Healthy Bucks program. Now, we need your help with ensuring Healthy Bucks and an upgrade to the SNAP processing system are included in the SC Senate budget.
DSS has requested $5 million in the 2023-2024 budget to expand the Healthy Bucks program, which allows families to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables at participating farmers markets and roadside stands. DSS has also requested $8.7 million to update the system they use to run Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. DSS uses an outdated mainframe system to determine SNAP and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) eligibility in the state and to process payments to retailers when SNAP recipients buy groceries. Because of the age of the system, which processes about $1.8 billion worth of SNAP payments each year, DSS cannot make updates or improvements, which poses significant risks to the state.
The SC Senate Finance Committee is meeting next week to discuss the allocation for the DSS requests, and we would love for the members of that committee to hear from you before they vote on these requests.
Do you live in one of the SC Senate Districts listed below? If you do, please call your senator any time between now and Tuesday afternoon (April 4) and let them know that you hope they vote in favor of the DSS budget requests. If you have personal stories related to the Healthy Bucks or SNAP program, please feel free to share those.
We’ve created a script to make it easier for you! Talk to your legislator or leave a voicemail and follow up via email.
Step 1: Phone Call
Call your senator if they are listed below. Use the telephone script below to convey the message. Leave a voicemail, if prompted.
Telephone Script
Hello Sen. [Name], my name is [Your Name] and I am one of your constituents. I understand that the Senate Finance Committee will discuss the DSS-requested Healthy Bucks budget appropriations in the coming days and wanted to let you know that I hope you vote to support the $5 million request for the Healthy Bucks program and the $8.7 million request to start developing a new economic services system to process SNAP and TANF benefits. By expanding the Healthy Bucks program and upgrading the processing system, families across our state will have greater and timelier access to nutritious produce and local farmers will have improved economic development opportunities.
[If speaking directly to the Senator]:
Are you committed to supporting the DSS-requested Healthy Bucks and processing system appropriations in committee? *answer* Thank you for your time.
[If leaving a voicemail]:
Again, I hope you’ll consider voting to support the DSS-requested Healthy Bucks and SNAP processing system appropriations. Thank you. [Feel free to leave callback information if you’d like.]
Step 2: Follow-up Email
Did you leave a voicemail? Follow up with an email to ensure your message is received. Use the message we’ve created for you to send.
Follow-up Email Body
Hello Sen. [Name], my name is [Your Name] and I am one of your constituents. I left you a voicemail today, but am following up via email to ensure you get the message. I understand that the Senate Finance Committee will discuss the DSS-requested budget appropriations in the coming days and wanted to let you know that I hope you vote to support the $5 million request in the state budget for expanding the Healthy Bucks program and the $8.7 million request to upgrade the SNAP and TANF processing system. By expanding the Healthy Bucks program and upgrading the processing system, families across our state will have greater and timelier access to nutritious produce, which has long-term health and communal benefits and local farmers will have improved economic development opportunities. Again, I hope you’ll consider voting to support the DSS-requested appropriations. Thank you. [Feel free to leave callback information if you’d like.]
At Wholespire, we know the importance of evaluating projects and initiatives to determine an impact or to make improvements to future endeavors. After 10 years of implementation and collecting feedback from adult and youth participants, The HYPE Project® underwent a thorough evaluation and makeover. Working with evaluators at The University of South Carolina and designers at TRIO Solutions, Inc., Wholespire revamped the curriculum and brand to provide participants with a more inclusive and engaging experience.
“We recognized that HYPE needed content updates as best practices of healthy eating and active living, youth engagement and advocacy had evolved over the last ten years,” said Executive Director Meg Stanley. “We wanted the initiative to look relevant and align with the Wholespire brand. Plus, our strategic plan identifies the sustainability of HYPE as a priority.”
In 2021, Wholespire contracted with the Youth Empowerment in Schools and Systems (YESS) lab at the University of South Carolina School of Psychology, an applied research group focused on translating theories of child development to pragmatic prevention and intervention strategies.
YESS evaluators analyzed all existing HYPE resources, tools, and data to pinpoint strengths, weaknesses, and improvements needed to fully engage youth and their adult advisors. They developed a new logic model following a series of five strategically facilitated discussions with Wholespire staff.
The new HYPE logic model provides a visual representation of Wholespire decision-making and goals as well as the process by which youth experience The HYPE Project and the respective outcomes. New points of interest within the logic model are:
Philosophy – Seven main values guide Wholespire decision-making, planning, and training for The HYPE Project:
Positive youth development (PYD) is an intentional approach to engage youth within their communities, schools, organizations, and more to provide opportunities for youth to enhance their interests, strengths, and abilities. Wholespire uses the PYD Developmental Assets Framework within HYPE to foster positive development through external assets and internal assets.
Youth empowerment is a strengths-based process to engage youth in building skills, knowledge, and resources to control and influence decisions, reach greater well-being, and promote positive community change. Youth specifically build skills related to advocacy, youth organizing and civic, sociopolitical development, and self and collective efficacy.
Policy, systems and environmental (PSE) change is a way of changing and improving the community for its members. PSE changes also reflect population- or community-focused efforts. Using PSE change, youth are engaged in critical thinking processes in HYPE training to build awareness and skills to promote PSE change related to healthy eating and active living in their communities.
Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI): To center DEI, Wholespire seeks to focus on racial equity throughout the entire organization. Wholespire seeks to address health disparities in South Carolina communities and increase access to healthy eating and active living options. HYPE trainings are developed to be age and culturally relevant so that youth can be effective champions for change within and beyond the program.
Leadership involves efforts to be champions for change and experts of best practices to promote wellness in communities. Using leadership, youth are engaged in a youth-led project to create PSE change related to healthy eating and active living. Youth are also prepared to be allies regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion within their communities.
Collaboration is the process of people and/or organizations working together transparently to determine similarities in intentions and efforts. To prioritize collaboration, youth collaborate with peers, adult advisors, and community members in efforts to make PSE changes related to healthy eating and active living. Youth share HYPE projects and results with community members and stakeholders.
Sustainability involves doing work in a way that ensures the viability of an organization and support to the community. Thinking about sustainability in The HYPE Project, youth projects focus on sustainable change related to healthy eating and active living within their communities. Additionally, HYPE alumni have career and social support from the organization.
Outcomes – Process, intermediate and long-term outcomes are the resulting changes or impacts of the program that youth are expected to experience as a result of completing all phases of HYPE. Outcomes are influenced by philosophy and values and can be influenced by available resources and services provided by Wholespire through The HYPE Project.
Process Outcomes: These are the immediate intended impacts of completing a certain part of a program. For The HYPE Project, the process outcomes are an acceptable level of engagement and a positive climate during training sessions for the first two phases of the curriculum, and the completion of the sessions.
Intermediate Outcomes: These are the intended impacts immediately following the full completion of a program. After completing the last three phases of the curriculum, outcomes are an increase in skills and motivation for healthy eating and active living in regard to community action and PSE change; an emerging critical consciousness; increased skills for identifying and considering health disparities; increased planning, goal-setting, and critical thinking skills; and increased physical and mental health.
Long-term Outcomes: These are the intended impacts months to years after fully completing a program. Six months after completing HYPE, youth will have increased: critical consciousness, community engagement, leadership and advocacy, social capital, ability to access valid information, resources, and services to promote health, physical and mental health and career and social support for HYPE alumni. Outcomes are measured by surveying youth during and after their HYPE experience. This new methodology is necessary to ensure the integrity and viability of The HYPE Project.
New Curriculum
In addition to improving the logic model, YESS evaluators looked at the content and activities in the curriculum. Considering feedback from youth and adult advisors collected in 2018-2020, YESS evaluators suggested:
Integrating Youth-Led Participatory Action Research (YPAR) Projects for future training structure to engage youth in projects that specifically address and promote issues that are important to youth in their communities. Through YPAR, youth specifically have opportunities to engage in more hands-on and service-learning activities to enhance youth skills regarding National Health Education Standards (NHES) related to goal-setting and self-management
Integrate concepts and activities from Youth Empowerment Solutions (YES) MVPA, a modular curriculum for promoting positive youth development related to behavioral and socio-emotional health skills. YES MVPA curriculum focuses on self-care as it relates to activism in order to support youth health and well-being as they work for social and systems-level change.
Identifying the NHES as they apply to each section within the curriculum.
Incorporating new activities, games and breaks.
Incorporating relevant topics or recent issues into discussions.
All of the suggestions made by YESS evaluators and through past HYPE youth and adult advisor surveys were carefully considered and included in the revised HYPE curriculum.
New Branding and Tools
Wholespire worked with designers at TRIO Solutions, Inc., in Mt. Pleasant, SC, to redesign the HYPE brand and curriculum and to develop a supply kit for adult advisors to use when teaching the curriculum. A more modern and relevant logo and curriculum design was produced that aligns with the Wholespire brand.
“Our goal was to give adult advisors and teens a better visual and hands-on experience when learning about PSE change, community health, bias, stereotypes, and how the information impacts individual behaviors and access to healthy choices,” says Stanley.
Wholespire recently launched the new curriculum and tools at an adult advisors training. During the training, representatives from eight new HYPE teams in South Carolina gathered to gain a better understanding of the requirements and expectations of The HYPE Project. They received an overview of the Think and Learn Phases and tried many of the new activities.
So what’s next for The HYPE Project? Wholespire is currently talking to organizations outside of South Carolina that are interested in implementing HYPE. Our ultimate goal is for HYPE to be nationally recognized and used widely across the United States.
Things are underway at the statehouse for the new legislative session and one of the first things we are working on is the Department of Social Service’s (DSS) Healthy Bucks program budget request. The Healthy Bucks program allows Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients to obtain additional fresh produce at participating farmers markets. DSS is requesting $5 million in funding for the Healthy Bucks program in the budget this year. The SC House Ways and Means Healthcare Subcommittee is meeting this week to discuss the allocation for the DSS Healthy Bucks request, and we would love for the members of that subcommittee to hear from you before they vote on this request.
Do you live in SC House Districts 74 (Rep. Rutherford), 82 (Rep. Clyburn), 91 (Rep. Hosey), 108 (Rep. Hewitt), or 118 (Rep. Herbkersman, chair)? If you do, please call your representative any time between now and Wednesday afternoon (Jan 25) and let them know that you hope they vote in favor of the DSS Healthy Bucks budget request. If you have personal stories related to the Healthy Bucks program, please feel free to share those.
We’ve created a script to make it easier for you! Talk to your legislator or leave a voicemail and follow-up via email.
Step 1: Phone Call
Call your representative if they are listed below. Use the telephone script below to convey the message. Leave a voicemail, if prompted.
Telephone Script
Hello Rep. [Name], my name is [Your Name] and I am one of your constituents. I understand that the Healthcare Subcommittee of the Ways and Means Committee will discuss the DSS-requested Healthy Bucks budget appropriation in the coming days and wanted to let you know that I hope you vote to support the $5 million request in the state budget. By expanding the Healthy Bucks program, families across our state will have greater access to nutritious produce, which has long-term health and communal benefits, as well as economic development opportunities for local farmers.
[If speaking directly to the Representative]:
Are you committed to supporting the DSS-requested Healthy Bucks appropriation in subcommittee? *answer* Thank you for your time.
[If leaving a voicemail]:
Again, I hope you’ll consider voting to support the DSS-requested Healthy Bucks appropriation. Thank you. [Feel free to leave callback information if you’d like.]
Step 2: Follow-up Email
Did you leave a voicemail? Follow up with an email to ensure your message is received. Use the message we’ve created for you to send.
Follow-up Email Body
Hello Rep. [Name], my name is [Your Name] and I am one of your constituents. I left you a voicemail today, but am following up via email to ensure you get the message. I understand that the Healthcare Subcommittee of the Ways and Means Committee will discuss the DSS-requested Healthy Bucks budget appropriation in the coming days and wanted to let you know that I hope you vote to support the $5 million request in the state budget. By expanding the Healthy Bucks program, families across our state will have greater access to nutritious produce, which has long-term health and communal benefits, as well as economic development opportunities for local farmers. Again, I hope you’ll consider voting to support the DSS-requested Healthy Bucks appropriation. Thank you. [Feel free to leave callback information if you’d like.]
Volunteers in Society Hill unload supplies for the community garden.
Driving 30-45 minutes to buy groceries is a burden that residents in Society Hill face every day because there isn’t a grocery store in the community. Residents only have access to unhealthy food at local convenience stores and the local Family Dollar. CareSouth and community volunteers are changing that by creating a community garden where residents can plant and grow fruits and vegetables for free.
CareSouth was one of 13 organizations that recently received a healthy eating and active living (HEAL) mini-grant from Wholespire to address food insecurity. The community garden is located on the historical site of St. David’s Academy, a property that CareSouth acquired for renovation and office use. They generously agreed to reserve part of the property for the community garden.
“The raised bed gardens have already been built for community members to plant and maintain their fall gardens,” said Christy Beasley, community health educator at CareSouth. “Retired farmer and community garden volunteer Dick Baird is leading the project by starting seeds on flatbeds, helping families plant their gardens, and providing expertise on maintenance.”
Volunteers in Society Hill start constructing gardens beds for their community garden.
Beasley says four families have planted fall gardens, and they expect more families to take advantage of this free resource in the Spring. She says Society Hill is buzzing about the gardening opportunity and four people donated money to the project.
“I have met personally with members of the community at the local school. Teachers, parents, staff and community members are extremely interested in a community garden to learn about gardening, nutrition and working with others in the community,” says Beasley.
In addition to encouraging community members to plant and maintain their garden plots, project plans will include education about planting seeds, pests and weeds, seed saving, and harvesting and cooking the fruits of their labor. Ultimately, Beasley hopes this gardening experience will give community members the confidence to grow gardens in their backyards.
Clinton High School students build the fueling station structure.
Residents in Clinton and its surrounding areas have limited opportunities to be active and obtain nutritious food, however, local leaders are in the process of changing that. Wholespire recently awarded the City of Clinton a healthy eating and active living (HEAL) mini-grant to build a fueling station housed at the YMCA of Clinton.
According to their mini-grant application, the City of Clinton is partnering with the YMCA of Clinton to create an onsite fueling station that will supply nutritious foods to the community free of charge. They recruited students from Clinton High School to build and assemble the shelving unit located at the YMCA. High-quality and nutritious food will be gathered, gleaned, and purchased from local food partners including local farms, grocers, and donors.
“The most common complaint shared by guests of the YMCA is the high expense of food, especially healthy food. They try to balance a healthy lifestyle by working out, but more often than not, they will go home and eat something that is not very healthy,” said City of Clinton Community Relations Specialist Lacresha Dowdy.
Residents have access to only two grocery stores, but they are both on one side of town, which puts many of people at a disadvantage in accessing affordable or good-quality fresh food. Data from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control indicates that Laurens County has a 26.2% higher food insecurity rate among children and 24.1% among adults when compared to the state average. Health outcomes are also poor with high rates of diabetes (13.8%), obesity (38.5%) and elevated child BMI demonstrated in school surveillance data.
Clinton High School students are ready to get started on the fueling station structure.
Dowdy added, “The data tells us that the problems of hunger and food insecurity and the epidemic of diabetes, obesity and obesity-related chronic disease have become daunting concerns. The statistics speak for themselves in that 100% of middle and high school students are eligible for free or reduced lunch; and 13% of adults record having limited access to healthy foods, higher than 9% rank for SC.”
Providing free food to the community isn’t the only purpose of the fueling station project. In addition to providing produce and other food items from their farm, LushAcres Farm will allow gleaning field trips for Laurens County School District students. This experience will allow youth to be more conscience of healthy food environments and increase their understanding of the larger food system.
Another component of the project includes educating the community on nutrition, proper food preparation, kitchen safety and cooking skills provided by Clemson Youth Learning Institute SNAP-Ed. Classes will be held for youth, teens, and adults.
The City of Clinton is one of 13 communities that received funding for projects that support populations in need of community resources like the fueling station, playground equipment, school gardens, and hydration stations.
After collecting feedback from residents for an updated bicycle and pedestrian plan, the City of West Columbia will install bicycle racks in various locations throughout the city. The addition will complement the connectivity of parks, trails, and bike lanes and provide cyclists with a safe way to temporarily store their bicycles.
The City of West Columbia is one of 13 communities that recently received a healthy eating and active living (HEAL) mini-grant from Wholespire, a nonprofit that helps organizations and community coalitions increase access to healthy choices. The mini-grant allows West Columbia to purchase 12 bike racks and install them at locations such as parks, the River District, Triangle City, and other highly traversed areas of the city.
“Over the last several years we’ve worked to expand safe accessibility for bicycles and pedestrians throughout the city. We are thankful for these bicycle racks so that people can ride around town, stop, and enjoy the local parks, businesses, and restaurants, all while never having to get into a car,” said Mayor Tem Miles.
“As an individual who is a recreational cyclist, an occasional bicycle commuter, and a father who enjoys a family stroll through the neighborhood and parks, I see the addition of bike racks for public use in West Columbia as the logical next step to aid both current and prospective bikers to move around town,” says Joel Mathwig, West Columbia resident. “Having a convenient and safe location to temporarily store a bike – whether to enjoy a park, go shopping, get to work – can only encourage more bicycle use and more physical activity.”
The West Metro Bike and Pedestrian Master Plan identify a clear strategy for near- and long-term active transportation projects within the West Metro area. The goals identified by the plan are to:
Complete a connected and accessible network of bike and pedestrian facilities,
Improve safety for all modes of transportation,
Provide a comfortable network that encourages biking and walking for users of all ages and abilities, and
Provide equitable access to bike and pedestrian facilities and cultivate an environment of respect for all modes of transportation.
The City of West Columbia, the Central Midlands Council of Governments, the City of Cayce, and the City of Springdale created The West Metro Bike and Pedestrian Master Plan in 2017 and adopted the plan in 2018.
What do you do when your community doesn’t have a safe place to be active or needs new ways to get nutritious food? You apply for a Wholespire Healthy Eating and Active Living (HEAL) Mini-Grant. Thirteen communities will receive funding in the coming months for projects that support populations that need community resources like playground equipment, school gardens, and water refill stations.
“These types of resources tend to be barriers for people who want to lead healthy lives but may not be able to afford a gym membership or spend much on fresh fruits and vegetables,” said Meg Stanley, executive director at Wholespire. “We want to change that by assisting communities that truly need help with providing their residents safe places to be active and alternative and affordable ways to access nutritious food.”
Wholespire received 76 HEAL Mini-grant applications, a 111% increase from last year. Mini-grants are given once a year, and funding is limited to up to $5,000 per application. According to Stanley, “The response from communities speaks to the need for local governments and other local entities to take a closer look at the needs and wants of their communities. People want to live healthy lives, but a majority of them don’t have access to healthy choices.”
The HEAL Mini-grants also focus on making communities more equitable and reducing health disparities. Communities, neighborhoods, and schools differ because of location, income, race, and other socioeconomic factors. These factors, in addition to county health statistics, are used in scoring applications, making it a competitive process.
The 13 mini-grant recipients are listed below in no particular order:
City of West Columbia (Lexington County) –Install bicycle racks in highly-traveled areas to increase parking options for cyclists who bike to eat, shop, work, and visit.
Promised Land Walking Track Improvements (Greenwood County) – Build upon a county-funded walking track by installing picnic tables, swings, and trash cans.
Town of Ridge Spring Bike and Park Improvements (Saluda County) – Install bike racks at the farmer’s market to encourage biking and upgrade playground equipment at the local park that encourages musical play and interaction.
Fresh Food Initiative through Education (Beaufort County) – Rebuild existing raised garden beds at Whale Branch Elementary School, create a dedicated outdoor classroom space, and establish a food distribution point on the campus to feed families.
Swing set in rural Fairfield County (Fairfield County) – Install a swing set at Rufus Belton Park, an area with limited play equipment for children.
School Garden for Science and Nutrition Exploration (Clarendon County) – Build a garden at Manning Elementary School to foster science and nutrition education for students and distribute food to families.
Eat Better, Feel Better, Move Better (Georgetown County) – Teach children how and when to plant and care for fruits and veggies through a school garden in The Sunshine Place Daycare’s outdoor classroom.
School Community Active Pathways and Blacktop Games (Oconee County) – Paint an active pathway on Salem Elementary School’s paved walking path and Foursquare courts in the recess area.
F2UEL Up: Food and Fitness Used in Energizing Lives Up (Laurens County) – Create a fueling station for YMCA of Clinton guests that provides free produce, pantry items, and other staples gathered, gleaned, and purchased from local food partners.
Hampton Elementary School Playground Revitalization (Hampton County) – Revive the school playground by installing a multi-climbing unit that gives students an option for physical activity.
Upgrading Basketball Court of Knights Hill Park (Kershaw County) – Upgrade the basketball court, located in Camden, to give young people an opportunity to be physically active while having fun.
The Franklin School Hydration Station (Spartanburg County) – Install water bottle fill stations on the playground for children at the child development center.
Society Hill Community Gardens (Darlington) – Create raised bed community garden plots for low-income families to use and harvest their own fresh fruits and vegetables.
Where can I walk or play since my road is so busy and not safe? Don’t have a safe place near you? What if you can’t afford a gym membership or there isn’t a gym in your hometown? Those are questions that community members of Kershaw County no longer have to ask themselves. Options for safe physical activity and safe places to play have increased, thanks to the Open Community Use of School Recreational Areas policy recently adopted by the Kershaw County School District (KCSD).
The school district will begin opening some of its outdoor school recreational areas for community use after school hours, on holidays, and on weekends when the facilities are not in use with school-related activities. The board defines open recreational areas as “the playgrounds at our elementary schools and parking lots for walking.”
KCSD will post signage at the open community use sites that will include district rules and safety regulations for usage of the recreational areas. Children under the age of fourteen must be accompanied by an adult while at the recreational sites.
“This is a win for schools, children, and the community. It provides access for children and community members to play and be active,” stated Kershaw County School District Superintendent Harrison Goodwin. “We know healthy children are better learners. This is a great example of partners working together for a healthier community.”
Many community partners support open community use including LiveWell Kershaw, KC Trails, Wholespire Kershaw County, and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SC DHEC). Wholespire Kershaw County worked closely with Kershaw County partners to advocate for the OCU policy.
“It’s a cost-effective policy adopted by many school districts around the state to increase access to safe places for physical activity,” said Wholespire Community Relations Manager Kelsey Sanders, MPH, CHES. “An important part of the policy is that protects against liability for schools, which is a major concern of administrators.”
SC DHEC Midlands Community Systems Team Member and Wholespire Richland County co-chair Robin Cooper said, “I was grateful for the opportunity to partner with Kershaw County Schools. Physical activity is important for better health outcomes and many don’t have access to places to be physically active. With the adoption of this policy, it offers the residents of Kershaw County the opportunity to engage in physical activity for better health outcomes.”
