areas where public transportation is inadequate. For more information, contact: Judy Tutuska, Erie County Department of Social Services, 716-858-6839, jtutus@dss1.co.erie.ny.us . Outreach for the Nutrition Outreach and Education Program (NOEP) is conducted state-wide by a contractor, Nutrition Consortium of New York State, and the Consortium‟s 46 subcontractors who implement outreach campaigns at the local level. Consortium staff has a proficient knowledge of FSP regulations, barriers to participation, and effective outreach strategies. The NOEP model combines media outreach to promote a positive perception of the Food Stamp Program with targeted outreach to potentially eligible persons including on-site community work, eligibility pre-screening and application assistance for clients. In 2004, more than 47,600 individuals inquired about the Food Stamp Program, 36,419 households were pre-screened for benefits, and at least 18,228 households applied for and received Food Stamp Program benefits as a direct result of Consortium NOEP subcontractor work. They believe their success is due to the community-based model which uses agencies adept at connecting with low-income households in their service areas and combines the outreach work with pre-screening and application assistance. For more information, contact: E. Yvette James, Executive Director of Outreach/Education, Nutrition Consortium of New York State, 235 Lark Street, Albany, NY 12210, 518-436-8757, extension 15, hungernoep@aol.com.
North Carolina To encourage outreach, the Department of Health and Human Services designed and distributed a participation assessment worksheet to each local county Food Stamp Program office. The worksheet is used to identify potential barriers to access and participation as well as to note current activities and best practices for Food Stamp Program outreach. A website is also available to counties which provide county-specific information to identify underserved groups by demographic characteristics to enable them to focus new outreach efforts to targeted populations. For more information, contact: Jane Schwartz, Chief, Economic Services, Division of Social Services, 325 N. Salisbury Street, 2420 Mail Service Center, Raleigh NC 27699, 919-733-7831, jane.schwartz@ncmail.net.
North Dakota The Department of Social Services developed an on-line eligibility self-screening tool for the Food Stamp Program which has been available since 2000. Go to www.state.nd.us/humanservices and then click on Financial Help. From the listing of financial programs, click on Food Stamp Program. This website provides information about the Food Stamp Program, with a direct link to the Food Stamp Calculator. The website also contains links to Food Stamp Program-related frequently asked questions, publications, the application for assistance, and list of county social service offices. There are also links to USDA Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services, USDA Nutrition Assistance Programs, USDA Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) and Food USA. For more information, contact: Darlene A. Faber, Quality Assurance Coordinator, Food Stamp Program, Department of Human Services, 600 E. Boulevard Ave. Dept. 325, Bismarck ND 58505, 701-328-1832, sofabd@state.nd.us. Since October 2004, the Department of Social Services has been providing grassroots and community agencies state-wide with Outreach packets containing an application for assistance, civil rights brochures, Food Stamp Program brochure, 10 Steps to Help You Fill Your Grocery Bag through the Food Stamp Program, and several posters from the USDA Food Stamps Make America Stronger series. These posters incorporate the name, address and phone number of the local county social service office. Also included is a sheet describing Food Stamp Program eligibility requirements including asset and income limits, allowable deductions, a sample eligibility test, and a description of how the benefit is calculated. This material is also coordinated with USDA‟s „white envelope‟ titled
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