Strategies for Thawing the Chilling Effect: Increasing Understanding and Uptake of Public Benefits in Immigrant Communities

The Leah Zallman Center (LZC) is the evaluator on No Kid Hungry’s newest grant program, which is aimed at thawing the chilling effect of the changes proposed and implemented under the Trump administration, focusing on immigrant families facing food insecurity. LZC will conduct a participatory evaluation with No Kid Hungry and the 19 grantees in this 12-month program. Grantee initiatives to enroll immigrant families in SNAP benefits include culturally appropriate, multi-lingual, multi-modal marketing campaigns and creative partnerships with schools, food pantries, community centers, churches, and other community hubs. Data from this evaluation will guide No Kid Hungry’s next grant cycle and development of internal metrics of success, and will identify best practices and policies to address the negative effects of the public charge ruling on immigrant families.