Khristian Howard

Transcript

DEREK SMITH:

Hello, and welcome to Baylor Connections, a conversation series with the people shaping our future. Each week, we go in depth with Baylor leaders, professors and more discussing important topics in higher education, research and student life. Today, we're talking about work done by the Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty with Khristian Howard. Khristian serves as the Waco Regional Manager for Snap Strategy at the Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty. Her work focuses on creating a community wide plan to increase access and participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP. She works with diverse stakeholders to build capacity, identify community engagement opportunities and encourage multi-sector participation in SNAP outreach, education and application assistance. Khristian earned her masters in social work at the Diana R. Garland School of Social Work at Baylor, and a bachelor's in social work from the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University. She's now putting that to use for people in our community and she's with us today are on the program. Khristian, great to have you on Baylor Connections today. Thank you so much for joining us.

KHRISTIAN HOWARD:

Yes. Thank you, Derek, for having me.

DEREK SMITH:

We've been able to enjoy talking to different people from the Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty on the program on the years, Jeremy Everett and others. And it's neat to see the many ways the collaborative serves the community and is grown since it's beginnings here. And the collaborative continues to grow in scope and resources, Khristian. Which aspects of that growth have been most meaningful or exciting to you and your colleagues most recently?

KHRISTIAN HOWARD:

Sure. Our goal at BCHP is really to cultivate scalable solutions to end hunger. And so much of our work has been in that scaling aspect of that. In 2019, we tested a project to deliver meals in the summer to children in rural areas in Texas who didn't have access to summer meal sites. And when the pandemic hit, we were given the opportunity to scale that project up nationally. We're also in the beginning steps of a project that seeks to scale up programs that intersect with hunger and the criminal justice program. And with my own work with SNAP, the goal is to create a strategy for reducing hunger in Waco that can be replicated in other communities.

DEREK SMITH:

Earlier you talked about some of these programs that have started and then scaled during the pandemic. As we're almost two years in into it now, are there any impacts or trends in this kind of later portion of it that stand out to you and your colleagues at BCHP?

KHRISTIAN HOWARD:

Definitely. We've noticed that old methods of distributing access are needing to be retooled for this ever-changing landscape and ever-changing situation on the ground. For example, other options for feeding children in the summer that can supplement those traditional congregate meal sites are being explored. We're also recognizing evolving demands on people's time and how important it is now to think about different ways for creating access to resources like SNAP.

DEREK SMITH:

We are talking with Khristian Howard, Waco Regional Manager for SNAP Strategy at the Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty. So let's talk more about your role. If you saw a friend or family member you hadn't seen in a while and they said, what are you doing now? How would you describe that?

KHRISTIAN HOWARD:

What I usually tell friends and family is that there are people who are eligible to receive public assistance, but they don't currently have access to those resources. And so my role is managing a program that helps low income people get access to food resources through SNAP, which of course is a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. And on a deeper level, my role is really classic community engagement. I try to take the most collaborative approach to understanding food insecurity in Waco, to understanding the barriers to programs like SNAP and to connecting with the right players in the community to make that change happen. And so in practice, this looks like implementing a community-wide plan that can be tailored to fit other communities that have similar needs.

DEREK SMITH:

What led you to this role or what was most appealing when you heard about it?

KHRISTIAN HOWARD:

Yeah. You said in the beginning, I'm a social worker and a community practitioner by training. And so when I first learned about this role, it seemed like the perfect place to apply those skills. Based on my previous experience here at BCHP, which was formally CHI, and at AmeriCorps Vista, I knew that this organization was one that believed in empowering communities. So I knew that my goals of centering community voices and ownership in hunger and food security solutions would be well supported in a role like this.

DEREK SMITH:

Khristian, as we think about SNAP broadly, a lot of people are at least familiar with it, but maybe don't know everything about it, or a lot about it even. So are there aspects of the SNAP program that you find most people are unaware of? And if so, what do you find yourself wanting to share with people as you talk to stakeholders or just others in the community?

KHRISTIAN HOWARD:

Yes. Definitely talking to stakeholders, there's a recurring theme that seems to come up often, and that is stigma. So the first thing I would want to let people know is that it is 100% okay to need assistance from SNAP. For years, there's been a culture of shame cultivated around being low income or needing help with food and housing, et cetera. But given the current climate with the pandemic and our economic climate, I think that more and more people are coming face to face with these kinds of needs, which makes it the perfect time to undo the harmful stigma around using SNAP. And secondly, I would want people to know just how effective SNAP can be for an individual household's budget, but also to the local economy and the national economy.

DEREK SMITH:

How do families access SNAP benefits?

KHRISTIAN HOWARD:

So SNAP is administered differently in each state. And so in Texas, anyone that's looking to receive SNAP has to complete an application. These are most commonly done online at yourtexasbenefits.com, but paper applications are still available. After an application is submitted, a case worker from the Texas Health and Human Services Department contacts the applicant, conducts a brief phone interview, and then usually that decision on the application is given during that interview. So if someone is approved to receive SNAP, they'll get a Loan Star card in the mail, the which is essentially an EBT card or electronic benefits transfer card where the SNAP benefits are loaded, and they can use that card like a debit card at any SNAP retailer to buy food, to buy food producing seeds, and plants and things like that.

DEREK SMITH:

Talking to Khristian Howard from the Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty. And Khristian, maybe there's obvious aspects to the question I'm going to ask. But even talking about beyond the financial assistance it provides, which is very important. How do families benefit from SNAP? What's the impact of having this as a part of your family's budget and ability to get food?

KHRISTIAN HOWARD:

Yeah. So like you said, Derek, kind of the most obvious benefit is being able to buy food that otherwise you may not have been able to. And so we know that part of the definition of food insecurity is skipping meals because you didn't have enough money for food or running out of food before the end of the month. And so getting monthly SNAP benefits really does offset that a lot. Another benefit just for the household is being able to stabilize your budget. So, whereas people may have been making trade offs and decisions between paying the light bill, for example, or buying those extra groceries, having that supplemental assistance through SNAP really helps them be able to cover all their bills, still afford food. And then lastly, it is really important for nutrition. So a lot of times people that are struggling or trying to make food stretch or food budget stretch kind of forego the nutritional quality of what they eat. So a lot of times the cheaper thing just lasts longer and it's filling, but maybe it doesn't have as much nutritional quality. So SNAP is helpful in that you're able to afford that produce, you're able to afford those healthier items that otherwise may not fit into the budget.

DEREK SMITH:

And you talk about that, and obviously kids are healthier if they're eating healthier foods and their families have access to them. And thinking, we talk about food insecurity or lack thereof, that has impacts on what kids in their performance in school, families and their mental health on overall health. How much of a multiplier effect can there be for families from this?

KHRISTIAN HOWARD:

Yes. You hit it right on the head. It really does reverberate so many things that we experience in our lives really stem from our diet. And so, like you said, kids that are more food secure or eating more nutritionally valid foods are going to develop better mentally, they're going to perform better in school, they're not going to be distracted by things like hunger, headaches, different things that can sort of arise. And the same can be said for an adult or any other person with mental health. A lot of times dealing with mental health issues, the first questions that people sort of get asked is what are you eating? Our my microbiome really does control a lot of what happens with the brain. And so, yeah, I can see SNAP really having a positive effect on a lot of those things.

DEREK SMITH:

We are talking with Khristian Howard on Baylor Connections. And Khristian, your role, you're building bridges for people to access this and to receive some of those benefits that you've talked about. So let's dive into your role a little bit more specifically now. So a lot more people are eligible for SNAP than actually are able to, and then actually use it. You actually sign up and go through the process that you described. Why is that? What are the factors that lead to that?

KHRISTIAN HOWARD:

Yeah. So a lot of it does come from that stigma that I mentioned before. But another sort of obstacle can be the application process. It's when you understand what's needed, it can be pretty straightforward. But if you are a little bit outside of that, then it can be really intimidating. It's scary sometimes to try to apply for something like a public assistance program, and you're a little worried about if you do something wrong or what information you're supposed to give. And so that process can be really confusing for people. And so one of the things that really the main focus for at least the last year or so with my work has been connecting the dots for people. So working with different people in the community to say, hey, is your agency a place where people can get assistance with the SNAP application? So setting up what we're calling SNAP Access Points has really, really been vital to this work, or just trying to educate service providers in the community about the application so that they in turn can help clients around that obstacle

DEREK SMITH:

A SNAP Access Point, what is that? What does that look like? Or what would that look like for a family trying to take advantage?

KHRISTIAN HOWARD:

Yeah. So SNAP Access Points are different agencies throughout the community. Some of these are school based, some of these are food pantries or just general wraparound service agencies where people are already going to receive help with various other needs. So places where people already intersect. Trusted places in the community, like churches or like some of our schools. And so these are places where a volunteer or a staff member at that agency has agreed to become trained on the SNAP application, learn the process, and then offer that when they meet with the client that does present some of those food needs.

DEREK SMITH:

This is Baylor Connections. We are visiting with Khristian Howard, Waco Regional Manager for SNAP Strategy at the Baylor Collective on Hunger and Poverty. And Khristian, I know you mentioned some of the agencies that serve as SNAP Access Points. We talked at the beginning of the show, we talked about how you work with diverse stakeholders to build capacity and create that engagement in the community. Are those the stakeholders you're talking about? And who all do you partner with in building this?

KHRISTIAN HOWARD:

Yeah. So we have right now what we call the SNAP Strategy Action Team. And so that really is the collective of these stakeholders and these partners. So some of them would be access points, some of them are more helpful for outreach, and education and so on. And so some of these partners include Communities in Schools, Transformation Waco, Meals on Wheels, the Cove, even our on campus pantry at Baylor. And so, yeah, those are just a few of the partners that we work with.

DEREK SMITH:

So the Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty, as we talked specifically about helping people access SNAP benefits, do you know when this first became an issue that BCHP addressed and really started putting a concerted effort towards?

KHRISTIAN HOWARD:

Yeah. So a large component of BCHP's work has always been working to eliminate barriers to accessing resources. So we've worked to increase access to SNAP for collectively over 10 years, but this is the first time that we've had a really intense focus on the Waco community, which was made possible by funding from Cooper Foundation that actually funded my role in this project.

DEREK SMITH:

Oh, that's great. Yeah. You can see the direct impact of some of that support for families, but also in a role that focuses on that with you, for sure. For you, what aspects of this do you work to get the word out are most meaningful? Because there's that final outcome you're going to of helping end food security and helping people access SNAP benefits as a tool to do so, but you're also building something bigger as you do it, I guess. What aspects of that are most meaningful to you?

KHRISTIAN HOWARD:

Yeah. So definitely working with the action team. As I mentioned, centering this in the community, centering their voices and their ownership in this is of paramount importance to me. And it's really the main way that something like this can become sustainable in the community. And so since we are not a direct service agency, we really do depend on our partners in the community to get the word out. And so what we want is for this to become a normal part of operations for different organizations in the community, just a normal part of our lives to think about, and ask people about and help people get access to really one of the most effective programs that we have to end hunger. And so the way that we get the word out to families is through those partners, through giving them materials and tools to educate the community, which they've been a part of creating as well, which is really important as they know their clients more than we do, they have relationships with them. So they really are really effective in helping make sure that the messaging that we're trying to get across is appropriate for various different populations or people in the community.

DEREK SMITH:

Khristian, this is a broad question, whether it's you're talking about from individuals who benefit from SNAP benefits or from the people you've worked with. What would you say the response has been as you've built this?

KHRISTIAN HOWARD:

The response has been overwhelmingly positive. One of the things that I'm really grateful for is how much buy-in this has gotten in the community and just how many people I've sat down with or talked to that have said, yes, absolutely this is a need. We've seen this. Or they've described to me programs that they've been doing, but said, "hey, like we know this doesn't do enough. We really do need something like this." So yeah, it's been an overwhelmingly positive response, which has been great.

DEREK SMITH:

I know you've talked about the facts that when people access SNAP benefits, it benefits the community as a whole. And it seems like these organizations recognize that. But for people who haven't thought about that a lot, how would you describe that? How would you describe the benefits to a community of people accessing what's available to them?

KHRISTIAN HOWARD:

Yeah. So one of the ways that SNAP is helpful is for every SNAP dollar, there's about a dollar and 80 cents economic impact. So when you have people that are receiving and using SNAP, they're going to local retailers. So some of these are large grocery stores, but some of them can be farmers' markets, smaller groceries. But basically it's generating money in the community, as people are able to spend dollars to purchase food. So I guess for someone that hasn't thought a lot about that, I would just encourage them to use some of the resources that exist. Dr. Craig Gundersen is put out tons of amazing work, and articles and studies about the economic impact of SNAP. And there are several other agencies that also study this.

DEREK SMITH:

Well, you mentioned Dr. Gundersen. Let me ask you about him. The Baylor Collaborative recently welcomed Dr. Gundersen as the Snee Family Chair. It's going to add a new way that Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty can speak into this issue of food insecurity. You mentioned economics a little. Could you tell us more about what his role is going to entail and how that's going to impact the work you do?

KHRISTIAN HOWARD:

Sure. So at BCHP, one of our core commitments is research. And we really want everything we do to be evidence based and evaluated for effectiveness. And so Dr. Gundersen is the nation's foremost expert in leveraging publicly funded nutrition programs to reduce rates of food insecurity. And so he'll apply this expertise to all our work and will be really valuable in the economics department as well at Baylor. But also in explaining more of the economics of SNAP and how these things help, we really do rely on him a lot for that and are really grateful to have him on our team.

DEREK SMITH:

Yeah. It's neat to see, as Baylor's now an R1 research university, all the different ways that people are coming in and impacting that. And that research component for the Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty, I don't know if that's something maybe a lot of people don't know about that, but that's a big aspect of what you all do.

KHRISTIAN HOWARD:

Yeah, it is. So we kind of summarize our work in three main pools, and that's research, practice and policy. And so, yeah, just again, Dr. Gundersen is going to be a huge, huge asset to our already great research team. So helping us move that forward is going to be amazing. And then also, with me kind of falling into that practice realm, it's just a really great balance.

DEREK SMITH:

Talking with Khristian Howard. And Khristian, as we head into the final few minutes, I want to ask, you talked about your focus is here in Waco, but there's an opportunity to scale. And I know that the collaborative has done that so much so well. It started as the Texas Hunger Initiative and it's grown into something nationwide, and you all have learned a lot about scaling this. But what's your vision for this? And what aspects of this do you think are sort of that low hanging fruit to replicate elsewhere?

KHRISTIAN HOWARD:

Sure. So there's a couple of things that I think are probably lower hanging fruit, and that's the training for the application. So we've been working really hard and consulting with lots of different people to really parse out a training that helps walk people through the SNAP application, and that hopefully will alleviate some of the anxiety around that. And so as we sort of develop and refine that, that's going to be something that we'll be more than happy to kind of hand off to other communities that are looking to replicate something like this. And then there's another component, which is research. So we're conducting a study, hearing from the community, learning directly from them what the barriers are that really keep someone whose eligible from signing up for SNAP. And so the framework for that and the results for that are also going to be something that's, I think really powerful and effective as we kind of move this work forward and begin to think about what it might look like in Dallas, or what it might look like in San Angelo or another area.

DEREK SMITH:

Khristian, there's a lot of exciting things taking place. And as we wind down, what are you most excited about, whether it's your specific role or just even seeing things that the Baylor Collaborative, BCHP is doing? What are you most excited about as you look ahead to 2022 and beyond?

KHRISTIAN HOWARD:

Yeah, I think just in the context of the collaborative, we have a lot of different, really great projects that are kind of going at one time, and we each really have important roles to play. And so one thing that I'm excited for is figuring out and learning more about how each of these things connects. Because a lot of times we have locations across the state of Texas, and so something like SNAP and this work, being able to share resources with a different region and have them do the same, and really connecting our work in that way is something that I'm really excited to see.

DEREK SMITH:

Well, Khristian, if people are listening to this and interested in learning more or getting involved, what are some ways they can do so?

KHRISTIAN HOWARD:

Yeah. So a SNAP webpage is forthcoming. But in the meantime, I can be found at khristian_howard@baylor.edu. And that is Khristian, like the religion, but it starts with a K. Or you can check out the work of the rest of our organization at hungerandpoverty.org.

DEREK SMITH:

Hungerandpoverty.org. Well Khristian, thanks so much for joining us and sharing about the work you do. And we'll look forward to seeing the ways it continues to grow and impact our community going forward.

KHRISTIAN HOWARD:

Thank you.

DEREK SMITH:

Thank you so much. Khristian Howard, Waco Regional Manager for SNAP Strategy at the Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty, our guest today on Baylor Connections. I'm Derek Smith. You can hear this program and others online, baylor.edu/connections. And you can subscribe to the program on iTunes. Thanks for joining us here on Baylor Connections.