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Evening Edition January 8, 2013
>> They couldn't use them. Trouble started Sunday until six this morning. The San Diego
Food Bank reports serving record families in the county. Peggy Pico talks with the new
president about plans for the future. >> Peggy: Provides food to an estimate 50,000
people each month. But the record number of hungry San Diegans for a full disclosure.
Irwin Jacobs is a donor. We just heard the mistake and the cancellation of several thousand
food stamp cards for Southern Californians. What's happening right now?
>> We heard several people were affected. I think everything should be good today.
>> Peggy: Was there any impact on the food here?
>> I don't think so. >> Peggy: Tell us how the food bank operates.
Basically I know you had a lot of volunteers. >> We're totally local agency. There's a variety
of different things we do. We do food drives where we obtain food from the community and
pour their heart out. We also purchase food, especially fresh produce. And then we also
receive money from the USDA Federal Government. We distribute those foods as well.
>> Peggy: And you can also sign up for the food fresh program. Formally Food Stamps.
>> Which used to be Food Stamps. A lot of people were coming out for our distributions.
These were people eligible for the program. Applying for the program is very cumbersome.
People would have to take off a day of work to get the paperwork and take another day
off of work to make sure everything was finalized. What we found was we could prescreen them.
It makes it a little more stable and a little less dependent on our monthly distributions.
It also alleviates some of the pressure off of us. Now they're in a stable environment.
>> Peggy: You've been on the job just five days, just shortly after the fiscal agreement
by congress. But you're still briefing for government cuts, how come?
>> We passed the one milestone but I think we're good for September. There's another
one coming in March. We're an emergency food assistance program and the senior program,
cuts that happened last year. And that would have been about 20% cut across the board for
us. Emergency assistance program. And the one we really are worried about is the cut
in CalFresh food program. 4.5Êbillion to $16Êbillion.
>> Peggy: What are you doing to prepare for that?
>> We're trying to legislate. We're trying to get a hold of our representatives and convince
them that this is a horrific mistake. A dire situation for so many people people. A lot
of people don't realize how the face of hunger has really changed. We really pressure them
not to let it pass. >> Peggy: By many, many accounts San Diego's
economy is doing great. We have the lowest unemployment rate since 2009. So why this
increase? >> I don't know that we believe all the unemployment
figures because we have a lot of people who are underemployed. They may be working a lot
of jobs just to keep roofs over their head. We see the rate that are under employed. We
see middle class families. Ones, people who used to donate to the food bank are now recipients.
>> Peggy: What can people do if they want to help? Can they drop off food? Food drives.
>> They can do it all. Food drives are awesome. People can go on our website and learn how
to do a food drive. Monetary donations. I don't know how you can make a contribution
that goes so far. We do buy a lot of fresh produce. A lot of people think that our distributions
are rice and beans. But actually a lot of it is fresh produce.
>> Peggy: I've got time for one last question. You were part of the Burn Institute non profit
as well. How do you think that helped you? >> I'm a career non profit guy. The Burn Institute
was a local organization. We build that. We have that same ambition. We want to become
the model. >> Peggy: Thank you so much for joining us.
>> Thank you so much. >> On the next news hour we look at the explosion
of free join us tomorrow for the PBS news hour.
>> Dwane: California educators are getting ready to say good bye to the bubble. fill
in the bubble forms. The new test will emphasize critical thinking and prop solving skills
and largely be given by computer. The new test will be used in the 2014 2015 school
year in they improve the concept. Encinitas has become the yoga mecca of America.
Parents actually believe the classes were promoting Hinduism. detractors having derailed
all nine Encinitas schools >> It's the first period of the day at Olivenhain
School. yoga poses. >> Exhale. Fold over the leg.
>> At the end of the half hour class, eight year old says he feels ready for the rest
of the day. >> It's good to be the first class because
it wakes you up. >> Encinitas superintendent yoga is just one
part of the curriculum. >> We also have a nutrition program. We also
have a life skills program. It's a much broader thing than just yoga.
>> The wholeness program is the Encinitas based group promotes the kind of yoga called
Ashtanga. What Mary visited her son's class last year, she saw more.
>> The ones that brought the light that brought to the earth. They were told to do that before
they did their sun salutation. >> She opted her son out of the classes and
the more she reads about the Jois Foundation. >> It's stated in the curriculum that it's
meant to shape the way that they make life decisions. It's meant to shape the way that
they view themselves. That's very different from sports programs.
>> Then the question becomes if it is religion, which it is, who decides when enough religion
is stripped out of the curriculum >> Who wants the classes made completely voluntary
and moved before or after the school day. They say school officials haven't responded
to the specific concern. so study whether the yoga class affects things like attendance,
behavior and student achievement. The research points to a broader purpose.
>> The goal for the Jois Foundation is to prove scientifically that Ashtanga yoga works
for kids here in the district. And then export it nationally.
>> But studying the program is just the responsible thing to do.
>> As a school district we're always looking to see is it effective
>> KP Jois Foundation say it could be a model for other districts. What's being taught in
the yoga classes is typical of athletics programs for kids.
>> It provides you with the exercise and the motivation for children and then they give
you character. Thou shall be honest. Thou shall be respectful of adults.
>> Despite the controversy just before school lets out. She says they certainly aren't learning
about Hinduism. >> Absolutely not. No, what my daughter tells
me is she did the pancake today. And she lays down and she cracks up because it's so funny.
>> Coco hears from teachers that kids are calmer. And the school district is moving
forward with plans in all Encinitas schools starting this week.
>> Dwane: Remember sweating through some very hot days last summer, 2012 was the hottest
year on record for the U.S. Dark red areas on the map show the places where the temperature
was at least 8 degrees higher than average for the month. Scientists say global warming
and weather variations are to blame. From hot to cold, cold front is expected our
way. It's expected to bring rain by Thursday. The rainy weather is only last a day. The
weather services also expecting some windy conditions in the desert.
Recapping tonight's top stories, Governor Jerry Brown says he's asking the federal government
he also wants an end to cap on prison population. Two day workshop teaching folks how
to stay alive when confronted by gunmen or armed intruder. Offering the workshops since
2008. San Diego customers will get to weigh in next
month on whether they should continue to pay for running the disabled San Onofre plant.
It costs about 60 plant has been shut down for
nearly
a year. Public Utilities Commission has scheduled a hearing next month.
You can find tonight's stories on our website on KPBS.org/EveningEdition. Thanks
for joining us. You
have
a
good night. Captions provided by eCaptions.