Dear Lucas,
As a supporter of Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry campaign, I know that ensuring America's kids are connected to healthy food where they live, learn and play is important to you. That's why I'm writing to you today.
Congress is making progress on the 2012 Farm Bill, which provides critical federal nutrition programs like SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, that help feed hungry kids. Did you know that more than 1 in 7 Americans receives SNAP benefits?
This week, the Farm Bill is moving in the House of Representatives. Drastic cuts to SNAP are being considered, including proposals that would result in 2 to 3 million Americans losing SNAP benefits and would cause nearly 300,000 kids to lose access to free school meal programs. If Congress cuts funding for this poverty relieving program, it will affect millions of children and families, leaving them even more vulnerable to hunger.
There are a lot of misconceptions about who's on SNAP, and the stories we've been collecting from individuals across the country challenge those misconceptions. They're people like Rosemary, from Little Rock, Arkansas. She's a 53-year-old grandmother who, after her daughter died, became the sole caretaker to her three grandchildren. After many years of living well-fed and independently, Rosemary is now struggling to put food on the table.
"I'm used to working, buying what I need. I'm not used to doing without and I didn't want to accept it." Without SNAP, she says that her grandkids "probably wouldn't have food to eat."
Thank you for taking action on this very important issue and lending your voice to children who cannot protect themselves.
Sincerely,
Billy Shore
Founder and CEO