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No one should go hungry on Thanksgiving - or any other day of the year
Ben Miksch, State and Federal Policy Associate
Many people are looking forward to Thanksgiving tomorrow. It's one of my favorite holidays, and I'm really looking forward to spending time with my family, reflecting on the things I'm thankful for, and then getting to enjoy one of the best meals I eat all year.
Many people are looking forward to Thanksgiving tomorrow. It's one of my favorite holidays, and I'm really looking forward to spending time with my family, reflecting on the things I'm thankful for, and then getting to enjoy one of the best meals I eat all year.
So I think it's particularly poignant to reflect on the people and families who won't have enough to eat tomorrow, especially as Congress considers even deeper cuts to basic food assistance programs. Congress is currently working on passing a new Farm Bill, which houses the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, also often referred to as 'food stamps').
The House's current proposal would reduce SNAP by $4o billion. These reductions are on top of the $11 billion in reductions SNAP saw earlier this month, as detailed in the guest blog post by Linda Stone, Senior Food Policy Coordinator at the Children's Alliance: "A healthy home also means access to the basics, like food."
No one should go hungry or undernourished on Thanksgiving - or on any other day of the year. We need to let Congress know that proposals to slash funding and reduce eligibility for food assistance are unacceptable, and that basic human decency entitles everyone to have adequate food and a place to call home.
As part of this effort, the Children's Alliance has put out a call for client stories to help move the debate in Washington D.C.
"Every member of Congress we've talked to has talked about the importance of client stories in these negotiations - everyone wants to understand the personal impact of how food stamps have helped families, and how cuts to the program would negatively impact families." - Claire Lane, Children's Alliance.
"Every member of Congress we've talked to has talked about the importance of client stories in these negotiations - everyone wants to understand the personal impact of how food stamps have helped families, and how cuts to the program would negatively impact families." - Claire Lane, Children's Alliance.
If you have felt the impact of reductions to food assistance programs, or you work with people who have, please consider getting those stories to the Children's Alliance. Your voice makes a huge impact.
You can contact Claire Lane for more information, or use this handy document the Children's Alliance put together: Instructions for Collecting Client Stories about Food Stamps.
They are also interested in collecting photos and videos of people willing to tell their stories, including stories from staff and volunteers.
I have a lot of things to be thankful for, and that list definitely includes the passionate advocates across Washington State who are so willing to use their voices to make a difference. Thank you, all of you, and I hope that everyone has a safe and happy Thanksgiving.
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