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Thank you to all of the anti-hunger advocates who fought for a 2018 Farm Bill that protects SNAP, strengthens TEFAP, and protects Americans facing hunger.
Over the last year, we have called on YOU—our partners and supporters – many times to advocate for a strong Farm Bill. We are so pleased to say the our collaborative efforts to learn, educate, and inform each other about the importance of this legislation has paid off.
In the 2018 Farm Bill that has now been passed, Congress recognized the difficult economic realities for families and voted to keep the existing work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, also known as food stamps) in place. In 87 of North Carolina’s 100 counties, there are more jobless workers than there are job opportunities. Furthermore, most of the individuals receiving SNAP who can work, do work—but need SNAP to offset low wages and high costs of living. SNAP is essential for low income working families in North Carolina.
Congress also overwhelmingly recognized the essential value of The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) to local farmers, Feeding America food banks, and to the people we serve. TEFAP provides food banks with fresh, nutritious food purchased from farmers and also helps transport and serve this food. The 2018 Farm Bill’s allotment of an additional $206 million over ten years to this program will help to ensure that TEFAP remains a cornerstone of the food supply for Second Harvest and Feeding America’s national network of food banks.
Through our daily work, we see firsthand the struggles faced by families, seniors, veterans, and children in Northwest North Carolina when they are food insecure. We know that our collective effort to reduce hunger relies upon strong federal nutrition programs such as SNAP and TEFAP, and now we also know that our communities efforts to advocate for the essential programs work.
Thank you each for #feedingchange and #feedingcommunity with us through your advocacy.
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