Currently, Congress is considering the future of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) as they look to reconcile the House and Senate versions of the Farm Bill.
The decisions they make during this process will directly impact how the 1 in 7 people in Northwest North Carolina, including seniors, veterans, and children who experience hunger, will be able to put food on the table.
No piece of legislation is more important to Second Harvest Food Bank and North Carolina families trying to make ends meet. The Farm Bill must keep critical programs like SNAP and TEFAP strong and strengthen America’s national commitment to fighting hunger.
SNAP is vital for families struggling with hunger, and its scope and scale could never be replaced by private charity. In fact, for each meal provided by a member of Feeding America’s network of 200 food banks and 60,000 partner agencies – of which Second Harvest is a part of — SNAP provides 12. We simply could not meet the need if accessing SNAP became more difficult for North Carolinians.
Many people end up at food pantry doors because they don’t qualify for SNAP, or because their benefits don’t stretch far enough. For these individuals, our network of over 460 pantries and community meal sites helps bridge the gap. TEFAP is a cornerstone of the food supply for food banks- providing almost 1 in 5 meals distributed by all local hunger-relief agencies last year, and as much as 50% of food distributed in rural communities.
In order to help hungry communities in North Carolina and the nation, Congress should support the Senate SNAP provisions in the final Farm Bill and increase TEFAP funding so food banks can meet the incredible need for nutritious food in our communities.
We’re counting on North Carolina’s Congressional delegation to pass a strong Farm Bill that ensures people can put food on the table for their families.
Because everybody deserves to eat.
Learn more about how SNAP (food stamps) and the Farm Bill impacts North Carolina here.
UPDATE: THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO TOOK ACTION TO SUPPORT A STRONG FARM BILL! Your efforts were a success and Second Harvest and Feeding America are very pleased with the bill that was passed. Advocacy Works!
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