Statement Attributed to Kate Leone, Chief Government Relations Officer
“Feeding America, the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief and food rescue organization, commends the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for extending a trio of nationwide program waivers that will help ensure children continue to receive meals safely during the coronavirus crisis. As millions of children continue to miss out on school meals — one of few sources of nutrition for far too many children in this country — the waiver extensions are essential to removing unprecedented roadblocks to efforts that ensure children have enough to eat.
“While schools remained closed to promote social distancing and help stop the spread of the coronavirus across the country, our network of 200 member food banks and 60,000 food pantries and meal programs have partnered with local communities to use flexibilities authorized by Congress and implemented by USDA to offset the loss of school meals. These flexibilities have been instrumental in designing innovative ways to ensure children have the nutrition they need to continue to learn and grow. With the USDA’s flexibility extensions, these partnerships and creative operations can continue into the summer — a time when millions of children are especially vulnerable to hunger.
“As the scope of the pandemic becomes clearer, we look forward to continuing to work with USDA and congressional leaders to ensure child hunger does not become an unavoidable consequence of COVID-19.”
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About Feeding America
Feeding America® is the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States. Through a network of more than 200 food banks, 21 statewide food bank associations, and over 60,000 partner agencies, food pantries and meal programs, we helped provide 5.3 billion meals to tens of millions of people in need last year. Feeding America also supports programs that prevent food waste and improve food security among the people we serve; brings attention to the social and systemic barriers that contribute to food insecurity in our nation; and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry. Visit www.feedingamerica.org, find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
