Attributed to Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, CEO of Feeding America
Across the Feeding America network, we have the profound privilege of serving and learning from tens of millions of people who turn to us in search of resources each year. Their stories reflect both extraordinary resilience and deep hardship. As their advocates and partners, we feel a responsibility to lift their voices in this moment. The resources available through the USDA, like funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), are invaluable to our neighbors across the country, and we implore Secretary Rollins and federal leaders to use all available avenues to protect families impacted by the ongoing shutdown, without delay.
We are not alone in our understanding that families everywhere are on the brink of, or have already been forced to make, impossible choices between food and other necessities like housing and health care.
For the Feeding America network, this is not about politics. It is about people. The most challenging and heartbreaking situation for staff members and volunteers is when the pantry shelves are empty, and they must turn people away—veterans, seniors, families with young children. Yet, with increasing demand and the high cost of food, this is already the harsh reality for so many and, without immediate action, will become a reality for countless more people across the country.
The support provided by federal nutrition programs serves as powerful protection of the health, stability and dignity of families across the United States and is a safeguard for our economic vitality. Every dollar spent on food is an investment in people that strengthens families, farmers and industry in America. Food is foundational for all of us, and for each of us, and politics should not separate people from the food that they need to thrive.
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About Feeding America
Feeding America is committed to an America where no one is hungry. We support tens of millions of people who experience food insecurity to get the food and resources they say they need to thrive as part of a nationwide network of food banks, statewide food bank associations, food pantries and meal programs. We also invest in innovative solutions to increase equitable access to nutritious food, advocate for legislation that improves food security and work to address factors that impact food security, such as health, cost of living and employment. We partner with people experiencing food insecurity, policymakers, organizations, and supporters, united with them in a movement to end hunger. Visit FeedingAmerica.org to learn more.