Love in Action : America's Hunger Crisis
Love in Action : Week 14
Love in Action : Alternating Wednesdays 12-1pm mst
Please join Lead with Love for zoom webinars every other Wednesday that highlight current issues related to community wellbeing, such as justice, freedom and climate change that need of our help. We will provide tangible actions and perform these efforts during the 1 hour meeting.
This week our efforts will focus on America’s Hunger Crisis.
Covid-19 is having an unprecedented impact on food insecurity in America. Among those who are uncertain about their next meal are children, elderly, and frontline workers.
Just before March 2020, around 35 million people in America were considered food insecure-- 11 million of that total were children. In less than a year that total has erupted to 54 million and growing.
This week, our Love in Action session, will be exploring the impact of Covid on our nation's food insecurity issues. We will call upon our government to help provide assistance that sustainably moves Americans out from the threat of hunger.
If you haven’t yet registered for Love in Action, please do so by clicking the button below.
What You’ll Need
Pen/Pencil
Paper/Journal
Computer with Email/Wifi
Food Insecurity and Covid
What is Food Insecurity?
Food insecurity is the lack of access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food, and leads to a chronic state of scarcity and undernourishment.
“Just before the coronavirus struck, 35 million Americans, 11 million of them children, experienced food insecurity, the lowest figure in two decades. This year, those numbers are projected to reach 54 million and 18 million respectively.”
How COVID Exasperated Food Insecurity Issues
CAUSES of the uptick in food insecurity:
Businesses are closing/struggling
Illness or death within the household can mean a reduction of household income as well as creating disruptive stresses and demands upon the household
Shift to at home schooling means children are not able to rely on meals at school
Increase in food prices due to COVID related supply chain disruptions
Through a vicious cycle, malnutrition weakens the immune system increasing the risk and impact of Covid-19.
Food Assistance Programs
Food Banks
Nonprofit services providers and faith institutions are serving an immediate need to provide food for people who are hungry NOW. The people working at these institutions should be considered heroes. Feeding America, for example, a non-profit organization that supports 200 food storage centers and 60,000 pantries nationwide, reports that the country’s food banks have provided the equivalent of more than 4.2 billion meals since March, a 50% increase compared to a year ago.
Who Are waiting in Food Lines?
People who suddenly lost their job
People who suddenly experienced a health crisis
50% of people standing in food bank lines have at least 1 adult working full time in the household
Single parents
Frontline workers and medical staff
Immigrants who don’t qualify for government food programs or other assistance
The problem with Food Lines:
Surge in need is putting massive strain on food pantries
Risks of exposures has caused many food banks to close
People avoid food lines because they are scared of Covid exposure and the atmosphere of gathering in public
Reliance on food banks is putting strain on grocery
Dignity and integrity
Bad use of time
Obfuscate the problem
CARES Act and Pandemic Relief Bill
The CARES Act that passed Congress back in March provided short-term economic relief with the expectation that nationwide public health measures would be implemented to control the virus.
SNAP
SNAP (formerly known as the Food Stamp Program) helps millions of Americans put food on the table each month.
SNAP benefits are one of the fastest, most effective forms of economic stimulus because they get money into the economy quickly during a recession. Low-income individuals generally spend all of their income meeting daily needs such as shelter, food, and transportation, so every dollar in SNAP that a low-income family receives enables the family to spend an additional dollar on food or other items.
SNAP enables low-income households to afford more healthy foods. In addition, all states operate SNAP nutrition education programs to help participants make healthy food choices.
“Nearly 12% of Americans, or 25.7 million people, reported not having enough to eat over the past week”
Some Problems with SNAP
MEAGER BENEFITS
Many low-income households that receive benefits still have trouble affording an adequate diet.
IRRATIONAL WORK REQUIREMENTS
This requirement punishes Americans who are unable to gain unemployment despite their best efforts.
HR 1368/S 3719 : Closing the Meal Gap Act
HR 2809 : Improving Access to Nutrition Act
Step into Action
Urge Your Representative to Improve Food and Nutrition Assistance Programs During this Uncertain Time of COVID
You may opt to use the following script when either calling or emailing your state legislators. All the better if you are inspired to create your own statement in your own words. Your senator and representative are working to represent YOUR interests and values.
Dear (Representative),
My name is [name] and I am [writing/calling] from [city, state]. First, I want to thank you for your work on the latest COVID relief package. I stand with food security advocates who praise your work on the many provisions in the relief package including the 15% increase to SNAP for 6 months, the expansion of the Pandemic-EBT program, and the funds provided to the states to cover SNAP’s administrative costs.
During the 117th Congress, I urge you to continue to support temporary relief measures for struggling families as well as legislation that permanently strengthens our nation’s most important food program. Strengthening SNAP by increasing the benefit amount and removing harsh work requirements, such as HR 1368 and HR 2809 from the 116th Congress, will provide assistance to families who are currently suffering, at no fault of their own, during this uncertain time of COVID and beyond. If you have not done so already, please consider cosponsoring the Closing the Meal Gap Act and the Improving Access to Nutrition Act during the 117th Congress to protect and represent the most vulnerable among your constituency.
NOTE: For the representative, after you enter your zip code, you will be provided with a link to their website on the left side of the screen - this House of Representatives site does not contain the contact info directly
Post
POST about America’s hunger epidemic and help bring attention to this cause, using the hashtags:
#foodinsecurity
#feedamerica
#hungerrelief
#leadwithlove
#loveinaction
Share images showing your support for food security. Tag:
@fracgram
@feedingamerica
@ileadwithlove
PLEASE HELP US SUPPORT THESE AMAZING ARTISTS BY TAGGING THEIR WORK IN YOUR POST!
Donate
Find your local food bank and follow the links to make a donation.
Wellbeing Check
Let’s not assume our neighbors have what they need— in particular your elderly or disabled neighbors. Bring your neighbors a meal, or stop by on your way to the grocery store and ask if they need anything. Simply asking them how they are doing will likely go a long way.
Share this toolkit!
We encourage you to let your community know about the amazing work you are doing to help combat the hunger epidemic in America. Please use the links below to share this toolkit or simply share by text or email by copying and pasting the url in your browser.