America’s hungry children need SNAP
It was great to read “Mercer Street Friends Food Bank wants to send hunger packing” (Nov. 23), about local business and community leaders’ responses to child hunger. But, if some Washington, D.C., lawmakers have their way, the problem may get worse despite local efforts.
The federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides food for more than 20 million children, and it works. The childhood hunger rate would be much higher without SNAP. Making food more affordable also reduces child poverty, because fewer parents must make the heartbreaking choice between paying the rent and putting food on the table.
Some in Congress have proposed deep cuts to SNAP; with 47 cents of every SNAP dollar going to children, there’s no way their plan won’t deny food to kids.
Yes, the federal government has budget problems, but hungry kids didn’t cause them, and making child hunger worse is the wrong way to solve them.
The writer is president of First Focus Campaign for Children