[ [link removed]- ][IMG]
SIGN OUR LETTER calling on the Senate to do as the House just did and
boost nutrition assistance and SNAP in their next COVID-19 relief
package!
[ [link removed]- ]take action
[ [link removed]- ]Take Action
Dear Friend,
At MomsRising we are hearing from families every day wondering how they
are going to put food on the table:
“I am a mother of two and I am expecting my third. My oldest child is nine
and she receives free breakfast and lunch at school. Our family lives from
paycheck to paycheck and therefore forcing us to spend more money on food
impacts our ability to pay additional bills. My infant child also receives
free meals and formula at his daycare and while his daycare has not
officially closed as of yet, a closure is impending. I am a social worker
and I attend to clients' needs directly in their home. This impacts both
their health and my family's health. I fear that our meager savings will
be wasted on quarantine related expenses.” –Katherine, NY
“I am not able to care for children in my daycare job so my income has
been affected. I have food stamps but can't order to get food delivered
and I don't drive so must take the bus to Publix against my desire because
I don’t think it’s safe. We all need tests and it is not
possible.”-Cynthia, FL
Katherine and Cynthia are not alone. Nearly one-fifth of mothers with
young children have reported that their children are not getting enough to
eat during this pandemic—a terrifying statistic! [1]
[ [link removed]- ]Congress is starting to work on a new COVID-19 relief package and we
need to make sure they prioritize the health and well-being of our
families by boosting SNAP (food stamps) nutrition assistance to help moms
like Katherine and Cynthia.
***SIGN OUR LETTER NOW calling on STATE’s Senators to include boosts to
SNAP (food stamps) in the next COVID-19 relief package!
The Families First Act passed in March was a step in the right direction
in addressing the stark nutrition needs of families during this pandemic,
but much more is needed. On Friday, the House of Representatives passed a
bill that makes necessary changes to SNAP to help families struggling
during the coronavirus pandemic. [2] Now we need the U.S. Senate to do the
same!
We need our Senators to prioritize the nutrition needs of our families.
They must guarantee that anyone who needs nutrition assistance is able to
access it and increase benefits to better serve struggling families. They
can do this in the following ways:
* A 15% boost to the maximum SNAP benefit nationwide. This should be
tied to an economic indicator, not the duration of the pandemic.
* Raise the minimum benefit from $16/month to $30/month.
* Suspend all Trump administrative rules that limit access to SNAP and
child nutrition programs in order to remove barriers to access for
those in need.
Guaranteeing that struggling families are able to access SNAP quickly and
have the extra money they need to make sure they can purchase food during
this difficult time also boosts the economy. It’s a win-win! SNAP benefits
are one of the fastest, most effective forms of economic stimulus because
they get money into the economy very quickly. Some 80 percent of SNAP
benefits are redeemed within two weeks of receipt; 97 percent are spent
within a month. [3] And this is a positive change for families that can be
implemented quickly and efficiently because we already have the
infrastructure up and running in all states. This is especially important
now as the Unemployment Insurance and direct payment checks are taking a
long time to filter down to families.
Boosting SNAP boosts families AND our struggling economy! Congress can’t
possibly move their next COVID-19 relief package forward without including
crucial improvements to nutrition assistance.
[ [link removed]- ]*** Sign our letter now and tell your elected leaders to support hungry
families!
In the face of COVID-19, unemployment numbers are skyrocketing to levels
we haven’t seen since the Great Depression, and women, especially women of
color, are being hit particularly hard by these lay-offs. [4] Despite a
major overhaul of our unemployment insurance system, a lot of workers
still haven’t seen their benefit checks and the one time $1,200 direct
payment the government provided to some families in April is not enough to
stretch well into May. Families are struggling to pay all their bills and
still put food on the table. Prior to COVID-19, American families were
struggling with food insecurity with 1 in 9 Americans, including 11
million children, struggling with hunger—the pandemic has only made this
situation worse! [5]
A new survey has shown just how bad things are getting for families:
Nearly 23% of households said the food they bought “just didn’t last” and
they didn’t have the money to buy more, according to a national survey
from late April. That compares to about 12% of households in 2018 and 16%
during the worst point of the Great Recession of 2008 and 2009. [ [link removed]- ]
[6]This is why MUCH MORE needs to be done to help struggling and hungry
families during this pandemic. We need the Senate to step up to the plate
so we can put food on the plate.
***SIGN OUR LETTER calling on the Senate to do as the House just did and
boost nutrition assistance and SNAP in their next COVID-19 relief package!
These negotiations in Congress are starting to get tough. Not everyone is
on the same page about the need for a boost to SNAP, let alone another
COVID-19 relief package—Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and his
allies have come straight out and said multiple times that they don’t want
to boost SNAP in any way. [ [link removed]- ] We need YOU to help change their minds and
let them know this is crucial to our families. After you [7]sign our
letter, forward this email to your friends and family and [ [link removed]- ]post the
action link to Facebook so others can take action as well.
Thank you so much for your continued action in speaking out for our
families during this truly difficult time!
-Elyssa, Donna, Kristin and the entire MomsRising/ MamásConPoder
P.S. Do you have concerns about whether you’ll have enough food to feed
you and your family during this pandemic? If so, MomsRising would like to
hear from you. Share your concerns and story with us here:
[ [link removed]- ][link removed]-
P.P.S. Wondering how you can apply for SNAP (food stamps), as well as,
other nutrition assistance programs, Unemployment Insurance, and if you
qualify for the new paid sick days and paid family leave programs passed
by Congress? We’ve got your covered! [ [link removed]- ]Check out the video of our
webinar and resource page.
[1] [ [link removed]- ]“As Hunger Swells, Food Stamps Become a Partisan Flash Point.” New
York Times, May 6, 2020.
[2] [ [link removed]- ]"House Democrats Pass $3 trillion coronavirus relief bill despite
Trump's veto threat." Washington Post, May 15, 2020.
[3] [ [link removed]- ]“Temporary SNAP Benefit Bump a No-Brainer for More Economic
Stimulus.” CBPP, April 8, 2020.
[4] [ [link removed]- ]“This is how economic pain is distributed in America.” Washington
Post, May 9, 2020.
[5] [ [link removed]- ]“What is food insecurity?” Feeding America.
[6] [ [link removed]- ]“COVID-19 Surveys Show Rapidly Rising Food Needs.” CBPP, May 11,
2020.
[7] [ [link removed]- ]“GOP Leaders tell Trump food stamp aid won’t be included in latest
coronavirus relief bill: report.” Salon, April 21, 2020.
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