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John, My name is Krissy Kasserman. I’m now an Organizing Director at Food & Water Watch, but years ago, I was a young, broke, single mom. Despite working full-time, my earnings were not enough to cover my expenses, including rent, childcare, and food. There were days when I would get by on my free meal from the restaurant where I worked so I could afford food for my daughter. A friend suggested I apply to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) to help supplement our food budget. Suddenly, I was able to stock the fridge with staples like milk, cereal, and vegetables. WIC was a lifeline for my daughter when we needed it most. We relied on the program for two years while I finished college and found a job I loved, doing community organizing work. Twenty-five years later, I'm still working as an organizer, and my daughter is thriving. She graduated from college and is doing work that she loves. It may surprise people to learn that in our country, you can work full-time and still not afford to make ends meet – but I lived this reality. WIC is an essential program for millions of kids across the country who are in similar situations – they have parents who work hard every day, but it just isn't enough. Now, WIC funding is in danger. The proposed Republican spending bill fails to fully fund WIC to offset rising grocery costs and inflation, underfunding it by $600 million over the course of the year. This would make the state of food affordability even worse. Tell your Senator today: Reject the GOP Spending bill and fully fund WIC now.
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