Dear Friends,

We condemn Saturday's violent, racist attack on a predominantly Black East Side neighborhood of Buffalo, NY, and we mourn the lives senselessly lost. The mass shooting targeted Black residents in a Tops supermarket that the community had fought for years to get. At the Coalition Against Hunger, our mission is to create a world in which all people have the food they need to lead healthy lives. As we think about what "food security" means, the ability to get food safely is paramount. Everyone deserves a place to safely purchase affordable food in their neighborhood. According to NPR, the community is now scrambling to safely find food in the wake of the attack and the store's resulting temporary closure. This is what racism looks like and how it limits the food security of millions of Americans. We must do better.

Race Against Hunger

There's still time to make an impact in the Race Against Hunger! While the racing has ended, fundraising continues through May 31. Food prices have soared, increasing to about 10% more than they were just a year ago. This is causing increased hardship and food insecurity. Please consider making a donation or asking friends and family to donate. Funds raised from the Race support not just our programs at the Coalition Against Hunger, but also the programs of many of our anti-hunger partners throughout the Greater Philadelphia region. There's a lot of work to be done in the fight to end hunger, but together we can build a community where all people have the food they need to lead healthy lives. Thank you for your support and all of your efforts to help end hunger!

Policy and Advocacy

Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health: The White House recently announced that they will be hosting a Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health this September, with a goal to end hunger by 2030. The first and only White House Conference on Hunger was held in 1969 and was pivotal in identifying solutions for hunger. The conference led to the expansion and creation of programs like SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), school meals, and WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for Women, Infants, and Children). Over 50 years later and in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, families continue to struggle with food insecurity at staggering rates. We hope this conference will be an opportunity to refocus national efforts and identify and solve root causes of hunger. Leading up to the conference, the White House will be hosting virtual listening sessions to give everyone the opportunity to share their ideas and experiences. Learn more and register for a listening session here, and make your voice heard!

Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP): While applications for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) close today (Friday, May 20), applications and assistance from LIHWAP remains open to Pennsylvanians. LIHWAP, a temporary assistance program created by the American Rescue Plan Act, helps households that are in emergency situations maintain essential water access. Emergency situations may include households that are behind on water payments, facing shutoff, or already terminated. To qualify, a household’s income must be at or below 150% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines (see this chart). Apply online through COMPASS.

WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for Women, Infants, and Children): Each year the Pennsylvania Department of Health evaluates the WIC plan and provides an opportunity for public comment. Through our partnership with Just Harvest, we have created a simple online form that current and former WIC recipients can use to submit a comment. WIC recipients are the experts on how WIC works. Government officials need to hear directly from the people who use WIC to understand how WIC works in daily life. All comments will be sent to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Make your voice heard, submit a comment by Monday, May 30, 2022. 

National Formula Shortage: We know that many families in the US are currently feeling the effects of the formula shortage happening throughout the country. This shortage has been triggered by a variety of factors including supply chain issues and the February Abbott Nutrition recall. We know that many families are facing the frustration and fear associated with not being able to find necessary formula for their children. The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has produced a fact sheet to help families during this crisis and PA WIC has information about how this affects families participating in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).

A Call to Action!

As we previously reported, in February, Governor Wolf delivered his final budget address to the General Assembly, outlining his proposed FY 2022-2023 state budget. This proposal included increasing the minimum SNAP benefit from $20 to $35 for older adults and individuals with disabilities. The next step of the process is for the General Assembly to put forth a budget. We hope to see this proposal included in that budget, and we need you to raise your voice to help make that happen! Our partners at Philabundance organized a Twitter Storm on May 25 from 11am-2pm. On that day, write a tweet, tag your elected officials, and tell them why Pennsylvania should increase the minimum SNAP benefit for seniors and people with disabilities. Make sure to use the hashtag #raiseSNAPminimumPA!

SNAP Hotline In Action

This week, a man who had recently lost everything in a fire called our SNAP Hotline and asked for our assistance in getting SNAP benefits as quickly as possible. Our SNAP Outreach & Hotline Counselor was able to assist him in completing and submitting his application. His application was approved by the County Assistance Office that same day, and he has begun receiving his benefits. The help that our SNAP Outreach & Hotline Counselor was able to provide, during such a difficult time for this man, made a big difference.

Our Coalition Against Hunger SNAP Hotline team is here to help! Whether it’s navigating the SNAP application process or providing case management, our SNAP Hotline team is available Monday – Thursday from 9:00am to 5:00 pm and on Friday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Give our SNAP Hotline team a call at 215-430-0556.

Free At-Home COVID-19 Tests

We also want to let you know that U.S. households are now able to order an additional round of free at-home test kits. Each order now includes 8 rapid antigen tests and will ship free to your home. To order your test kids today, visit covid.gov/tests. People who have difficulty accessing the internet or need additional support placing an order can call 1-800-232-0233 (TTY 1-888-720-7489) to get help in English, Spanish, and more than 150 other languages—8am to midnight ET, 7 days a week.