Houston Food Bank Advocacy Center
Did you know?
- Texas has one of the highest rates of child food insecurity in the country
- Every day 53,000 people in Houston are hungry
- Each week the Houston Food Bank feeds 137,000 people, 47% of which are children
- 43% of hungry families must choose between food and medicine
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YOU have the power to help end hunger. Let your elected officials know today that you want them to support comprehensive anti-hunger initiatives. Take a stand now because hunger is unacceptable.
Action Alert
Urge President Obama to Support SNAP in his FY2013 Budget
Please Send President Obama an e-mail today!
http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5118/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=9175
President Obama is completing work on his FY2013 budget recommendations, due out in early February.
Your help is needed! Anti-hunger advocates must urge the President to continue his support for SNAP and other nutrition and low-income safety net programs. This includes restoration of the SNAP benefit boost scheduled to be cut in 2013. As you know, the President in his FY2012 budget request proposed:
1) funds to restore in 2013 the SNAP cuts made in 2010 (to provide some of the funding to pay for child nutrition reauthorization); and,
2) to continue the suspension of SNAP time limits for certain working-age, low-income adults without dependents.
BACKGROUND
The SNAP benefit boost created by ARRA beginning in 2009 now is slated to expire in November, 2013 because of the cutback passed in 2010. The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that this means there will be a drop in monthly SNAP benefits of between $10 - $15 per person—approximately a 10% reduction in average benefits. See Reducing SNAP (Food Stamp) Benefits Provided by the ARRA: P.L. 111-226 & S. 3307, Congressional Research Service, Aug. 20, 2010 (PDF)
Also, certain working-age, able-bodied, low-income adults without dependents are eligible to receive SNAP/Food Stamps benefits for only three months in any 36-month period, unless they work 20 hours per week, participate in an approved SNAP Employment and Training program at least 20 hours per week, or participate in a workfare program. This time limit applies even though the unemployed person is willing to work and looking for a job, but unable to find one. This provision, particularly Draconian in a bad job market, was suspended by the 2009 economic recovery act (ARRA). That suspension has ended and needs to be extended.
Hunger, food insecurity, joblessness, low wages for many with jobs and poverty are significant problems affecting very large numbers of people in the U.S.—especially young adults, parents, children, seniors and people with disabilities—and are expected to persist at unacceptably high levels. In 2010, SNAP, with its benefit levels boosted by ARRA, lifted 3.9 million people out of poverty. It is more important than ever to retain the ARRA SNAP benefit boost and to get people the resources they need to come closer to obtaining an adequate diet throughout the month.
Please Urge President Obama to continue his important support for funding restoration of ARRA-boosted SNAP benefits and the continued suspension of SNAP time limits for certain working-age, low income adults without dependents.
Please Send President Obama an e-mail today!
http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5118/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=9175
WHO REPRESENTS ME?
Find your local, state and federal representatives here.
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Please contact Dr. Pamela Berger, Public Policy Coordinator, at 713-547-8611 or pberger@houstonfoodbank.org for any questions.