"Kids and families need help today and Congress must take immediate action to invest in SNAP," says Lisa Davis, Share Our Strength's Senior Vice President
Contact: Meredith Jorss, mjorss@strength.org
WASHINGTON, DC - This week, Congress passed a $484 billion interim coronavirus relief package, called the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act (H.R. 266), to replenish small business loans, provide aid for hospitals and fund coronavirus testing. The package does not include provisions to strengthen the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), a program that can help low-income families put food on the table and stimulate the economy. The following is a statement from Share Our Strength’s Senior Vice President Lisa Davis:
"We are deeply disappointed that Congress failed to address the urgent and growing hunger crisis our nation is facing by strengthening SNAP. Americans are losing jobs and income at a staggering rate. More than 22 million Americans have lost their jobs since March 14 – roughly 13.5% of the population. Families are feeling this impact in their pocketbooks and in their pantries, struggling to stretch scarce resources across basic needs.
SNAP feeds families and our economy. SNAP benefits are one of the fastest and most effective forms of economic stimulus. Money spent at local grocery stores and markets leads to more jobs, wages and local economic activity in the community. The best part is that this all happens almost immediately. The vast majority of families spend their benefits before the month ends – more than half of SNAP benefits are redeemed within the first week of receiving them and over 75% of monthly benefits are used by the end of the second week. Other stimulus programs put dollars in pockets, which people may save or hold onto for later instead of using and stimulating the economy right now.
Kids and families need help today and Congress must take immediate action to invest in SNAP. Currently, SNAP provides only about $1.40 per person per meal. Increasing benefits will not only help families make ends meet, it will also increase purchasing power, making room in household budgets to pay for other basic necessities, like diapers and rent.
For our nation’s kids to make it through this crisis, Congress must act quickly. We urge Congress to address the needs of struggling Americans now, because any economic recovery begins with feeding families."
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About No Kid Hungry
No child should go hungry in America. But in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, 1 in 4 kids could face hunger this year. No Kid Hungry is working to end childhood hunger by helping launch and improve programs that give all kids the healthy food they need to thrive. This is a problem we know how to solve. No Kid Hungry is a campaign of Share Our Strength, an organization committed to ending hunger and poverty.