Share Our Strength Announces $1 Million Fund to Keep Kids Fed in the Wake of an Unprecedented Benefit Cliff
Contact: Johanna Elsemore at jelsemore@strength.org
WASHINGTON, DC — Today marks the first time in the history of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that grocery benefits are not going out to the millions of Americans who use them to buy food. This comes as the government shutdown draws into its second month, and the USDA refuses to tap into a $5-6 billion contingency fund or transfer additional resources to continue paying benefits as required by law. Friday, the US District Courts of Massachusetts and Rhode Island issued separate rulings directing USDA to distribute at least partial SNAP benefits; the case awaits USDA response. The following is a statement from Anne Filipic, chief executive officer for Share Our Strength and its No Kid Hungry campaign:
“Families are scared. Even before the shutdown, 1 in 3 parents living on low-incomes worried about running out of food. Now, without SNAP benefits, many parents and caregivers will be forced to skip meals entirely so their kids can eat, or make impossible decisions like whether to buy food or pay their rent or utility bills.
“This is both cruel and unnecessary. USDA has refused to use the available contingency fund or transfer additional funding to SNAP to ensure families can continue to eat while the government remains shut down. Leaders across the political spectrum have decried this refusal to pay benefits, recognizing how vital SNAP benefits are for families and small businesses across the country.
“Yesterday’s US District Court rulings are clear - Congress put the money in a SNAP contingency fund to ensure that even during a shutdown, Americans continue to have the benefits they need to afford groceries. We urge USDA to act quickly on these decisions, but even so, families will at a minimum face delays in receiving their November benefits and may not receive the full amount, which is unacceptable.
“Today, Share Our Strength is launching a $1 million fund to help keep kids fed in this critical time. These funds will be distributed through our national and local partners to support direct cash assistance to families and community food distribution. However, we know this won’t be enough to prevent the looming hunger crisis. SNAP is our nation's largest, most effective nutrition program, and food banks and non-profits simply can't replace it.
“Our children deserve better leadership. We need Congress to come to a bipartisan agreement to reopen the government and fully fund nutrition programs, restoring certainty and stability. In the meantime, USDA must immediately release funds so that families can receive their SNAP benefits.”
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About No Kid Hungry
No child should go hungry in America. But millions of kids in the United States live with hunger. 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