"We urge the House to put low-income families and children first by prioritizing the needs of a population that will shoulder the economic burden of this epidemic," says Davis.
Contacts: Meredith Jorss, mjorss@strength.org
Washington, D.C. - Today, the U.S. House of Representatives will vote on the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R. 6201), a multi-billion dollar bill in response to the coronavirus outbreak that will include emergency provisions like food aid. The following is a statement from Share Our Strength's Senior Vice President Lisa Davis:
"We urge the House to put low-income families and children first by passing H.R. 6201 and prioritizing the needs of a population that will shoulder the economic impact of the COVID-19 epidemic.
Community quarantine, income disruption and school closures create economic hardship for families, many of whom are already struggling to get by. This spending bill addresses those immediate needs by providing states the flexibility to work with resources on the ground - from state agencies and communities organizations, to food banks and schools - to meet the unique needs of the people in their communities.
- TAKE ACTION: Tell your Senator to pass the Families First Coronavirus Response Act
- NO KID HUNGRY RESPONDS: Learn more about what we're doing to feed kids when schools are closed
Federal nutrition programs like SNAP, school meals, out-of-school time meals like summer meals, and WIC are the front line of defense during disasters and economic downturns given their effectiveness and scale.
22 million low-income children rely on free and reduced-price school meals. As schools continue to close, this bill will provide much needed provisions to ensure kids have access to the nutrition they need.
No child should go hungry during this uncertain time. We urge the House to pass this critical bill and will look to the Senate to support the needs of families and children."
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About No Kid Hungry
No child should go hungry in America. But 1 in 7 kids will face hunger this year. No Kid Hungry is ending childhood hunger through effective programs that provide kids with the food they need. This is a problem we know how to solve. No Kid Hungry is a campaign of Share Our Strength, an organization working to end hunger and poverty. Join us at NoKidHungry.org