Congress is considering cutting between $4.1 Billion and $20.5 Billion in SNAP and SNAP-education funding over the next 10 years. As our members of Congress decide about the fate of the some 2 million+ people (200,000 of whom will be children) who will lose SNAP benefits if these draconian cuts go through, it’s up to us to remind them that:
- Kids who get the healthy food they need are likely to have fewer health problems, do better in school and grow up stronger.
- Investing in programs like SNAP and SNAP-Ed is critical for a nation seeking greater economic prosperity, education performance and lower health-care costs.
- To maximize the program’s efficiency, investments in SNAP and SNAP-Education must go hand-in-hand – families need benefits and skills to eat wisely.
- Smart fiscal policy for tomorrow starts with protecting SNAP today.
- SNAP-Ed is a smart investment in America’s health and future. Smart grocery shopping and healthy cooking can save a family ~$46,000 in lifetime healthcare costs and wages lost to sick days per adult family member. Education can help build those types of food skills. [Deloitte Social Impact Analysis for No Kid Hungry]
- SNAP-Ed is in demand. Eighty-five percent of low-income families rate eating healthy as important, and most prepare meals at home five nights of the week, but only about half are able to make healthy meals on a regular basis. The overwhelming majority of families are interested in learning simple strategies to make their meals healthier and more affordable. [No Kid Hungry’s It’s Dinnertime survey]
- SNAP-Ed works. An outside study published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior found that the No Kid Hungry campaign’s Cooking Matters program, which relies on SNAP-Ed funding, improves participants’ food choices, eating habits, cooking skills and food budgeting and shopping practices in the short (3 month) and longer (6 month) terms. [Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior]
Contact your members of Congress NOW and tell them to protect SNAP and SNAP-Education funding.
Senator Boozman http://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/e-mail-me (202) 224-4843
Senator Pryor http://www.pryor.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=ContactMe (202) 224-2353
You can find a link to contact your US Representatives at our website https://arhungeralliance.org/get-involved/advocate/