The No Kid Hungry campaign builds public-private partnerships between governors, mayors, businesses, chefs, teachers, and community leaders across the country to connect families at risk of hunger with the programs that can help them. Combining access with education, we also teach families how to shop for and prepare healthy, affordable meals through our Cooking Matters® program.
"It will take all of us—principals, teachers, parents, state agencies, corporate partners, and nonprofit organizations—to make sure that our next generation has the essential nutrition they need to succeed in school."
-Martin O'Malley, Governor of Maryland (D)
“The reality is that child hunger isn’t just an educational issue or a health issue, it’s a moral issue. We must do everything we can to make sure our most vulnerable children are getting regular, nutritious meals.”
-Bob McDonnell, Governor of Virginia (R)
Congress is working to reauthorize the Farm Bill, legislation that provides funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) program, formerly known as food stamps. Drastic cuts to SNAP are on the table and nearly half of all SNAP participants are children. SNAP benefits play a crucial role in making sure that, even in tough times kids are still getting the food they need. SNAP is the first line of defense in the battle against childhood hunger. If Congress cuts funding for this poverty-relieving program it will affect millions of children and families, leaving them even more vulnerable to hunger.
We need policymakers to stand up and oppose cuts to this critical program.
Share Our Strength is collecting the personal stories of Americans across the country who were able to put food on the table for the families because of SNAP. Their stories represent those of millions in our communities, our friends, and our family members.
Over the course of a year, however, more than 16 million children in America cannot count on having enough nutritious food. That’s one in five kids in America today who struggle with hunger. We know that hungry kids can’t learn as much or as fast in school, and face health problems ranging from increased hospitalizations to developmental issues.
As a policymaker, you know that decisions made in Congress, in state legislatures, and local governments across the country impact childhood hunger. We need our leaders to join our fight to connect kids to federal nutrition programs like school breakfast and SNAP – and to protect funding for those programs at the federal level.
In communities across the country, Cooking Matters classes are playing a key role in teaching low-income families about food and how to cook healthy meals on a limited budget. You can see firsthand how these programs are making a difference in the lives of your constituents by contacting us directly.
For many kids, summertime means food, friends and fun. For families who count on school breakfast and lunch, however, the summer months can be stressful and family food budgets have to be stretched even further. Free summer meals for kids and teens are funded by the USDA and served at thousands of sites across the country, but millions of families are missing out. While more than 21 million kids in the U.S. receive free and reduced-price school lunches, just over 3 million of these kids get a free summer meal.
As policymakers, we urge you to talk to families in your community about this program. Print out this flyer and share it with your constituents.
Here are some resources that will help you engage with the issue:
Business leaders from across sectors and across the country sign letter urging congress to protect SNAP in the Farm Bill reauthorization. Businesses realize that cutting SNAP funding would have a very real impact on our nation’s economy. As employers of thousands nationwide, they know that America competes with a global workforce. Hungry children cannot learn as much or as fast, resulting in a less competitive workforce for our country. Simply put, reducing access to SNAP benefits – as current proposals in Congress would do – would limit the educational and economic potential of our nation’s children.
More than 400 of America’s culinary leaders joined together in urging Congress to protect SNAP in the Farm Bill reauthorization. As chefs, restaurant owners, and others in the community, they have dedicated their professional and personal lives to providing high quality food to our communities. Ensuring all Americans have access to nutritious food, and education about how to prepare healthy meals is a key component in the fight to end childhood hunger in America.