“If you look beyond the headlines, you will see the human suffering and desperation of fellow Americans being used as political pawns.”
October 27 — Over the weekend, the USDA confirmed it won’t activate contingency funds during the government shutdown to ensure delivery of the critical SNAP benefits that 42 million Americans are relying on to keep food on the table. Starting November 1st, the food assistance that families rely on to afford healthy food will not be issued.
Jenique Jones, Executive Director of WhyHunger – a 50-year-old nonprofit working to end world hunger and the injustices that cause it – issued the following statement:
“This is a moment of reckoning for the American people. The systems we have in place to protect and nourish the most vulnerable are failing us, as our government stands ready to keep food off the table for tens of millions of low-income families, seniors, veterans, children and working people reliant on the support they’ve been promised.
At a time of rising costs and increasing stress, the impact of the pending loss of SNAP is already being felt as people are forced to make impossible compromises to meet their basic needs. If you look beyond the headlines, you will see the human suffering and desperation of fellow Americans being used as political pawns. In the richest country in the world, withholding food support is simply outrageous. Food is not a luxury or a choice — it is a basic human right that everyone deserves.
Furthermore, SNAP is a known economic multiplier. The nonpartisan Center for Budget and Policy Priorities estimates that even in a weak economy, ‘every $1 in additional spending on SNAP benefits generates $1.54 in economic activity.’ Pulling back on SNAP dollars has a ripple effect, negatively impacting local economies and our food system.
From 50 years of doing this work, WhyHunger is clear-eyed: our emergency feeding system — the network of food banks, pantries, soup kitchens, and food distribution sites — simply cannot absorb the increased need. Our partners across the country are already struggling with longer lines and rising demand, from furloughed government workers to families grappling with today’s economic challenges. All of this is happening while their resources are being cut, delayed or frozen due to policy changes.
WhyHunger joins the millions of Americans who are calling for immediate restoration of full SNAP benefits with no interruption. We urge the government to use every available tool, including contingency funds and standalone legislation, to keep our safety net intact and help feed our fellow Americans.
For any Americans struggling to make ends meet, please visit whyhunger.org/FindFood, call the WhyHunger Hotline at 1(800) 5-HUNGRY, or text your zip code to 1-800-548-6479 to get connected to emergency food services in your community.”
About WhyHunger
Founded in 1975 by the late Harry Chapin and radio DJ Bill Ayres, WhyHunger funds and supports community solutions to protect the human right to food. In nearly five decades of innovation and evolution, our programs and our grassroots partners in 24 countries have expanded agricultural practices that are better for the planet, helped communities address the root causes of hunger, and ensured access to nutritious food for millions of people. As a grassroots support organization, we stand behind the leadership of the people most impacted by hunger and injustice. We prioritize providing resources to support the rights of communities who have been historically excluded from defining and controlling their food systems. We advocate for workers’ rights and champion agroecological food production that unites science and sustainability with Indigenous knowledge and wisdom. Together we can build socially and economically just food systems that nourish all people and the environment. Learn more at whyhunger.org and follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, X, and TikTok .
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