The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is one of the most powerful tools to fight childhood hunger. One in five kids in America participates in it to grow up healthy and strong.
Right now, Congress is considering massive cuts to SNAP as part of its budget plans. We at No Kid Hungry are mobilizing our networks to ensure this essential program continues to support the future of America.
Since 2022, No Kid Hungry has brought together mayors from across the nation to unite in the fight against childhood hunger. This is a problem that happens in every community in America, so the support of local leaders is essential. The Mayors Alliance to End Childhood Hunger has made major strides—helping pass resolutions to close the summer meal gap, working with the USDA to expand anti-hunger resources, and celebrating schools and community partners feeding kids.
“Kids don't know partisan lines,” said Mayor Paige Cognetti of Scranton, PA, who serves as Vice-Chair of the Mayors Alliance. “The solutions lie not just with mayors locally and with school districts and nonprofits, but they certainly lie in state legislatures and in our federal Congress. It's incumbent upon the Mayors Alliance to remind our state legislatures, remind our congressional members that childhood hunger exists and that the solutions do matter at the state and federal levels.”
Last week, spearheaded by Mayor Cognetti, 112 mayors from across the country—Republican, Democratic, Nonpartisan, and Independent—signed a letter urging Congress to protect SNAP. For many mayors, the decision to sign is personal.
“My mom worked two, sometimes three jobs,” explained Mayor Gaskins of Alexandria, VA. “And the truth is, no matter how hard my mom worked, we often struggled to make ends meet. And the way that showed up as a child is I would go to the fridge and many times there was nothing in there to eat. And so I feel deeply and personally committed to making sure that no child goes hungry… [Programs like SNAP have] been proven for decades making sure that children have what they need, not just in school but before school, after school, and during summer and winter breaks.”
Why SNAP Matters
Today, nearly 14 million kids live with hunger in America. In the wealthiest nation in the world, it’s a situation that is unacceptable. SNAP has been a lifeline for families experiencing economic hardship, helping ensure their kids don’t suffer in those difficult moments. Sometimes people face unexpected crises due to losing a job or a surprise medical bill that puts their kids at risk of not having enough to eat.
Shanae Bond, a mother of four, is currently a community leader in Washington, DC. She helps parents like herself become advocates to advance policy that supports their kids.
She remembers a time when SNAP supported her in a moment of crisis. “I was working as a doula,” Bond shared. “During the pandemic, everyone wasn’t really comfortable with you coming into their home. So, that made it difficult to keep clients and make the money that I was making before… And that was very hard for me to adjust to with my family just having less income. I decided to apply for SNAP, and it definitely helped bring more food to the table.”
Bond understands the importance of SNAP because she has experienced it firsthand. She knows that no family should have to choose between paying bills and putting food on the table.
While addressing elected officials, she said, “I would definitely invite policymakers to envision themselves at a table, at a dinner table with a family or their own family, and be there with them and understand that the changes and the policies that they are considering is like taking food off the plate of those around them at that table.”
Your Voice Matters Now More Than Ever
Mayors, parents, and community leaders are calling on their representatives in Congress to protect SNAP in this crucial moment. Cuts to SNAP would be catastrophic for families struggling to keep up with the rising prices of food and those going through economic hardship. Regardless of our political ideology, we can all agree that no child in America should ever go hungry.
We ask you to use your voice and write your representative to protect SNAP right now.
