“Now is the time for leadership and action on hunger, which disproportionally affects women and children in this country,” says Davis, following record number of female voters and candidates.
Contact: Meredith Jorss at 202.769.5554 or mjorss@strength.org
WASHINGTON, DC – The 2018 midterm elections brought a record number of voters to the polls for a nonpresidential election and results show that Republicans will maintain control of the Senate while Democrats have received enough votes to take control of the House of Representatives.
The following is a statement from Share Our Strength’s Senior Vice President Lisa Davis on the results of the midterms:
“Women across the nation played an important role in this election – turning out in record numbers for a midterm election, casting deciding votes in battleground states and districts, and running for office in larger numbers than ever before.
Many of those elected on Tuesday will be taking office for the first time, including three new female governors and at least 31 newly elected women to Congress. These new leaders have a unique opportunity to reject the partisanship and gridlock that has dominated Washington. We hope they will use this opening to make ending childhood hunger a top priority.
Hunger is undoubtedly a women’s issue. Research shows that food insecurity is more prevalent in households headed by single women than in households headed by single men or married couples.
Moms facing hunger make a lot of trade-offs. They often skip meals to ensure their kids have enough to eat or postpone paying the heating bill to buy groceries for their families. The sacrifices moms make in order to feed their children can be devastating not just to her, but the whole family – illness, stress, workplace absences and decreased productivity are just a few side effects.
Childhood hunger is a solvable problem. We have the resources and the expertise to nourish every child in America. The only missing link is the political will to turn words into action. Candidates have made many promises this election season, and voters – especially women – have entrusted them with the power to make a change. Now is the time for leadership and action on hunger, which disproportionally affects women and children in this country.
Congress can prioritize helping moms and families by passing a 2018 Farm Bill that strengthens and protects the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which has a proven record of improving health and educational outcomes, reducing poverty and lowering food insecurity rates among children. Congress should also invest in evidence-based solutions like Summer EBT, which allows low-income families who can’t access a summer meals site to feed their children when school is out.
Elected officials at the state and local levels have the power to make a difference for moms and families by convening local agencies and nonprofits to develop and implement action plans to end childhood hunger, and ensuring access to school breakfast, summer meals and afterschool meals.
As always, we stand ready to work with leaders on both sides of the aisle who bring forth smart policy solutions to end childhood hunger in America.”
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About No Kid Hungry
No child should go hungry in America. But 1 in 6 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