“Before this crisis hit, too many Americans were teetering on the brink of economic disaster. Now they are sinking quickly,” says Davis. “The HEROES Act offers a lifeline to these families and addresses the hunger crisis our nation is facing.”
8.3.4
Contact: Meredith Jorss, mjorss@strength.org
WASHINGTON, DC - This week, House Democrats introduced the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act, a coronavirus relief package that includes an increase to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, funding for food for food banks and additional funding for child nutrition programs. The following is a statement from Share Our Strength Senior Vice President Lisa Davis:
“We urge the House to pass the HEROES Act and for the Senate to quickly take it up for the millions of Americans who are facing economic hardship and hunger because of this pandemic.
Before this crisis hit, too many Americans were teetering on the brink of economic disaster. Now they are sinking quickly. Today, our nation is experiencing the highest unemployment since the Great Depression and families are waiting in line, sometimes for hours, at food banks or school meal sites just to make sure their children have enough to eat. Recent data from the Urban Institute indicates that 2 in 5 adults with children whose incomes are at or below 250% of poverty are now facing food insecurity.
The HEROES Act offers a lifeline to these families and addresses the hunger crisis our nation is facing by increasing SNAP benefits to reflect the increased food costs facing families; extending Pandemic EBT through the summer months to ensure safe, consistent access to nutrition while school is out of session; and providing financial support to ensure that school nutrition departments and food banks, which have been on the front lines of feeding hungry kids during this crisis, have the necessary resources to continue to feed kids as this crisis continues and when schools reopen.
One of the best ways for our economy and country to recover is by ensuring that families have sufficient resources to safely feed themselves. SNAP is also a proven stimulus to our economy, which our nation needs right now. For that reason, we’re happy to see that the HEROES Act includes provisions that reflect the relief that millions of Americans urgently need.
We urge the House to pass this legislation and for the Senate to move quickly on behalf of the millions of kids and low-income Americans shouldering the burden of this pandemic.”
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About No Kid Hungry
No child should go hungry in America. But in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, 1 in 4 kids could face hunger this year. No Kid Hungry is working to end childhood hunger by helping launch and improve programs that give all kids the healthy food they need to thrive. This is a problem we know how to solve. No Kid Hungry is a campaign of Share Our Strength, an organization committed to ending hunger and poverty.
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