February 2023 Food for Thought

Advocacy postcards through our Food for Thought program are back! We have sample messages to elected officials, blank postcards, and stamps waiting and ready to go at Extraordinary Ventures during our sort dates. If you are coming to volunteer or to drop off donated food, please feel welcome to join as you can (this time or in the future – the messaging changes each month). There will be a table set up with postcards and someone on hand to walk you through postcard writing if you’re new to it – it’s super easy! The time commitment is less than 5 minutes for a postcard. Let our legislators and other elected officials know that we are paying attention and that we insist they enact policies that prioritize our most vulnerable neighbors. 

Want to write a postcard from home? Go for it! Our sample messaging for this month is below. (Note: If you would rather email or call your elected officials, feel free! We encourage you to reach out in whatever way is most comfortable.)

Once you have contacted your elected officials, we ask that you fill out this brief form to let us know that you have done so. It will only take a minute. This helps us to measure our impact! Thank you! 

Dear Senator/Representative [NAME]:                                           

The farm bill plays a huge role in addressing hunger both here in the US and abroad. Please support renewed measures that make SNAP more equitable and ensure food is available globally, despite the challenges of climate change on our food systems.

Sincerely, 

[YOUR NAME] 

Address postcards to: Senator Thom Tillis, Senator Tedd Budd, and your U.S. House Rep. (Find your U.S. House Rep and their contact information.)

Questions? Reach out to Susan Romaine at susan@porchcommunities.org.

Background:

A Farm Bill That Builds Healthy, Equitable, and Sustainable Food Systems

The impact of the farm bill is significant. It not only affects the agriculture and food sectors; it can play a huge role in ending food insecurity and hunger in the U.S. and save the lives of millions abroad. 

This year, Congress is working to renew farm bill programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and international food aid programs. Among the measures that should be included are strengthening nutrition security in domestic and international programs; creating a more equitable SNAP program; and increasing food systems sustainability. 

Building a healthy food system includes strengthening nutrition security in the U.S. by increasing access to healthy food. This means protecting the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) from cuts, preventing harmful changes to the Thrifty Food Plan, and increasing support for produce-specific SNAP benefits in the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program. 

Internationally, building a healthy food system includes supporting funding for critical food aid programs such as Food for Peace, which has worked to provide life-saving food assistance to vulnerable populations and reduced hunger and malnutrition over 60 years. 

Expanding access to SNAP among marginalized populations, supporting self-governance and food sovereignty for Tribal Nations, and ensuring food aid reaches people in a crisis as quickly and efficiently as possible are all part of creating an equitable food system. 

A sustainable food system means focusing on increasing support for post-harvest food recovery and addressing the threat to food security posed by extreme weather.