IN THIS ISSUE

Will Congress Pass an Economic Stimulus Package?

It’s the Best Hope for Hungry Americans

We are in the midst of the most challenging economic crisis in decades, with rising unemployment, high food and fuel costs, and a global economy that is on the verge of a major recession.

A growing number of Americans are going hungry every day, and many more families are turning to food banks and charitable agencies for help. In fact, the number of people receiving food stamps has grown by 2.5 million people in the past year alone. There are also a growing number of people who need food, but are just beyond the eligibility limits for food stamps.

The problem is compounded because the struggling economy has driven private donations down, leaving food banks with fewer resources to feed greater numbers. Feeding America believes that nobody should go hungry in America, and in these difficult times, we are turning to Congress for help.

We believe that the best hope for hungry Americans is for Congress to pass a second economic stimulus package that includes funding to help fight hunger. Specifically, Feeding America asks Congress to include:

• $100 million annually for additional TEFAP commodities to help food banks address the rising demand for food assistance.
• $50 million annually for TEFAP storage and distribution to help offset high transportation and food costs.
• $15 million annually for food bank infrastructure grants to help food banks transport food in sparsely populated, rural communities. This program was authorized in the Farm Bill, but to date, no funding has been provided.
• Significant funding for a temporary increase in food stamp benefits to help meet the needs of hungry Americans.
• Funding for Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) to offset increased food costs and replenish food inventories.

Congress must act quickly to help America weather this storm. We need swift and decisive action from our elected officials to help people cope with an economic crisis unlike anything America has seen since the Great Depression.

Won’t you join Feeding America in urging Congress and our new President to pass an economic stimulus package to give help and hope to those who need it most?

Just click here to send a letter to your Member of Congress today

Tell Congress How You are Feeding America

Share Your Story for the “I am Feeding America” Campaign

As you know, on September 1, America’s Second Harvest became Feeding America. We hope you, as someone who has helped us make a difference in the fight against hunger, will play an important role in introducing our new name—and our continuing mission to feed America—by sharing your story with elected officials and the public.

All across America, hunger advocates like you are helping brighten the holidays—and every day—for millions of families whose greatest wish is simply having enough to eat. You make a difference and change the lives of those in need, one person at a time.

You are the face of Feeding America—which is why it’s only right for you to introduce our new name to legislators and help refocus their attention on the issue of hunger during this economic crisis.

Please join the “I am Feeding America” campaign today!

Help elected officials better understand who we are and what we do by telling them why you are personally committed to hunger advocacy—why you believe in Feeding America. Nothing we can tell them is more compelling than your stories—the real stories of the fight against hunger in America. They show legislators, the media, and the communities we serve what is really going on in homes and communities throughout the country.

This holiday season, please take a few moments to share your story of how you make a difference in the fight against hunger. Your experiences as an advocate, volunteer, or donor—or as someone who has felt the effects of hunger—may be featured in our monthly newsletter, as well as in electronic media packets that will be sent to Members of Congress as we enlist their help in this vital cause.

Visit the Hunger Action Center today to tell us why finding a solution to hunger matters to you—
and why you are Feeding America!