No Food Stamps = Starvation
Our lowest paid laborers, and their children, depend on the food stamp subsidy to avoid starvation.
These laborers include some teachers, meal service employees, nurses’ aides, maintenance workers and more. Without food stamps, they will starve. The current administration wants to overhaul the food stamp program, and the legislation proposed may kick even more people off benefits than previously believed. Call or write your Congressmen and Congresswomen today to let them know your opinion.
In 1964, Democrats and Republicans worked together to enact the Food Stamp Subsidy. Today, food stamps are part of a program called SNAP, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. This program is renewed every four years, and 2018 is its renewal year. Before food stamps, a major reason for a visit to the hospital emergency room was starvation that had resulted in serious illness. Food stamps helped to alleviate this problem.
SNAP includes food stamps, school meals and out-of school meals in the afternoon and summer. Food pantries and food programs depend on U.S. food products made available by SNAP. Additionally, the subsidy program called WIC (women, infants and children) also provides food for approximately 8 million women and their children.
Today there are about 43 million laborers, children, seniors and disabled people who can afford a nutritionally adequate diet because they are eligible for food stamps.
To be eligible for food stamps, parent(s) of a family of four cannot earn more than $2,628 per month. The average monthly value of food stamps is $456 after standard deductions.
Today there are tens of millions of U.S. children who depend on school breakfast, school lunch and/or 
supper.
As a volunteer in a New Orleans after-school program, I have seen snacks and supper served to countless children. Many of these children were exhausted and hungry when they arrived, and quickly gulped down a glass of milk, animal cookies and an apple. Their parents could not earn enough to provide regular meals and pay rent, and their working hours included mealtimes. These children were in need of free supper. There’s nothing fancy about a pre-prepared free school meal, but it allows a hungry child to eat.
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) predicts a slight drop in the number of laborers who will be eligible for food stamps in the next few years because there are now more jobs with higher salaries. However, tens of millions of laborers will not be able to earn a living wage because many U.S. businesses do not want to pay the rising cost of a living wage.
What does Congress think about children and parents who are at risk of starvation?
What do you think, as a voter? If you are opposed to starvation, let your Congressmen and Congresswomen know. Tell them that food subsidies are crucial to the survival of many of our babies, toddlers, children, parents and elders. There are many singles in need as well.
Thank you, as always, for your support!
