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September 26, 2014, 08:00 am
Past time to solve hunger in America
By Bob Aiken, Ellie Hollander, Tom Nelson and Lisa Marsh Ryerson
TheU.S.DepartmentofAgriculturerecentlyreleaseditsannualfiguresonfoodsecurityascientificallyrigoroustermused
todescribeAmericanhouseholdsabilitytoprovidereliableaccesstofoodtoitsmembers.Whatitreportsisthat,whilefood
securitydeclinedmarginallysince2011,15.8percentofAmericans(nearly50millionindividuals)arestillstrugglingtoafford
enoughfoodtoleadhealthy,productivelives.
HungerinAmericaisasolvableproblem.Intherichest,mostagriculturallyproductivenationonearth,itshouldstandasa
pointofnationalshamethatwehaveanyhouseholdsstrugglingtoputfoodonthetableatall.Ensuringaccesstonutritious
foodisessentialtoproductivity,health,andsocialfunctioningforthoseinallstagesoflife.Nutritiousfoodmeanshigher
academicperformanceforkids,healthierworkersforAmericasbusinesses,andaseniorpopulationthatcanage
independentlyintheirownhomesinsteadofinhospitalsorinstitutions.
HungerinAmericaisasolvableproblem,ifwedontunderminethefederalfoodsafetynet.Thepatchworkofnonduplicative
programsthatenablesAmericanstomitigatetheilleffectsofhunger,includingtheSupplementalNutritionAssistance
Program(SNAP,formerlyknownasfoodstamps),theSupplementalNutritionAssistanceProgramforWomen,Infantsand
Children(WIC),theNationalSchoolLunchProgram,andOlderAmericansActNutritionPrograms(suchasMealson
Wheels),aremorepoliticallyvulnerablethanever.
Despitepersistentlyhighhungerrates,theAgriculturalActof2014reducedSNAPfundingby$8.55billionoveradecade.In
FiscalYear2013,bothWICandOlderAmericansActprogramsfacedtheindignityofsequestrationcuts,whichcould
happenagaininFiscalYear2016ifCongressfailstoact.Inthelongrun,thesereductionsinpublicspendingwillresultina
lesseducated,lessproductiveworkforceandinfarmorecostlyhealthcarespendingonbothchronicdiseasemitigationand
longtermcare.
HungerinAmericaisasolvableproblem,butgovernmentisnttheonlyanswer.Whilethefederalgovernmentprovidesthe
financialbedrockformuchofourcountrysresponsetohunger,privateorganizationsandcitizenshavesteppeduptosolve
theproblem,aswell.Millionsofvolunteersdedicatetimeeverydaytothecauseoferadicatinghungerintheircommunities.
Whetheritsadvocatingforhealthyschoolbreakfastsandlunchesforkids,providingsupplementarygroceriesatafoodbank
forworkingfamilieswhojustcantmakeendsmeet,ordeliveringanutritioushotmealandasafetychecktoisolated,
homeboundseniors,thisvirtualarmyofvolunteersandadvocatesworkstirelesslytoclosethegapthatkeepsmillionsof
Americanshungry.
HungerinAmericaisasolvableproblemthroughthecollaborationofgovernment,industry,nonprofitsandgenerous
individualsbutwemustdomore.Ournetworksremaindedicatedtosolvinghungereveryday,butwecannotdoitalone.
WemusturgeCongresstojoinusinthefighttosolvehungerbyprotectingandreauthorizingtheOlderAmericansActthis
yearandstrengtheningprogramsthatfeedourchildrenthroughnextyearsChildNutritionReauthorizationAct.Wehope
youlljoinusinbecomingavoiceforthevoicelessandendinghungerinAmericaitbenefitsusall.
AikenisthepresidentandCEOofFeedingAmerica,HollanderisthepresidentandCEOoftheMealsOnWheels
AssociationofAmerica,NelsonisthepresidentofShareOurStrengthandRyersonisthepresidentofAARPFoundation.