Advocate
In our perfect world, everyone would care about the nutritional needs of our low-income neighbors as much as we do. We know that distributing donated and purchased food to our clients, while a critical component of the solution, will not end hunger. So, what can we do?
Advocating solutions to hunger can take many forms – education and awareness, working for policy changes, using your personal network to identify and mobilize resources – even shifting the way you think and talk about the issue. We welcome you to join us in supporting initiatives that have the potential to reduce the need for emergency food resources and increase self-sufficiency of our clients. Here are just a few possibilities:
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Ask your child’s school principal to support school breakfast in the classroom. School Breakfast is not only an extremely effective means to reduce hunger among needy children, it also improves nutrition, helps prevent obesity, improves students’ attendance, attentiveness and achievement, and reduces discipline problems in school.
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If you know a manager at a business employing low-wage earners, talk to them about informing their employees about the Food Stamp Program, Earned Income Tax Credit, Energy Assistance and the other safety net programs available to help low-income families make ends meet.
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Talk to your book club, church group, coffee klatch, Pilates classmates and whoever comprises your personal (or professional!) posse about volunteering at the Food Bank, holding a food drive or making a donation.
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Ready to pick up the pen or phone? There are always policy issues for which we could use your support.
Here are a few examples:
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Universal program application – Imagine if a family filling out a form for free school lunch for their child could just check the boxes on the form to apply for Food Stamp benefits, WIC, commodities, etc.
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CACFP supper program in Nevada – Congress has the ability to allow Nevada to offer this program, which makes it easier to serve suppers to more children, particularly older children who need more to eat than just a traditional snack after school.
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Increase minimum wage – Hunger is an issue of poverty.
We would be thrilled to hear of your interest in advocacy and would be more than happy to discuss the options that interest you. Just call 331-3663, and ask for Cherie Jamason.