FRAC - Advocate October 2020

November 2020
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FRAC Transition Priorities

Earlier this month, FRAC congratulated Joe Biden on being elected America’s 46th president. FRAC is encouraged that President-elect Biden has echoed the call of anti-hunger advocates in urging the current administration to boost Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and hopes he will follow through by bolstering SNAP under his leadership. FRAC also urges Congress and the new administration to make strong child nutrition programs even stronger so our nation’s children have access to the food they need for their health, learning, and development. See a summary of FRAC’s immediate and long-term transition priorities.

A Hungry Thanksgiving for Millions

There is a hunger crisis in America this holiday season and advocates are growing frustrated at the lack of political action being taken to help reduce hunger in America. With households reporting not having enough to eat and relying on donations to put food on the table, the federal government must make critical investments in proven solutions that will provide much-needed relief for struggling households. FRAC’s Ellen Vollinger spoke with The Guardian about the administration’s inaction to address food insecurity during COVID-19 despite the holidays, saying, “it’s difficult to understand the lack of political will to address this when the county is in such a dire emergency.” By increasing the value of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, Congress can address the ongoing economic fallout from the pandemic.

Not a Healthy Idea

In a statement, FRAC expressed its disappointment with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s decision to once again propose a rule that would continue the rollback of the healthy nutrition standards for school meals. Even as the Trump administration officially authorizes a Biden transition, the USDA’s last-ditch effort to sustain existing rollbacks will lead to unhealthy school meal consumption across the country.

Charities Can't Do It Alone

FRAC President Luis Guardia spoke with Consumer Reports about food bank demand during COVID-19 and explained why SNAP can meet the needs of hungry households on a much larger scale. “It’s great that charitable groups have stepped in as well as they can, but to deal with a hunger crisis of this magnitude, charities can’t do it alone.”

Shine a Light on Hungry Households: Tell Congress and the President to Pass a COVID-19 Bill that Will Put Food on the Table for Millions

In this blog, FRAC Content Writer/Technical Editor Wendy Forbes writes about solutions that exist to address America’s hunger crisis this holiday season. In 38 states and the District of Columbia, more than 1 in 10 adults with children said they did not have enough to eat in the first few months of the pandemic, according to FRAC’s report. Congress must take immediate action to pass a comprehensive COVID-19 relief bill.

Food insecurity and gender disparities during COVID-19

FRAC Digital Media Associate Sarah Angell writes about gender disparities in food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic. She looks at Census Pulse survey data and describes the links between hunger and women’s health. The federal nutrition programs can help address the high levels of food insecurity that women face. Congress must pass a comprehensive relief package that can help women, especially Black and Latinx women, who have been disproportionately affected by unemployment, poverty and hunger during the COVID-19 crisis.