FY19 Budget Proposal Threatens Federal Safety Net

We need you to send a message to Congress today. Millions of food-insecure people would be at risk of losing access to critical hunger-relief programs if changes proposed in the president’s FY19 budget are enacted.

We oppose all proposed cuts and structural changes that undermine vital and successful federal food assistance programs, in favor of inefficient proposals that diminish the dignity and choice of our clients.

PROPOSED CUTS AND STRUCUTRAL CHANGES IN THE PRESIDENT’S BUDGET:

• SNAP:
  • $213 billion in cuts from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) over 10 years, resulting in over 40 billion meals fewer meals for hungry people in our country.
  • Provide half recipients’ SNAP benefits in form of pre-packaged “harvest box” of food, an inefficient, expensive idea that reduces client choice.
• CSFP : Eliminate the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), a critical program that provides 145 million meals a year to low-income seniors. CSFP feeds more than 2,450 low-income seniors monthly in Massachusetts.

Many of these proposals will be debated in the 2018 Farm Bill. Tell Congress to put a stop to this unreasonable proposal that would result in more people going hungry in this country.

Please watch our President and CEO Catherine D’Amato’s statement on these proposed cuts here:

The Greater Boston Food Bank believes hunger is a non-partisan issue, and no one in our country should ever go hungry.

CALL TO ACTION

1. Call your Member of Congress: (888) 398-8702 and use the below talking points. If you do not know who your Congressperson is, you can look it up by zip code HERE.
   • SNAP puts food on the table for over 42 million Americans and nearly 800,000 Massachusetts residents every year.
   • SNAP is the first line of defense against hunger. [My organization] should be the last.
   • We need the program to stay strong. Please stand against any cuts to SNAP, any structural changes, or any changes to the program that would limit access.
   • The “harvest box” is costly, inefficient, and reduces the dignity and choice of our clients.
   • Over 2,400 low-income seniors in Eastern MA benefit from CSFP. Please keep this critical program for seniors.
2. Sign your organization onto this 2018 Farm Bill support letter.
3. Share this message on Facebook and Twitter with family and friends from other states. Tag @gr8bosfoodbank and use the hashtag #EndHungerHere.
4. Learn more: Read Feeding America’s response to the proposed FY19 Presidential budget. You can also view the Center on Budget and Policy Priority’s analysis of the impact of SNAP cuts here.

Let us know you made the call and what happened by telling us on Facebook or Twitter, or send us an email.