Nov 07, 2022

Rolling Up Our Sleeves at the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health

This September, the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health took place with the goal of ending hunger in the U.S. by 2030. It was the first conference of its kind in more than 50 years. The previous conference helped elevate hunger as a national priority and sparked major improvements and expansions to the federal nutrition programs.
Velle Perkins, an anti-hunger advocate with lived experience with food insecurity, attended the event. Below she shares her reflections on the Conference.

Nov 03, 2022

What Do Interest Rates Have to do With the 2023 Farm Bill?

SNAP Director

Add to the list of those expressing concerns about restrictive monetary policy: farmers. According to a Purdue University survey, agricultural “producers are concerned about the impact U.S. interest rate policy will have on their farms and the ag economy with over one-third of crop producers choosing it as the most important policy issue for their farming operation.” That finding predated the latest interest rate hike that the Federal Reserve announced on November 2, as part of its anti-inflation policy.

Oct 28, 2022

On the Road to the 2023 Farm Bill: Stakeholder and Public Support for SNAP Investments

SNAP Director

The Farm Bill, which comes up in Congress every five years, has numerous titles, including one for nutrition and others for crop insurance, conservation, energy, and many other agricultural program areas. Recent statements from key Farm Bill stakeholders and public polling show growing support for a “unified” 2023 Farm Bill that strengthens the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Oct 25, 2022

Let’s Celebrate Growing Healthy Schools Month

October is Growing Healthy Schools Month in Washington, D.C.! During this month, we set aside time to celebrate all the ways in which the District of Columbia focuses on health and wellness in schools.
This year, the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), the administering agency for all D.C. schools, chose the theme “Recover, Reconnect, Refresh” as a way to revitalize student well-being, as well as their connection to fellow students, teachers, their community, and schools.

Oct 13, 2022

Fiona, Ian and SNAP: A Tale of Two Hurricane Responses

SNAP Director

Two hurricanes — Fiona and Ian — inflicted massive damage on Puerto Rico and Florida in September 2022, but the federal nutrition program responses have differed significantly. As a federal entitlement program, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is designed to respond quickly and effectively to changes in need, whether due to economic downturns or natural disasters. It is available in all states, the District of Columbia, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Puerto Rico’s counterpart program, the Nutrition Assistance Program (NAP), however, is a block grant with fixed funding that hampers its ability to fully meet needs, including in disasters. It is long past the time for our nation to correct this inequity and provide Puerto Rico, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands with pathways to the SNAP entitlement that serves other Americans.