by Nick Wood, CFSA Policy Director | Thursday, Jul. 23, 2020 —
Millions of people are going hungry as COVID-19 continues to devastate the economy and Carolinians are rising to the challenge! More than 70 organizations in North and South Carolina sent a letter to Congress today calling on them to take action that would allow local food businesses to accept Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards online and increase Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs (SNAP) benefits in the next COVID 19 relief package.
Which 70 organizations signed-on?
See the North Carolina letter and the South Carolina letter to find out!
This broad coalition CFSA and allies helped pull together includes farmers markets, food banks, parent organizations, health and child advocacy groups, faith communities, sustainable agriculture associations, and many more. The entire food system from farm to table must be sustained and our federal representatives have the opportunity to do so right now!
Applications for SNAP, the largest federal food safety net program, have surged as more people, particularly vulnerable children and seniors, go hungry. At the same time, online shopping is skyrocketing as people make efforts to reduce the spread of the deadly virus. Many small farms fear going out of business and the ability to accept SNAP online would be a game-changer.
There is nothing more fundamental to our survival than eating. People must have enough to eat, but having access to healthy and nutritious food, and a thriving local food economy, is equally crucial if we are able to weather this storm. We must speak in a loud unified voice – tell Congress to join us today!