Governor Kelly, help us put food on the table for ourselves and our families.
STEP ONE: Add your name or organization to the open letter.
Governor Laura Kelly,
Hunger and hardship are increasing in Kansas due to the COVID-19 pandemic. School and workplace closures mean families and workers have to find new ways to feed their children and themselves. These challenges have worsened existing problems. More than 370,000 Kansans struggled with consistent access to healthy food before the pandemic, that’s more than one of every 10 people. The rate of hunger among children in our state is higher with two in 10 Kansas kids experiencing food insecurity.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is our nation’s strongest anti-hunger tool. While food banks and pantries provide critical services, the charitable sector cannot address food insecurity alone. For every one meal provided by food banks, SNAP provides 12. And while Kansas has taken some important steps to expand access to food assistance during the pandemic, SNAP could work better for Kansans. One in five eligible Kansas households do not receive food assistance. Participation among eligible Kansas seniors is much lower: Two in three eligible seniors do not receive food assistance.
We urge you, Governor Kelly and the Department for Children and Families, to do more to ensure SNAP works best for Kansans experiencing hunger during the pandemic. Barriers to accessing food keep eligible people from applying, force some families to make impossible decisions, and limit SNAP participants’ ability to social distance during the COVID-19 pandemic. Please follow the lead of other governors by requesting and implementing the following waivers and programs from the USDA:
Strengthening SNAP in Kansas will benefit all of us. Participating in SNAP not only helps Kansans feed themselves and their families but also our communities and local economies. Participation numbers also help school districts qualify for universal free meal programs. In times of economic hardship, food benefits keep our local grocery stores afloat by supporting jobs and generating demand for farmers and producers. SNAP participants pumped $265 million into the Kansas economy last year. These pandemic-related SNAP provisions already in place will add well over $100 million more benefits this year. For every $1 of SNAP food benefits you spend at the store, you will be generating $1.54 of economic activity.
Governor Kelly, please help us put food on the table for ourselves and our families.
Hunger and hardship are increasing in Kansas due to the COVID-19 pandemic. School and workplace closures mean families and workers have to find new ways to feed their children and themselves. These challenges have worsened existing problems. More than 370,000 Kansans struggled with consistent access to healthy food before the pandemic, that’s more than one of every 10 people. The rate of hunger among children in our state is higher with two in 10 Kansas kids experiencing food insecurity.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is our nation’s strongest anti-hunger tool. While food banks and pantries provide critical services, the charitable sector cannot address food insecurity alone. For every one meal provided by food banks, SNAP provides 12. And while Kansas has taken some important steps to expand access to food assistance during the pandemic, SNAP could work better for Kansans. One in five eligible Kansas households do not receive food assistance. Participation among eligible Kansas seniors is much lower: Two in three eligible seniors do not receive food assistance.
We urge you, Governor Kelly and the Department for Children and Families, to do more to ensure SNAP works best for Kansans experiencing hunger during the pandemic. Barriers to accessing food keep eligible people from applying, force some families to make impossible decisions, and limit SNAP participants’ ability to social distance during the COVID-19 pandemic. Please follow the lead of other governors by requesting and implementing the following waivers and programs from the USDA:
- The Online Purchasing Program allows for online grocery shopping with SNAP food assistance. States across the country are opting into the SNAP online purchasing program in May and June including states like Missouri, Iowa, Texas, and Idaho. Eight other states like Nebraska, Alabama, and Kentucky are already operating the program.
- The Restaurant Meal Program allows elderly, disabled, and homeless individuals to purchase prepared meals from participating restaurants. This program currently operates in Arizona, Rhode Island, Illinois, and California. States and advocates are requesting the USDA expand this program to new states.
- The Hot Prepared Food Waiver allows the purchase of more ready-to-eat food items during disasters. Many governors have asked USDA for the flexibility a Declaration of Individual Assistance and Disaster-SNAP would offer.
- The Elderly Simplified Application Project would increase participation among eligible seniors by streamlining the application and certification process. States like Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina have already implemented different aspects of the project.
Strengthening SNAP in Kansas will benefit all of us. Participating in SNAP not only helps Kansans feed themselves and their families but also our communities and local economies. Participation numbers also help school districts qualify for universal free meal programs. In times of economic hardship, food benefits keep our local grocery stores afloat by supporting jobs and generating demand for farmers and producers. SNAP participants pumped $265 million into the Kansas economy last year. These pandemic-related SNAP provisions already in place will add well over $100 million more benefits this year. For every $1 of SNAP food benefits you spend at the store, you will be generating $1.54 of economic activity.
Governor Kelly, please help us put food on the table for ourselves and our families.
STEP TWO: Share this letter on social media. Use #ksleg and @GovLauraKelly to make it count.
STEP THREE: Stay engaged. Join Kansas Appleseed's Hunger Action Team. Click here.
