Local View: Farm bill should also beef up nutrition aid

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By SUSANNE BLUE

November in Nebraska is harvest time — when grain bins fill with corn and our minds turn toward the upcoming holiday season.

During this time of bounty, we must not forget about those in our community who are struggling. In Nebraska, an estimated 72,000 households (over 10 percent of our population) live with hunger or the threat of hunger, according to the USDA. That includes the working poor and homeless individuals and families that I see at Matt Talbot Kitchen & Outreach on a regular basis.

This year, there is another intersection between harvest and hunger in Nebraska. Congress is currently working to pass the Farm Bill, which will renew important programs supporting farmers. The Farm Bill also contains opportunities to renew and improve food and nutrition programs, including the Food Stamp Program and The Emergency Food Assistance Program (a federal program that helps support food banks and food pantries).

The Food Stamp Program is the United States’ strongest weapon against hunger and malnutrition. Without food stamps, the number of Nebraskans facing hunger — and the number of folks that would walk in the doors of Matt Talbot — would be much, much higher. Last year, more than 26 million Americans, including 120,000 Nebraskans, received food stamps.

The latest information from the Office of Analysis, Nutrition and Evaluation reports 56.4 percent of Nebraska food stamp recipients are children and 14.2 percent are elderly. These are our friends, neighbors, co-workers, maybe even members of our own families. It is estimated that more than half of all Americans will receive food stamps at some point between the ages of 20 and 65.

Food stamps are a critical component of these families’ budgets. Although the benefits are modest (averaging just a dollar per person per meal), they enable many people to avoid making the impossible choice between putting food on the table and paying for housing, heat or medical care. The program itself also is extremely successful — The National Journal recently cited the Food Stamp Program as one of the government’s top successes, calling it a “case study in effective government aid.” Food stamp dollars also help fuel our local economy by providing important revenue to area grocers. Last year, the program put $124,315,497 in federal food stamp funds into our state’s economy.

The bottom line is that Congress has an opportunity now to make choices that provide for the food security of all Nebraskans by supporting a strong nutrition title in the Farm Bill in three ways:

n First, increase benefits to adequate levels. Right now, food stamps just do not go far enough each month, which is why our numbers climb consistently at the end of the month. And, because of past budget cuts, the value of benefits no longer keeps up with inflation.

n Second, expand eligibility and revise outdated asset limits to allow more low-income families to receive food stamps. Many needy households do not receive assistance. It is just too humiliating for some to even apply. We must reduce the stigma. 

n Third, the Farm Bill would protect funding for the Emergency Food Assistance program.

While it is a fact that Lincoln is one of the most generous communities around with regard to providing and supporting hunger relief efforts through a variety of service providers, we must challenge ourselves to do more. Advocacy and education, such as what is presented here, could have a greater long-term effect on the fight against poverty, hunger and poor nutrition.

Supporting the Food Stamp Program meets a basic need for people in Nebraska. Let’s hope Congress takes note during National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness week and supports a strong nutrition title in the Farm Bill — now is, after all, a time for sharing the harvest. Thanksgiving blessings to all!

Susanne Blue is executive director of Matt Talbot Kitchen & Outreach.