It can be hard to imagine that thousands of our neighbors and community members struggle with hunger, yet that is the reality for the 144,000 Montanans living in food insecure households. Seniors, families with children, veterans, and even working Montanans aren’t always able to put food on the table, a reality that is especially troubling during the holidays.
Fortunately, Montana has a strong network of emergency food providers working to minimize the impacts of hunger in our state. More than 200 agencies of the Montana Food Bank Network served nearly 120,600 individuals in 2014. But the emergency food system is just one line of defense against hunger, and we can’t do it alone. Truly meeting the need in our state also requires strong public food programs.
Our nation’s most important tool to combat hunger is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP (formerly known as food stamps). In the weak economy resulting from the recent recession, SNAP helped ensure that 58,000 Montana households had access to the food and nutrition needed to stay healthy, a number that has decreased as the economy has improved. The overwhelming majority of SNAP participants are children, seniors, or people with disabilities. SNAP also serves a huge number of households, including 22,000 in Montana, with a working adult whose job just doesn’t pay enough for them to make ends meet. SNAP fills in the cracks for low-wage workers, making sure they aren’t forced to choose between feeding their families and paying the rent. The benefits SNAP provides are very modest, averaging less than $1.40 per person per meal in Montana, yet SNAP lifted more than 10 million Americans out of poverty in 2012, including 5 million children.
That’s why we are concerned by continual attempts to weaken SNAP, at both the state and federal levels. SNAP helps thousands of Montana households put healthy food on the table every day. The program grew to meet the need during the economic recession and now participation is slowly and steadily declining as our economy improves. Attempts to further restrict the program are unnecessary and shortsighted. Denying individuals access to food assistance would have long terms costs on our nation’s health and productivity that are far greater than any immediate budget savings.
Fundamentally, SNAP is about giving families, children, and individuals the opportunities they deserve. For parents working in low-wage jobs, SNAP allows them to focus on things beyond where their next meal will come from. For kids, SNAP means going to school with a full stomach so that they can focus and succeed in the classroom. For seniors, SNAP ensures they can fill their prescriptions and still buy enough groceries to remain healthy and independent. And for adults struggling through an unexpected job loss, illness, or other tragedy, SNAP provides an important stepping stone, helping them get through a hard time. Last but not least, SNAP supports our grocery stores, farmers markets, and state economy by bringing our federal tax dollars back to Montana.
Emergency food providers like us represent only one front in the battle against hunger. This holiday season, please let our lawmakers know that SNAP is quietly providing dignity and opportunity for millions of Americans when they need it most.
Gayle Gifford, CEO
Montana Food Bank Network