On the heels of monumental anti-hunger wins in the California State Budget, our Advocacy team hosted its annual August Recess meetings with Congressional representatives from our service areas.
Congressman Garamendi and Congressman McGovern (Massachusetts) flew out from DC to visit California, and we are honored that our Fairfield warehouse was one of the few stops they made as part of the Ending Hunger in America Initiative. They met Keva, one of our Community Advocates, and learned about our ongoing COVID and fire response. We will remain in touch with them as they strive to plan the first-ever White House Conference on Food, Nutrition, Hunger and Health!
We also had the privilege of meeting with Reps. DeSaulnier, Thompson, McNerney and Swalwell. Discussions have centered around how to help our neighbors who have been tragically displaced by another record-breaking wildfire season, the ongoing impacts of the pandemic on food insecurity and how we can best combat hunger together at the federal level. These are the top-three pieces of legislation we are focused on right now:
- Stop Child Hunger Act (H.R. 3519)
- Summer Meals Act (H.R. 783)
- Universal School Meals Act (H.R. 3115)
These bills would collectively increase food access for children during the summer, expand EBT during prolonged school closures and create a nationwide program for Universal School Meals (similar to California’s School Meals for All for K-12 students that we reported on last month.)
We thank all five of our Congressional leaders: Swalwell, Garamendi, Thompson, McNerney and DeSaulnier for their leadership in the fight to end hunger.
We also want to recognize Rep. Mark DeSaulnier for leading the effort at the federal level in urging Gov. Newsom to sign the School Meals for All Act in California. Thank you, Congressman!
