Chefs come to the rescue again.
150+ Chefs Join Call to Protect Nutrition Programs Under Threat from Trump
It seems no one is able to make any sort of dent in the 80-day tornado of damage our maniacal President and his government of “efficiency” soldiers are committing, unravelling every tenant of freedom, morality, humanity, and sanity that once knitted together the fabric of our nation. But maybe chefs can do it?
This week, over 140 other chefs and culinary professionals from across the country signed a letter from No Kid Hungry, urging Congress to protect kids from massive cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) amidst ongoing budget negotiations.
“As culinary leaders, we have built our careers around the power of food—not just as a means of nourishment, but as a way to bring people together and strengthen communities. Every day, we see the impact that access to nutrition has on people’s lives. At a time when millions of Americans are struggling to keep up with the rising cost of food, it’s more important than ever before to protect SNAP, one of our nation’s most powerful tools to end hunger,” the letter states.
Unlike the issue of pronouns or one's gender preference, hunger impacts 40 million people, including 1 in 5 children. Here in NYC alone, more than 1.7 million people in New York City rely on SNAP to pay for groceries, and the need is only growing. No Kid Hungry New York’s recent poll found that 52% of households in NYC reported taking on additional debt to pay for food.
Instead of focusing on how to ensure less people go hungry, Congress has just passed a budget resolution that calls for a staggering $230 billion cut to programs like SNAP, which supplements a family’s food budget, ensuring they can provide nutritious meals without sacrificing other essential needs. The pending five-year farm bill could see the full slate of federal food benefits severely curtailed.
“I know the life-changing power of food,” said Rachael Ray, a longtime anti-hunger advocate, philanthropist and No Kid Hungry champion through efforts from the Rachael Ray Foundation. “That’s why I’m deeply concerned about potential cuts to this vital program that helps put healthy food on the table for millions of families. SNAP is an investment in the health of our kids and the strength of our communities.”
CHANGE SNAP, DON’T CUT IT
To be sure, SNAP is not perfect; it has some issues. Many leaders in the food insecurity space are urging Congress to adopt smart changes to the program that will allow for more folks to feed their families with ease and dignity. Under current rules, SNAP doesn’t allow folks to purchase hot food or prepared meals. This means you can buy a raw chicken, but not a rotisserie chicken. And yet, many people living under the poverty line can’t actually heat up or cook food because they don’t have access to a stove, or pots and pans, or even salt, pepper and cooking oil. Congress could amend SNAP to allow folks to purchase hot food, as well as cookware and simple seasonings.
SNAP also can’t be used at restaurants. Why not support the economy and give folks and families a way to have a dignified meal. Some states like New York and Maryland are also moving in this direction. established statewide Restaurant Meals Program as part of SNAP, so that homeless, elderly and disabled SNAP recipients can use their benefits for prepared or hot food from participating restaurants. A nice start, but these programs just don’t go far enough. Being hungry doesn’t mean you don’t deserve hospitality. So yes, changes to SNAP are needed, but cutting the program’s funding will do one thing: promote hunger and despair.
REINSTATE LOCAL FOOD PURCHASE ASSISTANCE
SNAP isn’t the only program on the chopping block. Funding for the Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) program, including a key $500 million round (LFPA25), a program helps connect local farmers with food banks, providing fresh, nutritious food to those facing hunger while supporting American agriculture, has been canceled, cutting off support for both food banks and farmers. Without LFPA, food banks will struggle to supply fresh, local produce to families in need, hurting both hunger relief efforts and local farmers who depend on these contracts. The LFPA helped boost local economies by supporting farmers, and its cancellation will lead to lost revenue for farmers and fewer nutritious options for families facing hunger.
UPDATE The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP)
The USDA, gutted by RFK and his team of efficiency-bots, has not provided an update on the status of critical food purchases for The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), leaving food banks like ours in limbo. According to the Food Bank of NY, previously approved TEFAP food orders have been canceled, with no clear plan to resume purchases, creating a major food gap starting in April. Without action from the USDA, food banks could lose $1 billion in essential food purchases, drastically impacting hunger relief nationwide and for the 1.3 million New Yorkers (including 1 in 5 children) currently facing food insecurity.
Realistically, I’m not sure that this letter will do much, but it does, once again, underscore that the restaurant community, as it has been decade after decade, from 9/11 to COVID, is here, standing up for not only those who eat at their restaurants, but for those who may never have that chance. Thank you chefs.
Writing this letter is worth it all.