Feeding America Makes the Case for SNAP; Bread Urges You to Take Action on Social Media

Ross Fraser, Director of Media Relations at Feeding America, explains some key points about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP or food stamps). He also urges everyone to help protect this program from impending cuts in the House Farm Bill.  For more information go to Feeding America's Hunger Action Center.

Take Action on Social Media
And if your member of Congress sits on the House Agriculture Committee, you can use social media to take action between now and Wednesday.  That is the day when the committee is due to vote on the farm bill.  

Here are excerpts from a post  by Bread for the World's western regional organizer Robin Stephenson in the Bread blog:

Public dialogue can create public pressure, and raising your voice is critical to avoiding cuts that will take food off the tables of families who most need it. We must encourage members that food assistance is not a political football. 

If your member of Congress is on the House Agriculture Committee, tag them in a tweet or message them on Facebook in the next several days leading up to Wednesday’s committee vote.

 (Note: We don't have anyone from New Mexico on this committee.  But there was a time when our state had some influence on agriculture legislation.  Former Rep. Joe Skeen, who represented the Second Congressional District, was once the chair of the all-important Agriculture Appropriations subcommittee)

Below are sample tweets and Facebook posts, as well as a chart of links to members' accounts.

Sample Tweets:

Dear @RepX, Cuts to SNAP & Food Aid in the #FarmBill  would increase poverty & hunger. Please do the right thing #BreadActs

Dear @RepX Please be a hunger champion & do the right thing.  Protect SNAP & food aid funding in #FarmBill #BreadActs

Sample Facebook:

I am counting on your continued leadership for people who are poor and hungry. Please oppose cuts to SNAP and food aid in the upcoming farm bill vote.

As a person of faith, I believe that budgets are moral documents and must not be balanced on the backs of the poor.  Please be a leader and oppose cuts to SNAP and Food Aid in the farm bill.