Congress needs to reauthorize the Farm Bill this year. This is an opportunity to build more equitable and sustainable food systems in the US and abroad by strengthening the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and other food assistance programs. Find more information about the Farm Bill and its impacts on these web pages:

• Northwest Harvest
• ELCA Advocacy
• Mazon
• Bread for the World
• Food Research and Action Center

Faith communities and local social service organizations work with passion to meet the needs of people in their communities who struggle with food insecurity. However, they cannot address the bigger issues of entrenched food insecurity in many parts of the world and the associated intertwining challenges in our agricultural communities. Congress can. Reauthorizing the Farm Bill is an opportunity for our federal government to advance the common good nationally and globally, especially for those who need basic nutritional support for healthy lives.

Take action today to ask Congress to prioritize food assistance programs in the reauthorization of the Farm Bill. Write to your senators and representative, using the template linked here, to let them know what you’d like to see included in the reauthorization of the Farm Bill. We want to defend against punitive measures being proposed, protect access to SNAP and expand eligibility. We’ll keep you posted on specific pieces of the Farm Bill being negotiated. For now, Congress needs to hear from you about your concern for your neighbors! Please take a moment to personalize your letter with a story about someone you know who is affected by food insecurity. Do you glean? Help in a food bank? Provide a community meal? Have your own backyard vegetable garden? Add a brief story to strengthen your letter.