Learn more about the policy issues affecting hunger relief.

Key Issues:


SNAP is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as “food stamps.” SNAP provides a monthly benefit to qualified, low income consumers to purchase food. SNAP benefits are provided via an electronic benefits transfer (EBT) card. To qualify, a household must have gross monthly income less than 130 percent of the federal poverty guidelines (currently $24,600 for a family of four), monthly net income of 100 percent of the federal poverty guidelines, and assets of less than $2,000.

CEP is the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). CEP is a non-pricing meal service option for schools and school districts in low-income areas. CEP allows the nation's highest poverty schools and districts to serve breakfast and lunch at no cost to all enrolled students without collecting household applications. Instead, schools that adopt CEP are reimbursed using a formula based on percentage of students categorically eligible for free meals based on their participation in other specific means-tested programs such as SNAP.

The Farm Bill is legislation authorized every five years by Congress that shapes national agricultural and food policy. Within the Farm Bill are programs critical to agricultural interests, such as crop insurance, commodities, conservation, and farm subsidies. There are also programs important to the hunger community, such as the programs listed above as well as a few other smaller programs. The nutrition programs authorized by the Farm Bill are critical to Food Bank clients and Food Bank operations. SNAP helps many of Island Harvest clients purchase food that supplements what they can receive at Food Bank Partner Agencies or purchase with their own income. CSFP provides nutritious food boxes to our senior population.

Our collaborators in improving health and nutrition:
Feeding America
Feeding New York State
Food and Research Action Center (FRAC)

Federal Policy

Island Harvest is committed to protecting the funding and structure of the federal nutrition programs that form the backbone of our nation’s response to hunger. We are urging Congress to protect and defend these programs, especially the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) as well as other critical anti-hunger programs such as: the SNAP Nutrition Education and Obesity Prevention Grant Program (SNAP-Ed), The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) and the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP).

SNAP
SNAP benefits and eligibility must be protected. Without a strong SNAP, the charitable response to hunger will not be able to meet the need. Negative changes to its funding or structure could result in millions of meals lost over the next decade. SNAP responds quickly to changes in need, growing in response to increases in poverty and unemployment, and declining as unemployment falls. The program is effective, provides a path out of poverty and hunger, and leads to improved educational outcomes, productivity, and health.

SNAP-Ed
Nutrition Education plays an essential role in improving health, lowering health care costs and breaking the cycle of poverty. Food banks rely on SNAP-Ed dollars to educate families, seniors and children about eating nutritiously on a budget. The program is highly efficient, has well-documented outcomes at program- and state-levels, and is structured to ensure funding for the most competitive projects in each state.

CSFP




State Policy

Island Harvest Food Bank works closely with the New York State Legislature during session, providing testimony in hearings, serving as an expert resource and advocating for policies to make our state hunger-free and healthy.

For questions regarding Advocacy, please contact:

Gregory May, Government Relations Liaison - 631-873-4775 X:256

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