SNAP key to fighting hunger
Oklahoma is the fifthhungriest state in the nation. The COVID19 pandemic combined with a slumping energy industry has put even more Oklahomans in economic peril and in need of food assistance.
Feeding America just released the “Impact of the Coronavirus on Local Food Insecurity” report estimating that COVID-19's impact has reduced any progress made on reducing hunger in Oklahoma. Since the pandemic, it is estimated that we have dropped from one in six Oklahomans facing food insecurity to now one in five. Before COVID-19, one in four Oklahoma children was food insecure and that has now moved to nearly one in three. With a record number of Oklahomans filing unemployment claims, every community has been impacted. As our Oklahoma congressional delegation continues to think through solutions, the Oklahoma Food Banks urge them to support measures that support and protects families now more than ever.
Although restrictions are being lifted, the impact of COVID-19 remains. Many businesses are operating at partial capacity and some jobs are lost for good. In April, the Oklahoma Food Banks distributed more than 10 million pounds of food, an increase of 3.5 million pounds than an average month. We expect to continue serving high volumes of families, including many seeking help for the first time.
However, we cannot do this work alone. To ensure Oklahomans have the food assistance they need, there must be both a strong charitable sector and deep government investment in federal nutrition programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
SNAP is proven to help safeguard the food security of people in times of need and its strength is unparalleled. For every meal a food bank provides, SNAP provides nine. SNAP is not only an anti-hunger powerhouse, it's a critical economic multiplier. When SNAP benefits are used to purchase groceries, those dollars circulate within local economies and add much-needed revenue.
As unemployment remains high, it is likely that there will be an economic downturn. Increasing SNAP benefits will help make the program even more responsive to an economic downswing. To that point, the Congressional Budget Office rated an increase in SNAP benefits as one of the most cost-effective ways to boost economic growth and create jobs in a weak economy. Every $1 spent in SNAP benefits helps generate between $1.50 and $1.80 in economic activity.
Congress can help us feed the line and shorten the line by increasing the maximum amount of SNAP benefits by 15% and expanding our capacity to serve people through The Emergency Food Assistance Program. We urge our congressional delegation to support and strengthen the nutrition provisions passed in the next stimulus bill.