DENVER – En lo que el Congreso se prepara para resumir los debates sobre la Ley Agraria esta semana, algunos se preocupan que congresistas terminarían haciendo recortes de fondos a programas esenciales diseñados para ayudar a familias. Estadísticas del gobierno muestran que el 65 por ciento de los fondos alocados a esta ley van hacia asistencia para que familias puedan alimentarse.

Como directora ejecutiva de Hunger Free Colorado, Kathy Underhill, ve de primera mano el impacto de esta ley. Dice que programas como el de Cupones para Alimentos (SNAP, por sus siglas en inglés) son esenciales para el bienestar de aquellos que están pasando por momentos difíciles durante la crisis económica.

"¿Qué es más importante que invertir en proveer nutrición básica para nuestros ciudadanos? ¿Si no es esto, entonces qué es? ¿qué es más importante que cumplir con necesidades humanas básicas?"

Críticos del programa de cupones de alimentos dicen que SNAP es solo otro programa de ayuda social que crea una cultura de dependencia y además es muy costoso para el país. Underhill aclara que ese no es el caso – en Colorado la familia promedio recibe beneficios de SNAP por solo 10 meses. Añade que SNAP también crea empleos con buen salario en supermercados, con casi 250 en Colorado. Esta programado para el 11 de Julio que el Comité Agrario de la Cámara de Representantes retome la Ley Agraria.

Kyle Legleiter con la Fundación de Salud de Colorado dice que los programas de asistencia son diseñados para funcionar en contra del ciclo económico – declinando beneficios cuando la economía esta arriba, y otorgando más cuando la economía esta baja.

"Actualmente Colorado es el estado con la tasa más alta de niños sufriendo hambruna en el país. Sabemos que el programa SNAP asistió a más de 450,000 residentes de Colorado en el 2011, así que en verdad es el salva vidas para el bienestar de las familias."

Underhill dice que en Colorado solo la mitad de las familias que califican para asistencia hacen uso de ella y opina que puede ser porque hasta hace poco la aplicación para cupones de alimentos era de 26 páginas.

"Puedo obtener un permiso para cargar armas de fuego al llenar un formulario de dos páginas, pero para cupones de alimento son 26 páginas."

El estado recientemente trabajó para hacer más eficiente la aplicación, reduciéndola a ocho páginas. Añadiendo a programas de asistencia está la cláusula en la Ley Agraria de este año que ayuda a combatir los llamados "desiertos de comida" - comunidades urbanas y rurales que no tienen supermercados – a través de incentivos para que estas comunidades reciban alimentos frescos.

Para información de las cláusulas de la Ley Agraria visite: www.iatp.org


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Alabama is one of 14 states opting out of the 2024 summer electronic benefit program.

As summer rolls around, there will be no programs in place to help low-income families with grocery costs.

LaTrell Clifford Wood, hunger policy advocate for the group Alabama Arise, said as a result, more than 500,000 children who usually receive free or reduced lunch could go without meals. She noted while summer feeding programs will be available, they will not reach everyone in need.

"Ninety-four percent of Alabama children who rely on free and reduced-price meals won't have access to them over the summer," Wood reported. "That means that only 6% of the children who rely on those meals during the school year are going to be fed through summer feeding programs."

Wood warned limited hours, transportation and strict program rules will hinder many families from benefiting from such vital programs. The Alabama Legislature did not allocate the necessary $15 million for the program by the end of the last session. However, Wood noted there is a chance the program will be funded in the summer of 2025.

As legislators focus on next year's budgets, Wood stressed the need for funding next summer's EBT program. She pointed out Alabama Arise is calling for lawmakers to allocate funds from the general fund or Education Trust Fund to combat child hunger, affecting one in four children in the state.

"This is a program that's been tested for 13 years," Wood emphasized. "It's had three rigorous evaluation periods, and it was shown to improve the diet of children and decrease children's food hardship by a third."

Wood believes prioritizing children's needs and addressing food insecurity is a form of preventive care and serves as an early investment in the state's overall wellness.

The Food Research and Action Center said funding the e-benefits program would also benefit the economy - adding anywhere from $98 million to $117 million. The Alabama Senate Finance and Taxation Education Committee is expected to vote on the budget next week.

California's program helping low-income families buy fresh fruit and vegetables is on the chopping block and health care advocates are asking legislators to save the Market Match program.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed cutting most of the program's $35 million budget to help close the state's budget shortfall.

Sophia Vaccaro, a participant in Market Match from Echo Park, said she depends on Market Match in more ways than one.

"It helps people being able to stretch their budget further," Vaccaro explained. "Then, I think it helps the community, in that it creates a sense of camaraderie at the farmers' market and makes people more invested in the community itself."

The program matches every dollar CalFresh customers spend on fresh fruits and vegetables at a farmer's market up to between $10 and $20 per day. It is active at 294 sites across the state and is partially paid for through federal matching funds.

Dr. John Maa, surgeon at Marin Health Medical Center and board member of the San Francisco Bay Area chapter of the American Heart Association, said Market Match promotes healthy eating and boosts the local farm economy.

"An improved diet really will have long-term meaningful impacts on health, and also reduce health care costs," Maa explained. "It really helps to sustain the growers and the merchants. I guess it's a win-win-win."

Siu Han Cheung, outreach coordinator for the Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation and board member of the Heart of the City Farmers' Market, argued the program is vital to residents across the state.

"If the Market Match will be cut, that is terrible," Cheung stressed. "That means they have less money to buy their food. So, Market Match is very important for the low-income families and the seniors."

Legislators and the governor are working toward the May budget revisions, and must pass a balanced budget by June 15.

South Dakotans face high prices at the grocery store and some are working to ease the burden.

A new report from the Federal Trade Commission finds some grocery retailers used the supply-chain disruptions of the pandemic to raise prices and collect bigger profits, even after supply chains regulated.

One South Dakota group is trying to reduce sticker shock by targeting the state sales tax on groceries. Dakotans for Health is sponsoring a citizens ballot initiative to repeal the 4.2 % tax.

Rick Weiland, co-founder of the group, said lower food bills would make a meaningful difference for some.

"People of modest means, or low income hardworking families, disproportionately spend upwards of 30% on food," Weiland pointed out. "This is going to be helpful."

South Dakota is one of only two states in the country to apply its full state sales tax rate to groceries with no exemptions, Mississippi being the other. More than 9% of South Dakotans are considered food insecure, meaning they do not always have access to enough healthy food.

The grocery tax has been a popular topic among state legislators in recent years. Republican Gov. Kristi Noem even campaigned on the promise to repeal it. Critics have said proposing a tax cut without a way to finance it is irresponsible.

Weiland pointed out Gov. Noem had a formula spelled out when she brought forward her bill in 2023, which was voted down.

"She had no problem defending her position in front of the Legislature, in terms of how much revenue the state was going to lose and where they could make it up," Weiland recounted.

The initiative needs about 17,500 signatures by next month to appear on the November ballot.