Don't make it harder for hungry families

Hunger is a pressing issue in Iowa, impacting families in districts across the state. This month, Iowa’s state Legislature held a public hearing for Senate File 494, which would create additional hurdles for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), making it more difficult to access benefits and ultimately hurting children living with food insecurity. The cost of SF 494 outweighs any benefit, and the proposed changes reduce food access for those who need it the most.

We need legislation that gives families a hand up instead of knocking the chair out from under them. A Save the Children Action Network advocate, Kashana Kohl, is a full-time working mom with two children with dietary allergies, learning disabilities, and sensory issues. She explains, “With my full-time gross monthly income, we tend to run out of SNAP before the end of each month. Sometimes I’ve had to skip paying the power bill to ensure we have enough food or choose to be late on rent. I work full-time, my children attend school, and we have mental health appointments to support their learning and behavioral challenges. There are no more hours in the day to devote to additional hurdles.”

SNAP is designed to provide critical support for families and children facing food insecurity. In a state like Iowa, where 40 percent of recipients are children, the program is a vital tool to combat hunger. Threatening to impose further restrictions or make it harder to afford healthy meals hurts families across the state. A study commissioned by Save the Children Action Network found hunger extends beyond our cities. Rural voters too are facing concerns about feeding their families, with “six in 10 rural voters worried they might not be able to afford enough food to feed themselves and their families over the next year.”

We need solutions that encourage SNAP participation, such as the Double Up Food Bucks program. Kashana enthusiastically supports the program and explains, “Double Up Food Bucks allows families like mine to be able to access more fruits in vegetables with SNAP benefits, and if elected leaders could pass that without additional limitations, it would be a step in the right direction.” Thanks to the economic multiplier effect of both the Double Up Food Program and SNAP, every $1 spent through the program generates $1.90 in economic activity. When it comes to farm-direct sales, the economic benefit increases up to $2.50. Taking the investment further, through matching funds, including those from the USDA’s Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP), an investment from Iowa of $1 million could lead to a potential total investment of $4 million in Double Up Food Bucks.

While Double up Food Bucks is a clear example of how legislation can help increase access to healthy foods, the proposed restrictions and limitations included in SF 494 will cost millions more than its intended cost savings while causing thousands of families and children to lose their access to food. We cannot afford to take a step backward in the fight against food insecurity.

E.J. Wallace is the Heartland Regional Advisor of State and Electoral Campaigns for Save the Children Action Network.