Yesterday, the Beaverton Valley Times published a new editorial from Representative Andrea Salinas — outlining her work to combat food insecurity in Oregon and across the country as Thanksgiving approaches.
Rep. Salinas understands the urgency of this crisis, which is why she’s introduced two bills directly addressing food insecurity:
The Farmers Feeding America Act doubles funding for food bank and pantry programs, in addition to supporting local agriculture and the ability of small family farmers to sell directly to the USDA.
The Rural Feeding Our Kids (FORK) Act delivers food directly to families in rural communities, no matter the season or time of year, ensuring children who rely on school meal programs don’t lose access when classes are out of session.
DCCC Spokesperson Dan Gottlieb:
“Thanksgiving is a time to consider how we can best support our communities — and Rep. Andrea Salinas’ fight to reduce food insecurity is a shining example. Oregonians deserve an advocate who works through the political clutter to deliver tangible solutions for working families, and they have one in Rep. Salinas.”
The holiday season is here. For most of us, that means gathering around the table to share a home-cooked meal with family, friends, and loved ones.
Yet for one in five Oregonians, that meal isn’t guaranteed.
The pandemic led to higher rates of food insecurity across the country. Last year, over 44 million Americans struggled with food insecurity, representing an increase of 10.3 million from the previous year.
It is unacceptable that hunger is still a major problem, and above all, in a place like Oregon — where farming is so critical to our economy and way of life.
That is why I introduced two bills that would directly address this crisis and reduce the number of food insecure households in America.
The Farmers Feeding America Act would double federal funding for The Emergency Food Assistance Program, or TEFAP, to ensure food banks and pantries can stay fully stocked and meet increased demand. TEFAP also supports local agriculture by enabling USDA to purchase food directly from producers, rather than large commercial farms.
This legislation would be a huge win for Oregon and the Willamette Valley, where the vast majority of producers are small and family farms.
Another bill of mine, the Feeding Our Rural Kids (FORK) Act, will help tackle food insecurity in our rural communities. Many kids in rural Oregon rely on school meal programs for healthy, nutritious foods, yet they can lose that access when school is out. The FORK Act will deliver food directly to kids and families in our rural communities and ensure they always have enough to eat, no matter the season or time of year.
Both pieces of legislation have the support of a number of organizations and stakeholders at the federal, state and local levels.
With Thanksgiving just around the corner, we need to do everything in our power to ensure Oregon families can put food on the table.
I will continue to urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support these bills, and I remain committed to finding realistic solutions that will help us end hunger in America.
