Sharing an important message from Worcester County Food Bank’s Director of Advocacy, Liz Sheehan-Castro. The full text of the letter is included below, but here are a few highlights:
Please take the time TODAY to ask your representative to support two budget amendments:
- Fund the Healthy Incentives Program at $8.5 million. This is the amount needed to keep the program running year-round and to bring new HIP vendors on in under-served areas. The current proposal includes just $4 million for HIP. HIP is an amazing anti-hunger program that has benefited 55,000 Massachusetts families by providing a 100% match for SNAP dollars spent at participating farmers and mobile markets, farm stands and CSAs. This ensures that SNAP customers can get more fresh fruits and veggies, while also supporting local farmers and local economies.
- Help close the “SNAP Gap.” This budget amendment would create a pilot program to make it possible for people who qualify for MassHealth to apply for SNAP at the same time. This would support food access for the 741,000 Massachusetts residents who currently use MassHealth and qualify for SNAP but are not enrolled.
HIP works — it was so successful last year that we had to call for emergency supplemental funding in the middle of the year. Our state legislature responded by allotting more money to fund the program through the end of the farmers market season. This year, we’re asking you to reach out again and let your state reps know how important HIP is to our community.
We need your help to make sure the next Massachusetts budget supports more people in getting enough of the foods they need to stay healthy. Please take the time TODAY to ask your representative to support two budget amendments:
- Fund the Healthy Incentives Program at $8.5 million. This is the amount needed to keep the program running year-round and to bring new HIP vendors on in under-served areas. The current proposal includes just $4 million for HIP. HIP is an amazing anti-hunger program that has benefited 55,000 Massachusetts families by providing a 100% match for SNAP dollars spent at participating farmers and mobile markets, farm stands and CSAs. This ensures that SNAP customers can get more fresh fruits and veggies, while also supporting local farmers and local economies.
- Help close the “SNAP Gap.” This budget amendment would create a pilot program to make it possible for people who qualify for MassHealth to apply for SNAP at the same time. This would support food access for the 741,000 Massachusetts residents who currently use MassHealth and qualify for SNAP but are not enrolled.
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What Can You Do? Raise Your Voice!
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Your legislators need to hear from you now about why the HIP and SNAP Gap amendments matter. Call and E-mail today!
Urge your representative to sign on to the HIP budget amendment, sponsored by Representatives Kane and Donahue, and the SNAP Gap budget amendment, sponsored by Representative Livingstone.
When you call, you will likely be connected to a staff member who will take your message. Make sure to let them know your name, your town of residence, and that you are a constituent. Explain why you care about these programs and why they are so important for supporting healthy food access and ending hunger.
Don’t know who your representative is? Click here.
Want more ideas for what to say? Click here for some quick facts on HIP and here for information on the SNAP Gap.
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Thank you so much for YOUR commitment to ending hunger in Worcester County!
Liz Sheehan Castro
Director of Advocacy
Worcester County Food Bank
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Bonus Action! Share Your Story
Your voice has power. Do you have a story to share about food insecurity or what SNAP benefits have meant to you? Tell us about it here.
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