Advocate

Support Hunger Relief
Can you have an influence on the federal appropriations process? The answer is yes! One of the best ways you can get involved is by sharing your voice with your legislators. Here are a few tips:

Understand hunger—visit the California Hunger Action Center or the Food Research and Action Center to learn more about hunger issues and the role the federal government plays in hunger relief. You can also check out our list of hunger-related studies.

Understand current policy issues – visit California Food Policy Advocates, a statewide public policy and advocacy organization dedicated to improving the health and well being of low-income Californians by increasing their access to nutritious, affordable food.

Make it personal—send a letter to your legislators and share your own experiences with hunger. This will help them understand how hunger affects the people in your community.

Local - Help hungry San Diegans access affordable, nutritious food
Contact your County Supervisor and encourage their support for San Diego County’s Food Stamp program.

State - Prevent the Elimination of California’s Social Safety Net
Contact your State legislators to support state programs that assist low-income Californians, including the working poor, foster youth, the elderly, people with disabilities, the military and their families. These programs include:
Cal Works                MediCal
Food Stamps          Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
Click here to locate your state legislators.

Federal – Ensure no one goes hungry by continuously improving the federal food programs

Support 2009 Child Nutrition Reauthorization
Every five years Congress “reauthorizes” federal Child Nutrition Programs. These programs include the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs, the Commodity and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), the Summer Food Service Program, and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). We view all of the federal Child Nutrition Programs as critical to President Obama’s pledge to end child hunger in the U.S. by 2015. Please advocate for improvements to these programs by contacting your elected officials in Congress.

Download a postcard and send it to your Congressperson.