LUM Supports SNAP Emergency Allotment
LUM Joins In Support of SNAP Emergency Allotment
LUM has signed a letter organized by Indiana Hunger Coalition urging the Indiana General Assembly to allow SNAP Emergency Allotments to continue for the duration of the federal public health emergency to help low-income Hoosiers to afford healthier food options for their families. Currently, SNAP Emergency Allotments will end on April 16, 2022, for Indiana families. For more details please read the letter below.
Letter – SNAP Emergency Allotment for Indiana Families
To the Members of the Indiana General Assembly:
We, the undersigned, ask you to support extended SNAP Emergency Allotment benefits for the more than 607,000 Hoosiers utilizing SNAP benefits to help feed their families.
Hoosiers use the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to provide food during times of economic hardship, making it one of the largest and most effective anti-poverty programs in Indiana. For every one meal that the Feeding America network of food banks can provide across the country, SNAP provides nine. Additionally, ninety-seven percent of all households receiving SNAP benefits in Indiana contain a child, senior, or person with a disability.
As the language stands in HB 1001, SNAP Emergency Allotments will end April 16, 2022—the end of the current federal public health emergency. We have every expectation that the federal public health emergency will be extended for another ninety days. With the deadline in legislation, low-income Hoosiers will miss out on $200M in federal benefits to afford healthier food options for their families, purchased at more than 5,000 Indiana retailers.
SNAP EA benefits provided more than $51M into Indiana businesses in the month of January 2022 alone. SNAP generates business for retailers of all types and sizes, including superstores, supermarkets, convenience stores, and specialty stores like farmers markets, dairies, and butchers. But SNAP is particularly impactful to small businesses, which represent eighty percent of SNAP retailers. This is especially true in high-poverty areas where SNAP purchases can account for a significant share of a retailer’s total sales.
Now is not the time to roll back this assistance as Hoosier families are being squeezed from all sides. Inflation, particularly in food, gas, rent, plus utilities and other costs are greatly impacting Hoosiers. Supply chain issues and higher food prices also impact food banks’ abilities to serve clients. Continuing this single aspect of a program which utilizes federal dollars would provide Hoosier families with on average an additional $185 in SNAP benefits each to help put food on their tables and free up other income for other expenses.
We urge the Indiana General Assembly to allow SNAP Emergency Allotments to continue for the duration of the federal public health emergency to help low-income Hoosiers to afford healthier food options for their families.
Organized by the Indiana Hunger Coalition
LUM encourages you to email or call you state legislators urging them to to allow SNAP Emergency Allotments to continue for the duration of the federal public health emergency to help low-income Hoosiers to afford healthier food options for their families.
Tippecanoe County – IN State Senators & Representatives are as follows:
- Senator Ron Alting – senator.alting@iga.in.gov – 800-382-9467
- Senator Brian Buchanan – senator.buchanan@iga.in.gov – 800-382-9467
- Representative Sheila Klinker – h27@iga.in.gov
- Rep Chris Campbell – h26@iga.in.gov
- Rep Don Lehe – h25@iga.in.gov
- Rep Sharon Negele – h13@iga.in.gov
To find your Indiana legislator (representative or senator), if you do not live in Tippecanoe County, click HERE.
FIND YOUR Your State Legislators
Follow this link to find out: http://iga.in.gov/legislative/find-legislators/. Every phone call and email makes a difference as we work to protect the interests of Hoosier Families!
To find out more information about bills that are being watched by the Campaign for Hoosier Families go to www.lumserve.org/bill-watch-list/.
Campaign for Hoosier Families is an alliance of faith-based organizations that engages local, state and federal officials on behalf of low-income Hoosier families and children. To find out more information about bills that are being watched by the Campaign for Hoosier Families, please click HERE. Thank you for helping to support Hoosier Families. If you wish to make a donation to the LUM Social Justice Ministry, click HERE.
