Lacey, WA – Today, U.S. Representative Marilyn Strickland (WA-10) joined Food Lifeline’s townhall to discuss and advocate for solutions to military family hunger.
“I am proud to work with organizations like Food Lifeline to take care of military families at Joint Base Lewis-McChord and across the nation because it is unacceptable that the men and women who serve our country have to worry about putting food on the table,” said Strickland. “I will continue to fight the plague of military hunger through my work in Congress.”
“We’re uplifting the stories of military families, that despite sacrificing so much to serve our country, they face hunger and food insecurity in our communities,” said Linda Nageotte, Food Lifeline CEO. “It’s a story not often told but should serve as a turning point for everyone who sees it. One that compels us all to be as courageous and honest as these brave people serving our country.”
During the townhall, Strickland, several military families, and other community leaders discussed legislation designed to address food insecurity amongst military families, which affects many other issues facing the armed forces, including recruitment, retention, and readiness.
Strickland’s Military Food Security Act and Military Family Nutrition Access Act would exclude the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) from income calculations for the Basic Needs Allowance (BNA) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).These bills are set to address hunger and food insecurity in the military and support thenearly 40,000 military members and their families in Western Washington who will receive help from food banks this year.
Watch the Townhall here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSIT5VWSgwY
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