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Food Stamp Program Turns 30! Let's Make This Birthday a Happy One! Make a Wish: Email Your Senators Inviting them to Help Make It A Happy Birthday Throw a Party: Contact Us Today To Tell Us You Want to Host a Birthday Party in September Hang the Decorations: Put the Happy Birthday Banner on Your Website Make a Birthday Resolution: Ask Your Board of Supervisors to Pass A Resolution Don't Forget to Send Thanks: Share a Food Stamp Success Story As the Food Stamp Program Turns 30, the Senate Decides the Program’s Future The Food Stamp Program is 30 years old in September, and Congress is making important decisions as it renews the program. Thirty years after the passage of the Food Stamp Act, the Food Stamp Program has made severe hunger and malnutrition rare, helping more than 26 million people put food on the table every month. Yet, the program is showing signs of its age. Over the years it has suffered nicks and cuts that have slowly reduced the purchasing power of the benefits and eaten away at the value of resources people can have while remaining eligible for help. Thirty years ago, the minimum benefit, which is mostly for people with disabilities and the elderly, was set at $10. It has been frozen there ever since. The amount of a family’s income the program deducts for household expenses has declined in value from the equivalent of $211 in 2007 dollars to only $134 for most families. Decline of Food Stamp Benefit Levels:
Congress has a chance to rejuvenate the Food Stamp Program this year when it is reauthorized in the Farm Bill. The House started the job by investing $4 billion, mostly to raise the minimum benefit to about $16, increase the household deduction to about $149, and modify the resource rules to let families save for retirement and education. These are all good steps toward shoring up the program, but still leave it far from the levels it started with in 1977. The Senate should do more.
Let's Make It A Happy Birthday Campaign Materials: Download a Copy of CAFB's Happy Birthday Newsletter Download a Copy of CAFB's Let's Make It A Happy Birthday Post Card (front) Download a Copy of CAFB's Let's Make It A Happy Birthday Post Card (back) Download a Copy of CAFB's Happy Birthday E-Card - Then send by selecting "File" at the top left hand side of your browser or select "Page" at the right hand side of your browser. You see the option to "send" - select "send" then "page by email" and put senator's email at the top. It is best to send it to your contact in the local office, but if you don't have one, use: senator@boxer.senate.gov and senator@feinstein.senate.gov
Let's Make It A Happy Birthday - Party's Scheduled: See Press Release August 28th - Oakland: See Press Coverage September 4th - Calaveras County: See Press Coverage September 18th - Concord September 19th - Hayward September 28th - San Diego
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