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Contact: Sherry S. Kirschenbaum (973) 929-3084; [email protected]
For Immediate Release
12 NJ Legislators & 1 Freeholder Partner With Jewish Community to Take the Food Stamp Challenge and Live on $4.20 a Day for Food Goal Is to Find a Bi-Partisan Solution to Hunger Whippany, NJ, September 5, 2014 — 12 New Jersey legislators from Essex, Union, Passaic, Bergen, Burlington, and Hudson counties, 1 freeholder from Union County, and 35 Jewish community leaders from across Essex, Morris, Union, Sussex, and parts of Somerset County, will participate in the Food Stamp Challenge from September 8-14. Each participant has committed to living on $4.20 a day — about $30 a week — the amount the average SNAP (food stamp) recipient lives on — to experience first-hand the lives of those who struggle with food insecurity every day and raise awareness of the need to find a bipartisan solution to hunger in New Jersey. Last year, 46.2 million Americans – one out of every six – were living in poverty. Nearly one in four U.S. households with children reported great difficulty, or even inability, to provide enough food for their families. 47.4 million Americans participated in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistant Program (SNAP) in October 2013. 47.4 million Americans had no choice but to make it work. In New Jersey, more than 1.1 million people are food insecure (13%), which includes close to 400,000 children (almost 1 in 5 children). In November 2013, the SNAP program saw unprecedented across-the-board cuts, resulting in a loss of benefits to all recipients. Additional cuts were implemented with the passage of the 2013 Farm Bill. All together, these food stamp cuts have resulted in benefit cuts of almost 15%. Federal cuts combined with recent State cuts in the recent budget will make NJ one of the hardest hits states in the nations for those facing food insecurity. Sponsored by Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ, Jewish Family Service of Central NJ, and Jewish Family Service of MetroWest, the initiative is being co-chaired by Senators Raymond Lesniak and Tom Kean Jr., and Assemblywomen Mila Jasey and Nancy Munoz. The eight other legislators participating in the challenge include Assemblymen Reed Gusciora, John McKeon, Charles Mainor, and Gary Schaer, Assemblywomen Annette Quijano, Maria Rodriquez-Gregg, Holly Schepisi, and L. Grace Spencer, and Freeholder Chris Hudak. According to Senator Raymond Lesniak, “I am taking the challenge to bring attention to the cuts made in Washington and not restored in Trenton, which make lives extremely difficult for many senior citizens and children and adults who qualify for food stamps. I can’t imagine having to do this for months or years. It would be almost impossible in my opinion. And it would certainly be unhealthy.” “I am proud to be a part of the Food Stamp Challenge this year. I know hunger is present everywhere in New Jersey and that families are suffering, often quietly, from a lack of access to affordable, nutritious food. I am hopeful that my participation will bring, in some small measure, some greater awareness to the
Page 2 problem of hunger and will also generate a renewed commitment from community leaders to legislative leaders to work together to find solutions." The Food Stamp Challenge kicks off a year-long END HUNGER Campaign in the Greater MetroWest community. To follow the participants as they take the challenge, and for more information, visit www.jfedgmw.org/end hunger. Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ (Federation) stands at the center of a network of 27 partner agencies dedicated to providing comprehensive social services and meeting the educational, vocational, recreational, and social needs of Jews locally, in Israel, and in 70 countries around the world. Federation also creates ways/spaces for people to connect to a multitude of Jewish experiences in personally meaningful ways. Responding to emergency and disaster situations around the world is another important part of the Federation mission.
For Immediate Release
12 NJ Legislators & 1 Freeholder Partner With Jewish Community to Take the Food Stamp Challenge and Live on $4.20 a Day for Food Goal Is to Find a Bi-Partisan Solution to Hunger Whippany, NJ, September 5, 2014 — 12 New Jersey legislators from Essex, Union, Passaic, Bergen, Burlington, and Hudson counties, 1 freeholder from Union County, and 35 Jewish community leaders from across Essex, Morris, Union, Sussex, and parts of Somerset County, will participate in the Food Stamp Challenge from September 8-14. Each participant has committed to living on $4.20 a day — about $30 a week — the amount the average SNAP (food stamp) recipient lives on — to experience first-hand the lives of those who struggle with food insecurity every day and raise awareness of the need to find a bipartisan solution to hunger in New Jersey. Last year, 46.2 million Americans – one out of every six – were living in poverty. Nearly one in four U.S. households with children reported great difficulty, or even inability, to provide enough food for their families. 47.4 million Americans participated in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistant Program (SNAP) in October 2013. 47.4 million Americans had no choice but to make it work. In New Jersey, more than 1.1 million people are food insecure (13%), which includes close to 400,000 children (almost 1 in 5 children). In November 2013, the SNAP program saw unprecedented across-the-board cuts, resulting in a loss of benefits to all recipients. Additional cuts were implemented with the passage of the 2013 Farm Bill. All together, these food stamp cuts have resulted in benefit cuts of almost 15%. Federal cuts combined with recent State cuts in the recent budget will make NJ one of the hardest hits states in the nations for those facing food insecurity. Sponsored by Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ, Jewish Family Service of Central NJ, and Jewish Family Service of MetroWest, the initiative is being co-chaired by Senators Raymond Lesniak and Tom Kean Jr., and Assemblywomen Mila Jasey and Nancy Munoz. The eight other legislators participating in the challenge include Assemblymen Reed Gusciora, John McKeon, Charles Mainor, and Gary Schaer, Assemblywomen Annette Quijano, Maria Rodriquez-Gregg, Holly Schepisi, and L. Grace Spencer, and Freeholder Chris Hudak. According to Senator Raymond Lesniak, “I am taking the challenge to bring attention to the cuts made in Washington and not restored in Trenton, which make lives extremely difficult for many senior citizens and children and adults who qualify for food stamps. I can’t imagine having to do this for months or years. It would be almost impossible in my opinion. And it would certainly be unhealthy.” “I am proud to be a part of the Food Stamp Challenge this year. I know hunger is present everywhere in New Jersey and that families are suffering, often quietly, from a lack of access to affordable, nutritious food. I am hopeful that my participation will bring, in some small measure, some greater awareness to the
Page 2 problem of hunger and will also generate a renewed commitment from community leaders to legislative leaders to work together to find solutions." The Food Stamp Challenge kicks off a year-long END HUNGER Campaign in the Greater MetroWest community. To follow the participants as they take the challenge, and for more information, visit www.jfedgmw.org/end hunger. Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ (Federation) stands at the center of a network of 27 partner agencies dedicated to providing comprehensive social services and meeting the educational, vocational, recreational, and social needs of Jews locally, in Israel, and in 70 countries around the world. Federation also creates ways/spaces for people to connect to a multitude of Jewish experiences in personally meaningful ways. Responding to emergency and disaster situations around the world is another important part of the Federation mission.
