From Northwest Harvest: Advocates Update

Advocates Update Thursday, April 12   IN THIS ISSUE UPCOMING EVENTS Weekly Alert: Sign FRAC letter to strengthen SNAP! Take Action: Sign TODAY! UPCOMING EVENTS April 15 Farm Bill 101   Seattle Public Library - Ballard Branch       2:00 - 4:00 pm      June 1 Northwest Harvest Annual Meeting Mercer Island Presbyterian Church          Northwest Harvest PO Box 12272 Seattle, Washington 98102 800-722-6924 Your Weekly Action Alert:  Thank you, Washington State Legislators, for protecting funding to help hungry families! With the assistance of a few more hours in a double overtime special session, the Legislature passed a supplemental budget on Wednesday morning! Read more...         Take Action:  Please join us by sending a thank you to your legislators TODAY. We strongly encourage you to send a thank you if you are represented by any of the following members who were particularly strong advocates in protecting the State Food Assistance Program: Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown (Spokane) Senate Ways and Means Chair Ed Murray (Seattle- 43rd) Senator Derek Kilmer (Gig Harbor/Bremerton) Speaker Frank Chopp (Seattle- 43rd) House Ways and Means Chair Ross Hunter (Redmond, Sammamish, Bellevue) Rep. Jeannie Darnielle (Tacoma) Please add a personal message to the following text in an email then send to your members: On behalf of Washington's hungry families, thank you for passing a budget that protects our state's nutrition assistance programs. The supplemental operational budget provides food stamp benefits for our newest neighbors with the State Food Assistance Program. This budget helps increase affordability and access to Washington grown, nutritious produce at farmers markets for seniors and low-income families with young children. This budget will help food banks keep their doors open and their shelves stocked. This budget will help hungry children concentrate better on their studies since they can count on a free or reduced price meal at school. In other words, thank you for your continued partnership in fighting hunger in Washington.    Take Action Reminder It's not too late to sign your organization onto a letter that urges our Congressional delegation to protect and strengthen the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in this year's Farm Bill reauthorization process! The deadline has been extended to April 13. Please click the link below to see the letter. If you don't see your organization on the list of signees, please add your organization and then forward the link to other organizations in your network who have an interest in helping low-income people. To view and sign the letter, click here: org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5118/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=10150.    The mission of Northwest Harvest is to provide nutritious food to hungry people statewide in a manner that respects their dignity, while fighting to eliminate hunger. Our vision is that ample nutritious food is available to everyone in Washington state.