November 2015
State legislators visit The Food Bank CEO/President Bart Brown raises awareness about SNAP benefits
O
zarks Food Harvest has more than doubled its distribution in the past five years, but even that has not been enough to meet the growing need for food assistance. So The Food Bank reached out to elected officials to help close the gap, especially by raising awareness about available SNAP benefits. During a Legislative Day event on Oct. 22, OFH President/CEO Bart Brown shared with a group of local officials and state legislators that The Food Bank’s service area is missing out on $20 million in unclaimed SNAP benefits, which means that local grocers are also missing out on that income. The state is losing $101 million in unclaimed federal SNAP benefits. “We can’t afford to provide all that food,” Brown said. “We can’t raise any more money.” So The Food Bank turned to its legislators to find a way to get the word out in Jefferson City and here in the Springfield area. A recent unsuccessful bill in the State House, commonly known as the steak and lobster bill, would have restricted SNAP users from buying cookies, chips, energy drinks, soft drinks, seafood or steak. The bill’s sponsor said he wanted to prevent SNAP benefits
IN THIS ISSUE
LOCAL OFFICALS AND STATE LEGISLATORS TOURED THE FOOD BANK TO LEARN HOW OZARKS FOOD HARVEST WORKS TO SERVE OVER 200 HUNGER-RELIEF ORGANIZATIONS.
from being used to purchase foods such as crab legs, lobster and filet mignon. “That steak and lobster bill makes it harder to raise money for food,” Brown told the lawmakers. “So how should we talk about this to get past this misperception?” The lawmakers agreed that the perception of many people is that food stamp recipients misuse those benefits and buy too much junk food and expensive cuts of meat. “But perception is reality,” Rep. Lynn Morris
of Christian County pointed out. Rep. Mike Moon of Greene County suggested that lawmakers need more real data and correct information about the SNAP program in order to get past the “loud” of misinformation. Morris invited Brown to speak in committee meetings in Jefferson City and said he would help arrange that. “Somehow you need to spread the word,” Morris said.
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