The Capital Area Food Bank thanks local U.S. Representatives Jim Moran (D-VA) and Frank Wolf (R-VA) as well as Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) for signing on to U.S. Representatives Bob Goodlate and Marcia Fudge’s bipartisan “Dear Colleague” letter.
The letter asks USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack to use his administrative authority to purchase The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) commodities. TEFAP is vital to providing commodities to food banks that are issued to our community partners to feed the most vulnerable individuals and families.
We must continue to collaboratively work with our elected officials to ensure they are educated about the importance of the hunger safety-net programs and encourage them to take action to support the programs. It is never too late to contact your local officials and ask for support. Please find your local elected officials. Ask them to fully fund TEFAP and SNAP in the 2012 Farm Bill.
We also encourage you to Tweet local elected officials today that haven’t signed: Representatives Steny Hoyer (@WhipHoyer), Donna Edwards (@repdonnaedwards), Gerry Connolly (@GerryConnolly) and Chris Van Hollen (@ChrisVanHollen). Please add the hashtag #TEFAP in your Tweet.