Find an expert on solutions to ending hunger in America.
To speak with one of our experts, please contact Jordan Baker at jbaker@frac.org.
Browse experts on:
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- White House National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health
- Healthy School Meals for All
- The Road to the 2023 Farm Bill
- Bold and Equitable Policy Solutions to Ending Hunger
- Hurricane Season / Disaster SNAP
- Infant Formula Shortage
- 2022 Child Nutrition Reauthorization
- FRAC’s 50th Anniversary
- The Important Role of Federal Nutrition Programs
President: Luis Guardia
@fracprez | Bio
Topics: Hunger in America
Story Ideas
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- The White House National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health presents an opportunity to end hunger by 2030.
- COVID-19 has deepened America’s hunger crisis. Here’s how we can build on lessons learned from the pandemic to keep people fed.
In the News
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- Free school lunches waiver set to end amid rising food prices (Axios)
- Biden signs bipartisan Keep Kids Fed Act, extending some school meal waivers (K-12 Dive)
- Child hunger won’t end with COVID: Congress must extend nutrition waivers (The Hill)
- Op-ed: Our Shot at Creating Hunger Free Schools (Civil Eats)
- Food Insecurity In The U.S. By The Numbers (NPR)
Director of Root Causes and Specific Populations
Alex Ashbrook | Bio
Topics: Older Adults, Immigrant Families, LGBTQ Individuals and Families, Public Charge, Screening Patients for Food Insecurity, Root Causes of Hunger
Story Ideas
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- SNAP serves as a lifeline for millions of older adults struggling against hunger and poverty.
- Grandparent-headed households face a high risk of food insecurity.
- SNAP is a lifeline for millions of people, including the nearly 9 million older adult households participating in the program.
- The Biden administration’s new public charge rule is an essential step in addressing fears that deter eligible immigrant families from accessing benefits.
- Pediatricians can play a critical role in addressing food insecurity by connecting families to federal nutrition programs.
In the News
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- A Quarter of Children Being Raised by Grandparents Face Hunger (The Washington Post)
- Millions of Older Adults Experience Food Insecurity (Public News Connection)
- Food Insecurity Among Adults Increases (Scripps National News)
- Many Eligible Food Insecure Adults Not Taking Advantage of Programs (WTVR)
Director of School and Out-of-School Time Programs: Crystal FitzSimons | Bio
Topics: School Breakfast Program, National School Lunch Program, Afterschool Nutrition Programs, Summer Nutrition Programs, Pandemic EBT, Community Eligibility Provision
Story Ideas
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- Healthy School Meals for All — offering school breakfast and lunch to all students at no charge to families —helps ensure that all children have the nutrition they need to grow and thrive.
- Childhood hunger in this country has spiked dramatically as a result of the public health and economic fallout of COVID-19, but things would have been far worse if not for free school meals for all students.
- School meals are vital tools for combating childhood hunger, improving children’s health, and supporting academic achievement.
- Children can’t learn on an empty stomach. School meals are just as important to students’ academic success as textbooks or transportation.
- Community eligibility allows high-need schools to continue to offer free meals to all students, but many high-need schools are not participating and too many schools are not eligible.
- Pandemic EBT provides nutritional resources to families who have lost access to free or reduced-price school meals due to school or childcare closures.
- Child Nutrition Reauthorization bill could be a “game changer” for students and their families.
In the News
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- The Case for Universal Free Lunch (Full Frontal with Samantha Bee)
- Biden signs law to help feed kids, but free school meals for all are going away (NBC News)
- As Students Go Back to School, Many Face a Lunch Bill for the First Time in Two Years (NPR)
- Pandemic Rules for School Lunch Program Expiring (Marketplace)
- Cutoff looms for Congress to extend nutrition waiver authority (K–12 Dive)
- Covid-19 sent many children into virtual learning programs. Their families didn’t know it could cost them food benefits (The Counter)
- Advocates Say a Hungry Summer Looms If Congress Can’t Extend School Meal Waivers (Successful Farming)
SNAP Director: Ellen Vollinger
@emv52 | Bio
Topics: SNAP, Disaster SNAP
Story Ideas
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- SNAP is the nation’s first line of defense against hunger.
- The importance of SNAP and making investments for a strong nutrition title in the 2023 Farm Bill.
- What will happen to SNAP benefits when temporary relief measures of the public health declaration ends.
- Disaster SNAP benefits quickly deliver nutrition assistance to people recovering from natural disasters.
In the News
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- A “Hunger Cliff” Is Looming for Millions of Americans (The New Republic)
- The case against means testing (Vox)
- Some States Are Cutting Off Emergency Food-Assistance Programs and Making It Harder to Qualify (The Washington Post)
- The Pandemic Safety Net Is Coming Apart. Now What? (The New York Times)
- SNAP Online Availability Is About to Explode. But Grocers Say They Still Face Too Many Hurdles. (Grocery Dive)
FRAC Chat Blogs
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- Thrifty Food Plan Reevaluation and SNAP Emergency Allotments Combined to Cut Poverty
- Research Finds Continuing Food Hardship and Strong Public Support for SNAP Expansions
- New Data Underscore Importance of SNAP Benefit Redemptions During COVID-19
- The Road to the 2023 Farm Bill: A Strong Nutrition Title and the Rural/Urban Alliance
Director of Nutrition Policy: Geri Henchy
@ghenchy1 | Bio
Topics: Nutrition Standards, WIC, Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), Food Insecurity
Story Ideas
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- Nearly half of infant formula is purchased by WIC participants. Recent infant formula recalls and shortages have created problems for parents utilizing WIC benefits.
- Strengthening and expanding the WIC program will improve the food and economic security of participants by reducing food insecurity, helping to alleviate poverty, and supporting economic stability.
- Reducing CACFP paperwork and rules will increase the power of CACFP to address inequity.
In the News
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- These families buy about half of infant formula nationwide. Here’s how the Biden administration is trying to help them (CNN)
- Only 1 in 10 adults eating enough fruits and vegetables, CDC finds (ABC)
- Higher food costs make the math even harder for Americans on food stamps (NBC News)
- USDA study shows success of federal food safety net programs during pandemic (The Washington Post)
- Looking For Baby Formula Has Basically Become a Part-Time Job For Many Local Parents (DCist)
Director of Maryland Hunger Solutions: Michael J. Wilson, @TheBowTieSpeaks | Bio
Media Contact: Brittani Riddle, briddle@frac.org
Topics: Hunger in Maryland (SNAP, WIC, School Breakfast Program, National School Lunch Program, Afterschool Nutrition Programs, Summer Nutrition Programs), College Campus Hunger
Story Ideas
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- Marylanders face a looming hunger cliff once the Public Health Emergency ends.
- In the nation’s richest state, there is no reason for anyone to go hungry in Maryland.
In the News
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- Advocates Fear Loss of Food Benefits for Tens of Thousands (Maryland Matters)
- More Americans Can Use Food Stamps for Restaurants, Prepared Meals (The Pew Charitable Trusts)
- Childhood hunger will last beyond next year; Biden administration, Congress must extend free meals program (Baltimore Sun)
- New Maryland Law Dramatically Expands Access To SNAP Assistance, Anti-Hunger Services For College Students (WTOP News)
Interim Director, D.C. Hunger Solutions: LaMonika Jones | Bio
Media Contact: Brittani Riddle, briddle@frac.org
Topics: Grocery Store Access, D.C. Hunger (School Breakfast Program, National School Lunch Program, Afterschool Nutrition Programs, Summer Nutrition Programs)
Story Ideas
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- Closing the grocery store gap in the nation’s capital.
- School breakfast and lunch participation ensures students in the District receive a nutritious meal to fuel their health and learning.
- Healthy School Meals for All provides an opportunity to serve school meals to all students at no cost, regardless of income.
- CACFP ensures that children in child care and afterschool programs receive a nutritious diet and learn healthy eating habits in the District.
- Give SNAP a Raise Amendment Act will be a significant step forward in ensuring thousands of D.C. residents have access to healthy food, providing greater flexibility to purchase nutritious food.
In the News
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- D.C. Council Reviews Bill Addressing Senior Hunger (The Washington Informer)
- D.C. Calls for Renewal of Universal Free School Meals (The Washington Informer)