National Anti-Hunger Policy Conference

I am here today in Washington, D.C. at the national conference of people affiliated with the anti-hunger movement, either as advocates, food bank and food pantry managers, or as directors of school-based and day care focused meal programs. The conference attracts people from three national groups. One is FRAC (Food Research Action Center), focused primarily on advocacy and the promotion of such federal programs as SNAP (Food Stamps) and WIC (Nutrition Assistance for Women, Infants and Children). Another national program is called Feeding America, which bills itself as America's leading hunger relief charity program. The last is CACFP (Child and Adult Care Food Program), another national program dedicated to making meals available in day care centers, after school programs, and through adult day care providers.

All of these groups work closely with USDA or the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which administers most of the programs that fund, supply, or advance the goals of these groups.

I am here as a representative of NYCCAH (New York City Coalition Against Hunger). We do advocacy and thus are most closely tied to FRAC.

One of the sessions I went to today, entitled Resonating in Red States, put forward strategies for persuading conservatives why anti-hunger programs have value and should be funded. We were urged in this presentation to find common ground with conservatives and to advocate from that common group position. For instance, one suggestion to encourage conservatives was to speak in terms of SNAP and WIC helping people to get on the path to independence and self-sufficiency, a goal we all seek. Another proposal was to stress the needs of children and the return on investment that results when children receive the nutrition they need to focus, stay on task and to learn well in school.

This emphasis on finding common ground seemed especially attractive to me. It is a strategy I am planning to develop further in future posts.