SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Food Bank is stepping up to help Texans facing food insecurity, especially families like Brenda Saucedo’s. After losing her daughter, Brenda stepped in as a guardian for her grandchildren, Austin and Alex. With her husband working as a lineman, their income barely covers monthly bills.
Brenda turned to the Food Bank since her family does not qualify for federal benefits. This organization reaches out to help about 100,000 people weekly across 29 counties in Southwest Texas. Brenda hopes state lawmakers will recognize how tough it is for many Texas families.
“We’re just a normal middle-class family trying to get by,” Brenda said, highlighting the struggle many face with rising costs.
The San Antonio Food Bank’s CEO, Eric Cooper, emphasizes three key goals to better assist families:
- 1) Simplify the SNAP application process: The process for applying for federal SNAP benefits can take a long time, especially with recent backlogs. Cooper suggests Texas streamline the process, which could potentially save the state $35 million. By adopting the streamlined eligibility process used by most other states, families could more easily access the nutrition they need.
- 2) Improve summer lunch programs for kids: Many children rely on school meals during the year. Summer can be a dark time for those kids because they miss out on healthy meals. Last summer, Texas missed out on a federal program that could have provided around $450 million worth of meals. It’s important to ensure kids get the nutrition they need throughout the year.
- 3) Expand access to Medicaid: Many families lost their Medicaid coverage when the public health emergency ended. Cooper stresses the need for outreach so those families can reapply and receive health insurance. Access to Medicaid can allow families to prioritize buying food over medical bills.
Brenda believes strongly that every Texan deserves access to nutritious food. “No child in this country should go hungry, especially in Texas,” she said.
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