The Alternative Press

Maybe it’s a photo of an empty refrigerator, a snapshot of bags of groceries ready for pick-up at a local food pantry or a portrait of a toddler eating a bowl of oatmeal. There are countless images that can illustrate what hunger looks like in New Jersey.

The NJ Anti-Hunger Coalition wants to share them.

In an effort to raise awareness about hunger throughout the Garden State and protect funding for federal nutrition programs nationwide, NJAHC has launched “Show and Tell,” a photo campaign on Facebook.

Congress is proposing up to $16 billion in cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP. Formerly known as Food Stamps, SNAP continues to be one of the country’s most important tools in helping to ensure individuals – many of them children and senior citizens – have access to nutritious food.

“Slashing SNAP’s budget would be devastating to individuals who without such assistance could not afford to buy groceries and put food on the table,” says Adele LaTourette, director of NJAHC. “Through our ‘Show and Tell’ campaign we hope to put a face on hunger and educate the public, especially our Congressional leaders, that SNAP works.”

In all, more than 805,000 people in New Jersey rely on SNAP benefits to feed themselves and their families. Of those, nearly 101,000 are senior citizens. The numbers don’t reflect the whole picture though.

“Our research shows only 60 percent of those eligible for benefits in New Jersey actually participate in SNAP,” LaTourette adds. “The need for SNAP is greater than ever at a time when so many residents in the state are struggling to take care of themselves and their families.”

Now through the end of November, anyone with a camera or Smartphone can contribute to the ‘Show and Tell” cause page on Facebook any images that define hunger or show the positive impact SNAP can have in our communities and in the lives of its recipients. In addition to taking pictures, participants can post comments on what hunger means to them and why they care about preserving SNAP.

Please email photos for “Show and Tell” to njahc@cfanj.org to be featured in the campaign. To view the photos, please visit the campaign’s page on Facebook. For media requests, please contact Adele LaTourette or Lisa Pitz at (201) 569-1806; email: alatourette@cfanj.org or lpitz@cfanj.org. For more information about the New Jersey Anti-Hunger Coalition, please visit www.njahc.org.

SNAP is the first line of defense against hunger in our state and in our nation. No cuts, no caps to SNAP.