Thanks for the Dec. 6 story “Stuff the Bus feeds bellies, hearts.” As a pastor, it is uplifting to participate in the food drives at my church, and I am encouraged to read of other efforts.
Sadly, even with generous food donations, recession-hit families will continue to face food scarcity. To make matters worse, our governor recommends eliminating state food assistance, a program that has helped feed families in tough times for nearly 15 years. If state food assistance disappears, thousands of lawful Washingtonians and legal immigrants — including 12,500 children — will face even greater hunger.
The naïve believe that faith communities and food banks could fill the gap. When one considers the vast amount of money and resources required to do so on a statewide basis, it is evident that anyone holding such a belief has never participated in a church capital campaign or a similar fundraising drive. Now is the time to call upon state legislators to act according to our core values in ways that faith communities and charities by themselves cannot. We need legislators to care for all of the families and children in our state by protecting state food assistance.
Brooks Berndt
Vancouver
