Food Security Emergency in Vermont

There is an urgent and unprecedented food security crisis in Vermont, and we are asking Vermont policy makers to commit funds to address this crisis now, including financial support for school and summer meal programs for children, a stimulus for schools to purchase food from Vermont farmers and producers, and continuation of the Farmers to Families Food Box distribution.​

Scroll down for
1. Actions for organizations
2. Actions for individuals.

Read the full letter here.

1. FOR ORGANIZATIONS

We're asking organizations to sign on below. Please sign on today to be counted!

2. FOR INDIVIDUALS

We're asking individuals to reach out to their legislators. Please act today to have the biggest impact!

Here's how to act:

  • Look up your legislators here.
  • Search by town and you will get a list of all of your legislators.
  • You can click on each one to get their email address.
  • Send an email to EACH of your legislators separately.
  • Your subject line should be something like: Please use CRF$ to support food security in Vermont.
  • In the body, say that you support the Food Security Coalition's request to allocate Coronavirus Relief Funds to address immediate food security needs in Vermont.
  • BRIEFLY give YOUR PERSONAL reason for believing this is an important reason to spend the money this way. You can choose a talking point from below, or tell a personal story or use your favorite data point. Try to keep it to three sentences.
  • Thank your legislator for their consideration and ask them to do whatever they can to support this request.
  • Include your contact info (phone or email).

Some potential talking points (pick one and include your own thoughts, too):

  • As we begin to emerge from the immediate COVID-19 emergency, Vermont is seeing alarming signs of increasing food insecurity for Vermonters and their families.
  • The State of Vermont cannot expect our schools and charitable food system to shoulder the entire burden without state support.
  • The most recent data from Feeding America, released in mid-May, estimates the number of food insecure people in Vermont has increased by 46% and that child food insecurity in VT has increased by 60%.
  • No person living in Vermont should be worried about how they will get the food they need to be healthy.
  • Please do not allow Vermonters to fall further and further into poverty, to go to bed hungry so that their children can eat, or to choose between paying rent, buying food, or taking their medications.