Gary Brunk, Executive Director of Kansas Action for Children (pictured to the left), a member of the Voices for America’s Children network, testified before a House Committee on Agriculture subcommittee hearing on March 13. “Children for whom much has gone wrong are likely to start behind their peers and to stay there. The trickle-down of poverty and hunger acts, cumulatively, like a slow poison. Food stamps help protect against that poison,” he noted in his testimony.

The hearing examined “The Federal Food Stamp Program and its Impact on Children’s Nutrition and Health.” Gary detailed the strong history of bipartisan support for the Food Stamp Program and its significant contribution in helping children to grow up healthier and stronger. He spoke on the panel of distinguished community and children’s advocates, which included the National Council of La Raza, Food Research & Action Center, California Association of Food Banks, and the Philadelphia Grow Project of St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children. Also testifying at the hearing was Nancy Montanez-Johner, Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services, U.S. Department of Agriculture.