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The Honorable Randy Neugebauer U.S. House of Representatives Washington, D.C.

20515 May 1, 2012 Dear Representative Neugebauer: On behalf of 4.2 million food insecure Texans and the low-income Panhandle & West Central Texas residents we collectively serve, we urge you to protect federal nutrition programs from cuts as the House Agriculture Committee writes its Farm Bill. The demand for food assistance increased significantly during the recession, and our local network of food banks, church pantries, soup kitchens, and other agencies is working hard to keep up with requests for assistance. Agencies like ours across the state now feed more than 3 million Texans each year, an increase of 46% over the last five-year period. Many of us are barely able to keep up with current demand, let alone serve even more people seeking food for their families if they lose federal nutrition assistance. We need more supply, not more demand. Proposed cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) would dramatically weaken the nutrition safety net for [Panhandle / West Central Texas] families and push more people to charities, increasing our already overwhelming demand. Already, SNAP benefits in Texas average only $1.29 per person per meal, forcing many participating families to turn to local charities to make ends meet. Charities like ours also could not provide current levels of food assistance without support from The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). Statewide, TEFAP accounts for 24% of all the food distributed by food bank-affiliated agencies. Unfortunately, even as the demand for food skyrocketed at charities across the country due to the recession, the supply of TEFAP commodities has fallen sharply, by 55% from FY2010 to FY2012, due to strong agricultural markets and declines in Section 32 funding. As the House Agriculture Committee prepares to draft its Farm Bill, we urge you to remember the families who are facing hunger and the important role that federal nutrition programs play in the health and well-being of vulnerable children and seniors and for our local economy. With that, we offer the following recommendations for the Farm Bill: The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the cornerstone of the nutrition safety net, responding quickly to changes in need in the recent recession. SNAP is targeted at our most vulnerable families: 76% of SNAP households include a child, elderly person, or disabled person, and 85% have gross income at or below 100% of the poverty line. The program has a strong economic impact along the farm to fork continuum, which is also important to our community. Every $1 in SNAP benefits generates $1.79 in local economic activity as participants use their benefits, with 16 cents of every retail food dollar going to the farmer.

SNAP is a remarkably accurate and efficient program. SNAPs payment error rate is currently at an all-time low of 3.81%, falling 61% from FY1999 to FY2010. In FY2011 SNAP administrative costs were only 4.7% and included important services like employment and training services that help participants move from welfare to work and federal oversight of the roughly 200,000 retail stores that accept SNAP benefits, including trafficking. The remaining federal SNAP dollars - 95.3% - went directly to benefits. Protect SNAP from funding cuts and harmful policy changes. Recent proposals to block grant the program would prevent it from responding effectively to fluctuations in need, and efforts to limit categorical eligibility would increase administrative costs and access barriers here in Texas. The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) provides the backbone of the emergency food system by ensuring a steady flow of nutritious commodities for distribution through food banks, pantries, and soup kitchens. An increased stream of TEFAP is necessary to ensure an adequate emergency food supply, but TEFAP also has a strong impact on the farm economy. According to USDAs Economic Research Service, producers of commodities provided as bonus TEFAP (those purchased by USDA to intervene in weak agricultural markets) receive an estimated 85 cents per dollar of Federal expenditure. Producers of other commodities provided through TEFAP, such as mandatory TEFAP in the Farm Bill, receive about 27 cents per dollar. Increase mandatory funding levels for TEFAP food. Clarify Secretary of Agricultures authority to purchase bonus commodities in times of high need for emergency food relief in addition to times of low commodity prices so the program is responsive both to excess supply and excess demand. Again, we ask you to protect SNAP and strengthen TEFAP in the upcoming Farm Bill. The health of our neighbors and communities depend on it. Sincerely, Loys Little ABA Social Ministries Abilene Gary Rettman B.M.A. Pantry Ballinger Michelle Thomas Aldersgate Enrichment Center Early Joy Elice Ferguson Bangs Food Pantry Bangs Carol Ann Rendon Anton Senior Citizens Anson Barbara Lewis Bethany Baptist Food Pantry Breckenridge

Etta Lou Ingram Bible Baptist Church Clyde Barrett Smith Carpenter's Church Lubbock David Hughes Christian Service Center Abilene Tina Rankin Coleman County Senior Center Coleman Arlene Stephenson Cross Plains Food Pantry Cross Plains Judy Porter Cross Plains Food Pantry Cross Plains Tom Stephenson Cross Plains Food Pantry Cross Plains Janice Gobin Day Nursery of Abilene Abilene

Daniel Urbina Sanches C.I.U.D.A.D. Lubbock Randy Christian Center for Life Resources Brownwood James Newton Clark Christian Service Center Abilene Gail Spivey Covenant Health System Lubbock Carol S. Bennett Cross Plains Food Pantry Cross Plains Kevin Morton Cross Plains Food Pantry Cross Plains Jean B. Mcwilliams Cross Plains Food Panty Cross Plains Roger Caraway Disability Resources, Inc. Abilene

Carol Morgan Career Testing Planning and Management Services Lubbock Kim Norman Center For Life Resources MHMR Brownwood Martha Davis Cisco Food Pantry Cisco Diana Miller Cross Plains First United Methodist Church Cross Plains Johnnie Bland Cross Plains Food Pantry Cross Plains Susan Hunter Cross Plains Food Pantry Cross Plains Gabriela Olivas Day Nursery of Abilene Abilene Candi Jackson Dream Center Lubbock

David L. Cross Eastside Baptist Food Pantry Ranger Joyce Snodgrass First Baptist Church Idalou Barbara Rasco Fisher County Food Pantry Roby Judy L. Stephen Food Bank of West Central Texas Santa Anna Donna Castleberry Freedom in Jesus Ministries, Inc. Levelland Jo Ann Castleberry Fresh Fire Fellowship Lubbock Gary Baker Good Samaritan Ministries Brownwood Lynn McDonald Lakeridge UMC Lubbock Bianca M. Cirillo-Baker Lynn County Pioneers Senior Citizens Center Tahoka Tanjena M. Famble Minda St. Church of Christ Food Basket Ministry Abilene

Rev. Teresa Davis Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Abilene Terry Hendley First United Methodist Church Food Pantry Sweetwater Gloria Griffith Fisher County Senior Citizens Roby Harriett Hays Forrest Heights Methodist Church Lubbock Stephen Canup Freedom in Jesus Ministries, Inc. Levelland Linda Everhart FUMC Food Pantry Sweetwater Rita Thomas Jones County Aging Service Stamford Sara McLarty League of Women Voters, Unitarian Universalist Church Lubbock Frances Chancy Lynn County Senior Citizen Tahoka Marissa Rodriguez Minda Street CDC Abilene

Sheila Hogan First Assembly of God Albany Jeree Hendley First United Methodist Church of Sweetwater Sweetwater Ali Duffy Flatlands Dance Theatre Lubbock Valencia Hewett Forrest Heights UMC Lubbock Calvin A. Denzer Fresh Fire Fellowship Lubbock Robin Casey Wheeler Girl Scouts of Central Texas Brownwood Stepheny Mulholland Lake Ridge United Methodist Church Lubbock Lorrie Lushnat Bellair Lubbock Meals on Wheels Lubbock Helen Crossland Methodist Children's Home Lubbock Dorothy Jewett Ministerial Alliance De Leon

Joann aust Mission of Mircals Baird Scotty D.Bourland Mom's Meals Abilene Karen Sue Handley Monterey Baptist Church Lubbock Randy Fry New Horizons Audrey Grace House Abilene Christine Gibson Operation Blessing Food Pantry Denver City Major James E. Parrish Salvation Army of Abilene Abilene Laura Trevino Salvation Army of Lubbock Lubbock Kalyana Bethel Sonny Dayz Success Academy Abilene James W. Graves South Plains Food Bank Lubbock Vangelia Perryman South Plains Food Bank Lubbock

Dan Smith Mitchell County Community Mission Colorado City Georgia A. Butler Monterey Baptist Church Lubbock Tnia Weir Monterey Baptist Church Lubbock Armando Gonzales North and East Lubbock Neighborhood Coalition Lubbock Ruby O'Neill Ranger Food Pantry Ranger Donna Jean Harris Salvation Army of Brownwood Brownwood Bobby Kimmel Samaritan House Colorado City David Weaver South Plains Food Bank Lubbock Louise Samderd South Plains Food Bank Lubbock Sharon Gore Southcrest Baptist Church Lubbock

Dot Smith Mitchell County Community Mission Colorado City Jennifer Trusty Monterey Baptist Church Lubbock Mrs. Martel Souter Montery Baptist Church Lubbock Karen E. Bosscher Offices of Hemmo A. Bosscher, MD Lubbock Patricia Allen River of Life Food Pantry Eastland Sheryl W. Roddam Salvation Army of Brownwood Brownwood Mindy Underwood Shackelford County Community Resource Center Albany Elaine Howard South Plains Food Bank Lubbock Trinidad Solis-Jackson South Plains Food Bank Lubbock Joyce Howze Spur Food Pantry Spur

Andrea Essary St. John's Church Brownwood Carolyn Smith Stamford Bread of Life Ministry Stamford Jeanne K. Cason Stamford Food Bank / Bread of Life Ministry Stamford Terry Dalton Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Lubbock Douglas J. Stenberg Trinity Covenant Fellowship Albany Anne M. Harrison Lubbock

Suzanne Prosise St. John's Church Brownwood Rhea Lyon Stamford Community Food Bank Stamford Shery Wolfe Sunset Church of Christ Lubbock Jennabeth Kimbrough The Experienced Senior Citizen's Center Haskell Brenda Walker Windmill Food Pantry Merkel Brad Rudd Slaton

Ruth W. Jones St. Paul's Episcopal Church/Food Bank Voucher Program Lubbock Jan Mckeever Stamford Food Bank Stamford Martha Cieszinski Texas Tech - Retired Ransom Canyon Caren Friend The Salvation Army Brownwood Alan Read Lubbock

Brenda Cruz Lubbock

Charles Nelsen Lubbock

Dan Siewert Slaton

Debra D. Spencer Lubbock

Denise Rudd Slaton

Dixie Upton Lubbock

Emily Wheeler Lubbock

Gail Madison Lubbock

Genevieve Durham DeCesaro Lubbock

Howard M. Darwin Lubbock

Iris Rivero Lubbock

Jeffrey Ross Lubbock

Joe Davila Lubbock

Karen Porter Lubbock

Keegan Bucy Cedar Park

Laurie E. Holloway Lubbock

Leon Joplin Anson

Manuel Carrillo Lubbock

Norman A. Bert Lubbock

Rebecca Price Lubbock

Rev. Ryon Price Lubbock

Robin Adams Parks Lubbock

Sarah R. Hays Lubbock

Susan Elaine Janow Lubbock

Terri D. Gilmore Lubbock

Valerie Hill Lubbock

Yvonne Gutierrez Lubbock

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