With every passing day, it becomes clearer that we need policymakers to lead with wisdom and compassion, to address the growing rates of hunger and hardship, and to acknowledge and confront longstanding issues of racial and economic injustice that clearly exacerbate those hardships.
At MAZON, we know that we cannot end hunger without confronting racism. As the pandemic continues to cause millions more Americans to become food insecure, the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color is the latest evidence that pervasive and systemic racism exacerbates the challenges we must address.
We have been working on multiple fronts to combat the rising tide of poverty and hunger, and to address the unique barriers and impacts on marginalized populations and those who have been long overlooked. This includes veterans and military families, Native Americans, college students, single mothers, seniors and LGBT seniors, and those in rural and remote communities. Grounded in our strong foundation of Jewish values, we will continue to fight for all who face hunger — to transform how it is into how it should be.
Speaking Truth to Power
Abby J. Leibman, MAZON’s President & CEO, was featured in an interfaith video campaign, urging the Senate to immediately pass a bill that expands access to SNAP and boosts benefits for all who need it. In the video, she says that “people must be able to access SNAP benefits without onerous requirements, without burdensome application systems, and with the ability to buy food online because it’s the only way to keep themselves safe and healthy.” Abby also co-authored an article in Ms. Magazine with Liza Lieberman, MAZON’s Director of Communications, entitled “Unanswered Questions, Obvious Answers: Hunger in the Age of COVID.” The editorial outlines how SNAP will help millions of people put food on their tables as well as stimulate the economy and contribute to a faster national recovery.
Seeking an End to Military Hunger
For nearly a decade, MAZON has made it a priority to understand, explore, and address the unique circumstances facing military families who struggle with food insecurity. We have learned that tens of thousands of military families are quietly turning to food pantries that operate on or near every military base in the U.S. For people like Gabriel, a Marine based out of Camp Pendleton in San Diego, the situation is dire. “I’m doing all I can and serving my country, and I have to worry about how I’m going to buy food?” said Gabriel, who was denied SNAP due to an unintentional legislative oversight that MAZON is seeking to solve. Read Gabriel’s story in MAZON’s Spring 2020 Newsletter.
Donate to MAZON’s COVID-19 Response Fund
MAZON needs your support to fight for programs and policies that work to increase access to food for those who need it. Your support ensures that we can continue our collective fight to ensure that the 60 million Americans struggling with hunger can access the food they need to feed themselves and their families. And right now, your donation will go twice as far — the Joel E. Jacob Family of Detroit, Michigan is matching all gifts made to MAZON through June 30, up to $60,000, in memory of Joel’s father Marty Jacob and grandmother Sophie Q. Jacob. Please donate today.