MAZON Blog

There is a longstanding Jewish tradition of asking questions, one we share here at MAZON. And with the midterms approaching, candidates for elected office will once again seek our votes, so we have the responsibility to ask them how they will tackle hunger. From SNAP to school meals to disaster response, elected officials play an important role in determining whether Americans can put food on the table with dignity and choice. So in the months, weeks, and days leading up to this year’s elections, we invite you to directly ask candidates about these issues. Hunger is the result of policy decisions, and it can be reversed by them — but only if we demand clear answers.

Are people free if they don’t have the freedom to choose what to feed themselves and their families?

How will you ensure that no one goes hungry in my community?

Why should hungry voters vote for you?

How can we work to end hunger if our government refuses to collect or publish data about food insecurity?

Have you ever skipped a meal so others in your household could eat?

Is ending hunger the government’s responsibility?

How many hoops should someone have to jump through to access food assistance?

How will state policymakers mitigate harm to make up for the federal government’s SNAP cuts?

Do you think it’s fair that accidentally giving someone too much or too little in SNAP benefits should count as an “error”?

Is it effective to punish states based on their SNAP “error rates”?

How will tax cuts for the rich trickle down to the 47 million Americans struggling with food insecurity?

How can we continue to instill humanity in future generations?

In what ways do you understand the reality of hunger in your community? What actions have you taken to understand the struggles of food insecure families?

What makes someone deserving of support? What should disqualify them from assistance?

What would you do if you had to choose between buying groceries or paying bills?

What is most important: keeping more people fed or excluding those who are deemed unworthy of food assistance?

How will you work to strengthen programs that help Americans put food on the table?

What is an acceptable food insecurity rate in this country?

How will you work to help people access SNAP?

Have you ever had to look for work while struggling with food insecurity?

Have you ever had to go to school hungry?

What would you say to a single mother who loses food benefits because she can’t get enough hours at work to meet SNAP’s work requirements?

Why do so many people frame poverty and hunger as someone’s fault, yet “affordability” is not an individual’s fault?

Do you believe the federal government should be able to tell parents what foods they can feed their children?

What would you say to someone whose SNAP benefits are restricted to “healthy” foods and the retailers in their neighborhood offer no eligible options?

Do you believe that undocumented immigrants who pick our food do not deserve access to food?

Do you think it’s fair that legal immigrants must wait at least five years to become eligible for SNAP?

What do you believe is the government’s responsibility to people who are hungry?

How does taking food away from people help them work?

Do you believe that Americans’ access to federal food assistance should vary by state?