Letters: We can all come together to support the hungry

"No family should have to depend on kindness to survive. No family should struggle for basic necessities. Congress must end the shutdown and restore full SNAP funding. Food is not a privilege; it's a right. The organization change.org has created a fundraiser for the American people who have lost aid. All donations go to feeding Americans. Encouraging donations can make a difference right now in society."

"I recently read the above article, and it made me sad and frustrated. Millions of Americans are struggling to provide food for themselves and their families. Forty-one million Americans rely on SNAP benefits to provide or supplement their nutritional needs, and removing these benefits is cruel and unethical. While it is important to restore SNAP benefits, I think that it is also worth bringing up that 30%-40% of the food supply goes to waste."

Bay Area restaurants provided free meals to SNAP families during the government shutdown, demonstrating community kindness but revealing gaps in federal support. No family should depend on charity for basic necessities; Congress must end the shutdown and restore full SNAP funding. Change.org has a fundraiser directing donations to Americans who lost aid, and community donations can provide immediate relief. Thirty to forty percent of the food supply is wasted; investing in infrastructure to recover surplus food and redirect it to those in need would reduce hunger. Policy and local action must ensure no child goes hungry.

Read at The Mercury News