This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Thanksgiving is upon on us, and appeals for holiday support keep rolling in. Utahns generously respond to requests. However, this year food banks report being 5,000 turkeys short.
If you haven't given this year, give. If you've already given and can give more, give again.
And as you write that check or deliver that turkey, consider that emergency food pantries serve low-income Utahns 365 days a year. Hunger isn't seasonal; those families who face an empty table at Thanksgiving struggle all year.
Federal nutrition programs can help when charitable food can't. At this writing, Congress' Select Committee on Deficit Reduction (the "super committee") is considering a $4 billion cut to the food stamp program. Such cuts would reduce benefits for Utah's most vulnerable households at a time when Americans' ability to afford food is near a three-year low. Since 2006 there has been more than a 100 percent increase in the number of Utah families accessing food stamps.
So, before you cut into that turkey and start baking pies, take a minute to call your representatives in Congress and ask them to oppose cuts that hurt low-income Utahns.
Gina L. Cornia Executive director
Utahns Against Hunger
Salt Lake City