Friday, August 28, 2020 - 3:00 PM to 3:00 PM

Berlin, NH - Today, Rep. Annie Kuster (NH-02) met with Berlin City officials and community leaders to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on food security in the North Country. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, approximately 1 in 7 Granite Staters are food insecure and do not know where their next meal will come from. An estimated 21-23% of New Hampshire children are living in food insecure environments.

“No family should have to worry about being able to put food on the table, especially during a pandemic,” said Kuster. “Sadly, this is the reality many Granite Staters face in the North Country and across our state. It was wonderful and encouraging to hear from city and community leaders today about what they are doing to combat the problem of hunger in this region. Their commitment to this important cause is a perfect example of what makes New Hampshire such a great place to live. I look forward to sharing their perspectives with my colleagues as we continue our work to ensure all Americans have access to the food they need to live healthy lives.” 

“Food insecurity is a real issue in rural areas and we are glad to know that Congresswoman Kuster continues to take time to understand this issue and its impacts to NH,” said Pamela Laflamme, Community Development Director for the City of Berlin. “Access to food and stable supply chains are important to keep shelves stocked, and support for expanded funding of local food initiatives is a way to keep rural areas from facing the shortages we saw in the early stages of the pandemic.  We appreciate the Congresswoman's commitment to the health of our area.”

Rep. Kuster voted in favor of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act in March, which allowed all Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) households to access the maximum benefit and temporarily suspend work requirements to qualify for SNAP benefits for the duration of the COVID-19 public health emergency as declared by the state. Kuster also voted in favor of the HEROES Act, which passed the House in May. This legislation includes many of the recommendations Kuster outlined in her Roadmap to Recovery plan, such as the $75 billion in funding to state and local governments to bolster testing and expand food assistance programs. 

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