5.15.17 Struggling Californians without safe water need your help! It’s time to tell state budget leaders to invest in an initiative to bring relief to CalFresh households impacted by unsafe water in the 2017-18 Budget. Budget negotiations will be happening over the next few weeks. Learn more about the hardship this causes residents who have lived for years without safe water. PDF
CFPA has been hard at work engaging the California legislature to include this proposal in this year’s budget cycle. On April 19 and 20, the budget request was heard in the Assembly and Senate Budget Subcommittees on Human Services. CFPA’s Director of Legislation gave testimony on how the state’s CalFresh system can step up to deliver temporary nutrition benefits that mitigate the cost of purchasing water for drinking and cooking for households without safe water. The request was well received, but the work is far from over. We need your advocacy today!
We need you to call, email and tweet key legislators THIS WEEK to urge them to include this pilot initiative in the 2017-18 state budget. Safe drinking water is the foundation of food security, and a vital need for the health and wellbeing of families across California. Act today! PDF
Learn more about this budget action link
TWO WAYS TO TAKE ACTION TODAY:
- Reach out to budget leaders and let them know that you support this initiative
- Share the call to action with your network: PDF
SAMPLE CALL OR EMAIL
Assemblymember Arambula, Chair, Budget Subcommittee on Human Services
Phone: (916) 319-2031| Email: nicole.vazquez@asm.ca.gov
Senator Pan, Chair, Budget Subcommittee on Health and Human Services
Phone: (916) 651-4006 | Email: theresa.pena@sen.ca.gov
I’m calling/writing to support California Food Policy Advocates’ budget request to provide temporary, supplemental CalFresh assistance to communities without safe drinking water. CalFresh would deliver time-limited nutrition benefits to alleviate the cost of purchasing water when community water systems are unsafe to drink. I support this because…
- Struggling Californians can’t afford to wait for long-term solutions.
- People shouldn’t have to choose between buying water or food with scarce grocery dollars.
- This is an effective temporary solution to provide relief when residents wait years for permanent infrastructure improvements that bring safe water.
SAMPLE TWEETS
Support @CAFoodPolicy action to provide CalFresh relief to those living w/o safe water @DrPanMD @drarambula559 @PhilTing @HollyJMitchell
Ppl shouldn’t have to choose btwn food & water. @DrPanMD @drarambula559 @PhilTing Invest in @CAFoodPolicy request http://bit.ly/2nHcL6K
Water is a human right! Support @CAFoodPolicy budget request: http://bit.ly/2nHcL6K @DrPanMD @drarambula559 @PhilTing @HollyJMitchell
Questions?
Tracey Patterson, Director of Legislation, tracey@cfpa.net, 510.433.1122 ext 101
