Dear Asm. Stone, Asm. Maienschein, Sen. Yee and Sen. Berryhill,

With 23.6% of Californians living in poverty, the highest rate in the nation, tackling childhood poverty and poverty experienced by vulnerable families is not only the right thing to do for the next generation, it is essential to our prosperity. While our current economy overall is slowly improving, every day over 8 million Californians, including 1 in 4 of our children, struggle to have their basic needs met. The recession and the resulting political climate gutted our social safety net programs, leaving low-income Californians without basic rights and services and at far greater risk of a lifetime of poverty.

While there is no one solution to solve this challenge, there are real steps that California can take to begin to improve stability for our most challenged families and children, and work to ensure that no one goes hungry. We need to put California on a true path to economic competitiveness and a better life for all.

We, the Sacramento Hunger Coalition and the California Hunger Action Coalition request a first step to be a 2013 hearing at the Capital on the “State of Hunger in California” to address this devastating consequence of poverty that has a direct effect on the ability of our children and vulnerable families to live healthy and productive lives.

Healthy food is a basic human right. I ask that you hold a 2013 hearing on the state of hunger in California today.

Thank you for your commitment to end hunger in California.

Sincerely,

Sacramento Hunger Coalition and CHAC