The lines at our local food pantries are long enough, but if the members of our illustrious House have their way, they could get a lot longer.
The House of Representatives just proposed to cut more than $169 billion from SNAP, formerly the food stamps program. Here's the best part, some representatives argued that feeding hungry people is really the "work of the churches".
These representatives are essentially saying that every church across America, big, small, and tiny, needs to come up with an extra $50,000 dedicated to feeding people, every year for the next 10 years, to make up for these cuts. The Hartford Institute for Religion and Research estimates there are 335,000 religious congregations in the United States. If the proposals by the House of Representatives to cut SNAP by $133.5 billion and $36 billion are enacted, each congregation will have to spend approximately $50,000 to feed those who would see a reduction or loss of benefits. And, that doesn't count the volunteer hours involved.
Really? How much volunteer time and money do these guys think we all have! They are so out of touch with everyday people that what they believe has no foothold in reality!
Our food pantry at my church has been in existance since 1983. Many of the same volunteers have given countless hours for 30 years. Our hope and prayer is that the need goes down, not up! We really don't have the energy to do this forever! It is impossible (unless no one is working at a job at your church) to get a steady stream of volunteers and new faces (so that the regulars don't get burnt out), to work for free. Do any of these guys in the House, (and I say guys literally) ever volunteer on a regular basis? If they did, they wouldn't foist new responsibilities on the already over extended.
Most of the churches of this nation do a yeomans job of honoring Matthew 25:31-46, by their comments, the House members are disrespecting that commitment. Shame on them!
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