Congress’s return this November may represent the final opportunity for the House to pass a strong child nutrition bill. The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act offers a real chance to improve nutrition for all children by increasing access to healthy meals, requiring much-needed improvements to nutrition standards for schools foods, and increasing supports for breastfeeding WIC mothers.

Although there has been some reluctance to support the bill because of its SNAP offsets, as Laurie True, Executive Director of California WIC Association has stated, “time has run out. The Senate bill contains critical improvements and badly needed reforms to WIC and child nutrition. Leaving WIC in its current state -- without breastfeeding reforms, administrative streamlining, and support for frontline services -- is not an acceptable option. Meal programs for kids are also in critical need of new funding and improved access.” And last week, the administration affirmed its commitment to restoring the SNAP offset, through a separate process. Now, we need all the support we can get to ensure that House leaders have the votes to secure passage of the child nutrition bill. Here’s how you can help:

· Sign on to the Feeding America letter in support of Child Nutrition Reauthorization passage and fixing the SNAP offset by Friday November 12th. 600 national, state and local groups have signed so far; add your organization to the list! The letter is open to national, state, and local groups. Please share widely with your networks/colleagues and urge them to sign.

· Send your member of Congress a direct message to pass the bill.

· Forward this alert to your colleagues.

Below is a partial list of national organizations who have signed on to the Feeding America letter (out of a total of 600 national, state and local groups):

1. Advocates for Better Children's Diets
2. AFSCME
3. American Academy of Pediatrics
4. American Commodity Distribution Association
5. American Dental Association
6. American Dietetic Association
7. American Federation of Teachers
8. American Heart Association
9. American Mushroom Institute
10. American School Health Association
11. Association of State & Territorial Public Health Nutrition Directors
12. Board on Human Sciences, Association of Public and Land-grant Universities
13. Bread for the World
14. Center for Science in Public Interest
15. Communications Workers of America
16. Community Action Partnership
17. Community Food Security Coalition
18. Ecotrust
19. Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
20. Feeding America
21. Generations United
22. Healthy Schools Network
23. Healthy Solutions
24. Jewish Council for Public Affairs
25. Jewish Reconstructionist Federation
26. National Assembly on School-Based Health Care
27. National Association of County & City Health Officials
28. National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP)
29. National Black Church Initiative
30. National Congress of Black Women, Inc.
31. National Consumers League
32. National Council of Jewish Women
33. National Education Association
34. National Indian Health Board
35. National Latino Children's Institute
36. National Organization of Social Workers
37. National PTA
38. National WIC Association
39. Nemours
40. NETWORK: A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby
41. Oral Health America
42. Partnership for Prevention
43. Prevention Institute
44. Produce Marketing Association
45. Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law
46. Save the Children
47. School Nutrition Association
48. Share Our Strength
49. Society for Nutrition Education
50. Sojourners
51. Soyfoods Association of North America
52. Spoons Across America
53. Trust for America's Health
54. UAW, International Union
55. United Fresh Produce Association
56. United Methodist Church - General Board of Church and Society