Anti-Poverty Groups Petition Presidential Candidates, Debate Moderator
New York, N.Y., September 14, 2016 — Today, a coalition of 166 anti-hunger and -poverty groups delivered the names of more than 631,000 voters who want to make ending hunger a top priority in the election to the Trump and Clinton presidential campaigns.
The Vote to End Hunger coalition also delivered the names to Hofstra University debate moderator Lester Holt of NBC News. The coalition is urging Holt to ask the candidates the following question: “If elected, what will you do to end hunger, alleviate poverty, and create opportunity in the U.S. and worldwide?”
In addition to delivering the names, VTEH is also undertaking a coordinated social media campaign urging Holt to ask “the hunger question.” The campaign can be followed at #VotetoEndHunger.
More than 42 million Americans, including 13.1 million children, live in households that struggled with hunger in 2015. And close to 43.1 million Americans – or nearly 13.5 percent – live in poverty. This includes 14.5 million children and 4.2 million seniors. Yet the presidential candidates have mostly avoided talking about hunger and poverty during the campaign.
Helping hungry people is a compelling political issue to voters no matter their party affiliation. A recent study found that 1 in 3 voters says they will vote only for candidates who promise to make ending hunger one of their top priorities. And two-thirds of likely voters in swing states say that ending hunger should be one of the top priorities of government.
Organizations supporting the Vote to End Hunger coalition include the Alliance to End Hunger, Bread for the World, Feeding America, Food Research Action Center (FRAC), Meals on Wheels America, RESULTS and RESULTS Educational Fund, and Share Our Strength/No Kid Hungry.
Media Contact:
Chris Ford
202.688.1077
[email protected]
Bread for the World