REP LIEU VISITS MEALS ON WHEELS WEST, CHAMPIONS FUNDING FOR ANTI-HUNGER PROGRAMS

LOS ANGELES - Yesterday, Congressman Ted W. Lieu met with leaders from Meals on Wheels West to discuss the impact of federal funding cuts to anti-hunger programs and to speak with Meals on Wheels volunteers and beneficiaries. Congressman Lieu joined Meals on Wheels West Board Member Anastasia Foster and Executive Director Kaylee Hawkins to talk about how funding cuts implemented by the Big, Ugly Bill and the current freezing of hunger assistance will impact Meals on Wheels West's efforts to help the homebound, disabled, and elderly community members in the areas it serves.

"I was deeply moved visiting Meals on Wheels this week to see firsthand what they do to help vulnerable people in our community," Rep. Lieu said. "It is unconscionable that Republican leaders would allow these vital programs to lose critical funding while okaying things like a $40 billion bailout of Argentina and a $1 billion private jet remodel for Trump."

"The landscape of food security is shifting fast," Meals on Wheels West Executive Director Kaylee Hawkins said. "As SNAP benefits remain uncertain, we're already feeling the impact here at Meals on Wheels West - with more neighbors reaching out for help. Our team is doing everything we can to meet the growing demand, but limited resources are beginning to stretch our capacity. The need is real, and it's growing."

"Most Americans may not consider that a tax cut for the very wealthy may directly translate to food being taken out of the mouths of our most vulnerable citizens," said Meals on Wheels West Board Member Anastasia Foster. Those who are aging in place, often on fixed incomes, cannot absorb the chaotic changes in programs they rely on."

"President Trump and Congressional Republicans have made cutting anti-hunger programs a key part of their agenda and the consequences are dire." Rep Lieu added. "Programs like Meals on Wheels provide nutritious meals and support to homebound, disabled, and elderly people in our community and around the country. Meals on Wheels relies on the kind of federal funding that the Trump Administration and Congressional Republicans cut to fund billionaire tax breaks and Trump's pet projects. To compound the suffering, Trump has refused to use all the money available to fund SNAP this month, stretching programs like Meals on Wheels even thinner as they try to help hungry community members. It's simply immoral."

About Meals on Wheels West: Meals on Wheels West (MOWW) is a Meals on Wheels organization serving Santa Monica, Venice, Marina del Rey, Pacific Palisades, and Malibu with community-based services enriching the lives of the homebound, disabled, and elderly since 1974. Meals on Wheels West specializes in providing nutritious meals, friendly calls and visits, and referrals to other services. The organization is one of nearly thousands nationwide within the Meals on Wheels Association of America supporting homebound communities with such efforts.

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