Advocacy

KLF Mission:  To feed hungry people and engage the community in the fight to end hunger.

Advocacy is a critical component in KLF’s fight to end local hunger.  While direct service and food distribution programs provide essential immediate help to hungry people, KLF’s advocacy programs aim to influence public policy and resource allocation within political, economic and social systems and institutions.  Influencing public policy to increase local food security could involve any (and more) of the following:

  • Educating legislators about how proposed or current legislation affects KLF clients, program participants or partner organizations.
  • Direct or grassroots lobbying by KLF clients and others in the community, letting our leaders and representatives know what we need and value.
  • Connecting community members with the tools they need to learn about barriers to food security and advocate for change.

Current issues on which Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes is focused:

  • The well-being of our most vulnerable community members, like kids, through addressing childhood nutrition.
  • The economic security of low-income populations through means such as the Michigan Earned Income Tax Credit.
  • Basic food accessibility, through local initiatives like Double Up Food Bucks at Farmers’ Markets.
  • Regional food movements, like Good Food Kalamazoo and the Michigan Good Food Charter.
  • National food policies, such as SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), also known as Food Stamps and the Food & Farm Bill.
  • other issues affected and caused by food insecurity, like homelessness (click here to read the 2010 U.S. Mayors Report on Hunger & Homelessness).
  • And much more.