Become a Member

February 2008

Dear Anti-hunger Advocate:
New Year’s greetings! Once again it is time to re-affirm our commitment to work together toward an end to hunger in our state! On behalf of the Steering Committee of the California Hunger Action Coalition (CHAC), we encourage you to renew your membership with the coalition or to join for the first time. 

This coming May will be the tenth anniversary of CHAC’s first Hunger Action Day! Since 1997, CHAC has brought hundreds of low-income people, emergency food providers, other non-profit organizations and concerned individuals to Sacramento to educate our legislators on issues of hunger and poverty in our state, and to win the changes that help Californians feed themselves. And we’ve had fun along the way!

Please support this effort by:

• Joining CHAC or renewing your membership if you are already a member.
• Reading our enclosed 2007 Legislative Agenda, and circulating copies to inform others of the challenges we face.
• Participating in Hunger Action Day Tuesday, May 8 at the State Capitol in Sacramento (save the date flyer enclosed).
• Buy a T-Shirt! We have T-shirts in all sizes saying “Got Food?” on the front and “4 Million Californians Don’t” on the back. (See enclosed flyer)

CHAC is a broad-based membership organization of volunteers united in our belief that access to adequate, nutritious and safe food is a fundamental human right. 

Some Major CHAC Accomplishments 1997-2006:

• Won new legislation that allows food stamp recipients to own a reliable car.
• Won and successfully defended immigrants’ access to food stamps
• Won new legislation that gives families moving from welfare to work five months of food stamp benefits to help them get back on their feet.
• Successfully defended the Senior Brown Bag program from budget cuts.
• Got the state to allow people to donate part of their tax refunds to food banks on their state income tax form
• Won new legislation that allows individuals with drug convictions who have served their time to receive food stamp benefits. 
• Supported a waiver extending food stamp benefits to the jobless in high unemployment areas.
• Won new legislation creating direct certification for school meals for children in households receiving food stamps.

As a membership coalition driven by volunteer work CHAC has accomplished these policy victories without any funding for staff or a central office. If you’ve been a part of Hunger Action Day in the past, you know how empowering it is to be a part of CHAC. If you haven’t been with us, we look forward to welcoming you on May 8!

This year especially, we need your support to continue building the network of low-income advocates through our statewide advocacy training program and by funding buses to bring people from all over the state to Hunger Action Day.  

Please renew your membership or become a new member by completing the enclosed invoice.

Best regards,

Allison Pratt, Co-Chair                                       

Frank Tamborello, Co-Chair