America has a hunger problem. The farm bill can help.

By Kelvin Beachum

Nearly 42 million people in the United States get help from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to buy food. 

To put that number in perspective, State Farm Stadium — where I play for the Arizona Cardinals — seats 63,400 people for a National Football League (NFL) game. You’d need about 662 of those stadiums to fit all the people in our country who suffer from hunger.  

Regardless of our backgrounds or political affiliations, none of us should be OK with so many people struggling. Fortunately, help is on the horizon. When Congress returns in September, deliberations on reauthorization of the farm bill — covering SNAP and several additional food, agricultural and nutrition programs — are expected to pick up in earnest. If Congress steps up, the next farm bill could significantly alleviate hunger in our country.  

Growing up in a rural community in central Texas, I saw firsthand how debilitating hunger is to kids and families. In my hometown of Mexia, more than one-third of residents live in poverty. I used to be one of them. When I joined the NFL in 2015, I committed to using my platform and resources to address food insecurity both domestically and worldwide. At every stop in my career — Pittsburgh, Jacksonville, New York, and now Arizona — I’ve partnered with food banks to raise money and bring meals to hundreds of thousands of families. 

Read more here.