SEF Remarks on White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health
August 31, 2023.
Washington, D.C. – The Shirley Ehi Foundation (SEF) expresses its appreciation for the Biden Administration's initiative in hosting the Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health as this is a very important aspect of life. This signals a much-needed focus on food and hunger issues amidst a backdrop of global and domestic food insecurity, health challenges, and climate-induced impacts on livelihoods. SEF commends this bipartisan effort, especially in a time when the world is grappling with an unprecedented number of displaced individuals and climate issues.
SEF has personally witnessed the adverse and disproportionate effects of hunger and poor health on individuals and communities. The organization is heartened by the Administration's leadership, the call to action for elected officials, and the emphasis on school feeding programs and the essential support they provide to children from impoverished and vulnerable families. Ultimately, inadequate nutrition can inflict irreversible harm on a child's health and perpetuate a poverty cycle that makes it increasingly difficult for a child and their future family to escape poverty.
SEF urges policymakers to establish policies that offer farmers more sustainable options for accessing necessary capital. Food security encompasses more than just food; it involves people's dignity and choices regarding food and its role in overall health and discrimination that exacerbates food insecurity. Addressing this issue necessitates the removal of barriers to food security for all people, regardless of their background, increasing wages, combating the stigma associated with social safety benefits, promoting early health and nutrition education, and expanding programs, including those in native territories.
SEF acknowledges that hunger, nutrition, and health challenges are not unavoidable. Eradicating these issues is undeniably beneficial for everyone. It is imperative to invest as much in people, both domestically and globally. As we do in initiatives, partnerships, and those responsible for their implementation.
As Chef Jose Andres emphasized in his address, "The most important source of energy is the food we eat." Shirley of SEF echoes this sentiment, asserting, "Together, with a multifaceted approach, we can create a more equitable and sustainable system that ensures no one goes hungry and encourages everyone to work towards a hunger-free America."
For more information, please reach us at [email protected].
SEF Statement on Child Health Day
October 2, 2023.
Washington, D.C. – The Shirley Ehi Foundation (SEF) stands with the nation in marking Child Health Day, pledging our steadfast commitment to securing the well-being of our children. Today is a poignant reminder of our core duty: ensuring every child’s opportunity to flourish and reach their fullest potential.
Our heartfelt gratitude goes to President Biden for his unwavering dedication to bettering the lives of our youth. Child Health Day underscores the need to protect our children’s physical and mental well-being, and President Biden’s initiatives have made significant strides in this direction.
We should ensure that common places are never unsafe for our children and their parents. The President’s administration acknowledges the importance of mental health in children’s well-being and is making significant investments, including training more school-based mental health counselors and providing substantial funding for mental health and substance use programs, along with launching the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, to address the youth mental health crisis.
Moreover, the dedication to reducing cost for American families through the inflation Reduction Act, the modernization of the Thrifty Food Plan, and the expansion of free school meals for millions of children by 2032 showcases an unwavering commitment to ensuring that no child goes hungry or lacks access to essential healthcare and demonstrated our commitment to protecting children’s physical and mental well-being in the digital age.
Child health day also serves as an opportunity to ponder our shared dedication to addressing environmental issues that directly affect our children’s health. The President’s ambitious climate and environmental justice agenda, as exemplified by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, underscores the urgency to tackling air, tainted water, and other environmental hazards.
Children are the architects of our future, the guiding stars of our national aspirations. As we celebrate Child Health Day, let us renew our promise to guarantee that every child grows up in joy, good health and the promise of boundless opportunities. May we persist in nurturing our children’s health and forging a brighter, better future for our nation.
On Behalf of The Shirley Ehi foundation, we extend our gratitude to President Biden and all those devoted to the welfare of our children on this Child Health Day.
For more information, please reach us at [email protected].
