NASHVILLE, TN — For the third time in recent months, a broad coalition of 314 Tennessee clergy and faith leaders has reached out to Governor Bill Lee, urging him to address a mounting hunger crisis. In a formal sign-on letter delivered today, the leaders demand immediate action before the January 1 deadline to participate in the 2026 federal Summer EBT program—a move that would secure funding for summer nutrition programs for over 700,000 children.
Building on their previous advocacy regarding the $2.2 billion Rainy Day Fund and SNAP benefit lapses, the coalition is now highlighting a critical choice in stewardship. They contrast the Federal Match Path, which fed 700,000 children for a $5 million state investment in 2024, with the State-Only Path of 2025, which spent the same amount of money but reached only 18,000 children, leaving 682,000 behind.
“Governor Lee, stewardship is not proven by restraint alone, but by the courage to use every tool available to protect the vulnerable,” said Rev. Alisha S. Haddock, Co-Pastor of Christian Journey Fellowship Church and Executive Director of Neighbor 2 Neighbor. “When children are hungry and the table is already set, faith demands that we unlock the door and pull out a chair.”
“Feeding children is a moral issue—one I feel compelled to speak to as a pastor,” said Rev. Harriet Bryan, a United Methodist pastor from Clarksville, TN. “I see the impact of hunger on children and families long before summer ends and school begins again, and ensuring that children are fed is a shared moral responsibility that rises above party lines.” Rev. Gordon Myers, a retired Lutheran pastor from Memphis, TN, added: “Arlington is home to many children and families who simply do not have enough to eat. To refuse federal partnership which can address that hunger is morally wrong, economically insane, and constitutionally inconsistent with the peace, safety, and happiness of the people.”
