Editor:

As the mayor of the City of Chester, I’ve seen firsthand the impact hunger has in our community.

Too many families are making impossible decisions every day, like whether to put food on the table or pay their bills.

It’s especially cruel knowing there are kids who are not getting enough to eat.

If Congress cuts effective, proven programs like SNAP, WIC and school meals, the hunger crisis will get worse in our community  and in communities all across the country.

That’s why I recently joined more than 100 mayors in urging Congress to protect, strengthen, and fully fund federal nutrition programs that nourish kids and help families put food on the table.

This is not a partisan battle. As part of the Mayors Alliance to End Childhood Hunger, mayors across party lines joined together to ensure our federal lawmakers know hunger exists in every community, and we must not cut the vital programs that help fight it.

My office is on the frontline, facing challenges like hunger every day, and I will continue to make feeding kids a priority so that together we can thrive.

Stefan Roots,mayor of Chester