Regarding “Allen County Schools open food pantry with Feeding America partnership.”

It is heart-warming to see non-profit organizations help those in need. Feeding America, Care International and the Borgen Project are some of the main reasons why millions of people in Kentucky, the United States, and around the world are still alive. Additionally, they are a major reason the United States is able to create more jobs and increase national security.

Today, the whole world is as interconnected as ever through means of trade, national security and much more. This is why foreign aid, which is only 1% of our federal budget, is so important.

Due to the consequences of COVID-19, millions have been pushed into extreme poverty, causing food insecurity numbers to double since 2019. The International Affairs Budget is an investment supporting American diplomacy and development initiatives, which help promote free markets, fight extremism, confront poverty and health crises and maintain positive relationships with allies. It also staffs U.S. embassies overseas, provides emergency response after natural disasters, and implements agriculture programs to promote stability and prevent hunger.

By advocating to protect the International Affairs Budget, which has already saved millions of lives and shown high returns on investment, we are proving that helping those abroad by providing them with education, access to vaccines, and clean water has and will continue to save lives and help us here at home. For example, $1.7 billion of aid provided to Mexico between 1960-2005 led to annual U.S. exports to Mexico reaching $265 billion today.

As the founder of the Borgen Project says, “When we all do better, we all do better.” I urge Sen. McConnell and Sen. Paul to co-sponsor the International Affairs Budget and encourage my community to look into how they can help fight the battle against global poverty by visiting www.theborgenproject.org.

Nelma Memic

Bowling Green