As manager of a local food pantry, I see firsthand the difficulties low-income families face trying to provide adequate nutrition for their children.

I have been in apartments where cupboards and refrigerators are virtually empty, where the primary food is day-old bread and other inexpensive, starch-laden foods.

However, there is a valuable federal program that has provided vouchers for many low-income families so they can purchase nutritious food for pregnant women and children age 5 and under. The Women, Infants and Children’s Nutrition Program has been crucial for these families.

After the 2014 federal cut of $93 million to the WIC program, far fewer women and children were able to receive vouchers for nutritious food. I have found that these cuts hit one group especially hard – single mothers.

Single, low-income mothers must juggle work, child care and all the other responsibilities of raising a family without the resources that can be provided by another adult.

These women must spend an inordinate amount of time searching for ways to feed their children, and yet they demonstrate a willingness to deprive themselves for the sake of their children’s needs. These mothers daily witness the harsh impact of food insecurity on their children’s health and ability to learn and grow.

The children who rely on this program are too young to care for themselves. U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, Sen. Angus King and Sen. Susan Collins must act by Sept. 30 to ensure that this safety net will be safeguarded.

Further, the support for WIC must not come at the expense of other federal nutrition programs that support low-income families.

Dorothy Blanchette

Falmouth