Hello lovely readers.

Congress is considering a proposal to eliminate SNAP-Ed and reduce SNAP funding.

Since March, I have had the pleasure of working on the Stocking the Pantry podcast with Leah’s Pantry, a California nonprofit that works in trauma-informed nutrition security, ensuring that all people are nourished, regardless of socioeconomic status.

It has been so wonderful, and so fulfilling, to see the work that Leah’s Pantry does in my and other communities. But Congress is angling to eliminate SNAP-Ed, our funder, which would mean eliminating basically all of our funding. Not only that, but it would eliminate a vital resource for those experiencing food insecurity.

➡️➡️ TLDR: Take one minute to email your member of Congress with a short message saying you oppose the elimination of SNAP-Ed. The more people on record, the stronger our collective voice.

Please visit this link to find your representative, go to their website to get their email address or phone number, and message your representative using the language below:

Subject Line: Oppose Eliminating SNAP-Ed and SNAP Funding Cuts

I’m asking you to oppose the elimination of SNAP-Ed and cuts to SNAP funding, as proposed in the House Agriculture Committee reconciliation bill. This program is essential to supporting health and nutrition in communities like mine.

The proposed changes represent the most significant overhaul of SNAP in decades, with a devastating impact on millions of individuals and families. The elimination of SNAP-Ed would devastate efforts to promote nutrition education and support healthier food environments for thousands of low-income communities and households.

Find Your Representative’s Email Address

Additional Context:
The latest out of Washington is proposing to completely eliminate SNAP-Ed, nearly 100% of the funding that Leah's Pantry works off of. Further, and more importantly, this (tiny relative percentage of the federal budget) funding provides critical support, education, and systemic change for communities that need the most support when it comes to food, nutrition and health.

In addition to completely eliminating SNAP-Ed, they are also proposing significant cuts and changes to the SNAP program (you may know this as EBT, food stamps, or CalFresh)

SNAP helps more than 42 million people per month get food. You know a person or a family who uses SNAP/EBT. I don’t mean, “you might know someone,” I don’t mean, “your mom’s friend’s coworker’s boyfriend,” I mean your neighbor, your family, your friend, you yourself.

I have used SNAP. Many of my friends or family use SNAP. I worked at Trader Joe’s for a year and a half – more than half of the people I rung up used SNAP, from Westwood to Pasadena: students, parents, families, the elderly, people in suits, people in sweatpants, blue-collar workers, white-collar workers, people struggling to find a job, people with multiple jobs.

SNAP is not something you are unfamiliar with, even if you think it doesn’t affect you. SNAP/EBT is crucial for so many people.

To kneecap, let alone eliminate, SNAP and its associated resources and programs is to throw tens of millions of people and families into turmoil. Combine that with the recent cuts to federal funding of food banks, and this leaves so many people without food.

PLEASE take a few minutes to email your representative(s) and share as widely as you can. This is crushing news, but WE CAN MAKE OUR VOICES HEARD.

Thank you all ❤️