A Spark of Hope In Uncertain Times
Written by: Sarah Read, MSW, LSW, SNAP Specialist
The grey skies and rain did not keep people away from State Representative Emily Kinkead and State Senator Lindsey Williams’ annual Senior Resource Fair. The event took place at the Ross Township Municipal Center on Thursday, October 30th with a wide variety of organizations to share resources and answer questions. Just Harvest was one of over fifty community-based organizations invited to participate. With SNAP benefits getting so much daily news coverage, the Just Harvest table was a popular stop for those who wanted to share their feelings about the government’s failure to fund SNAP benefits for November. People said they want the government to “do the right thing” and more importantly that “people need to eat.” Attendees of the Senior Resource Fair are not alone in their beliefs. National polling indicates that SNAP benefits have broad support from the US public. Cuts to SNAP concerned attendees as well. Polling from 2025 indicates that 59% of Americans oppose cuts to SNAP; furthermore, modeling finds that less than 15% of registered voters in every congressional district support a cut to SNAP.
The people I spoke with genuinely cared about their friends, neighbors, and families. They are concerned about their community and those around them. No one mentioned a particular political party or specific elected official- they want to see the government take care of its citizens. Hunger does not care about your age, where you live, or your political affiliation. I imagine that those who stopped by the Just Harvest table do not all have the same political beliefs, yet regardless of whom they voted for they felt that basic human dignity and need was of primary importance. This was a spark of hope in our uncertain times.
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