Strengthening & Protecting the Social Safety Net
Learn how you can help advocate for the programs that provide essential support to our communities.
Protecting SNAP
SNAP provides more help to Americans dealing with hunger and food insecurity than any other program. It is essential that we continue to advocate for this deeply valuable and vital program. Learn more below about how you can get involved to protect SNAP at the federal, state, and local level.
Here in Pennsylvanian, more than $17 million in SNAP benefits have been stolen from financially struggling families. In 2025, an estimated hundreds of millions of dollars in benefits were stolen from the accounts of EBT households in the U.S. When benefits are stolen, families cannot be reimbursed for the benefits and are left without recourse. Pennsylvania must take action to start the process of rolling out more secure EBT cards. A total investment of $14 million is needed to begin the process of transitioning to chip/tap technology.
We want to make sure elected officials can hear SNAP stories and learn the experiences of people in their districts, so they can make SNAP better for everyone. We also want to make sure that there continues to be awareness and attention to these issues. For these reasons, we are collecting stories of people who receive SNAP benefits. With permission, stories will be shared with the media and members of Congress.
Right now, we are mobilizing to uplift your stories as we advocate for state and federal action to protect victims of SNAP theft. Among cuts to benefits and the ongoing rise in benefit theft – your voice is a powerful tool to share with legislators how important SNAP is to the people and communities they serve.
In 2013, we released Barriers to Benefits: Communication and Customer Service Problems in Pennsylvania’s Department of Public Welfare In 2024, Just Harvest met with PA DHS Secretary Val Arkoosh and released a new Barriers to Benefits report examining the barriers to SNAP – 10 years later.
Top Image: Just Harvest Public Policy Advocate Rochelle Jackson leads the October 2013 public meeting with DPW Sec. Mackereth
Bottom Image: Just Harvest Director of Public Benefits Policy and Programs Ann Sanders leads the 2024 meeting with PA DHS Secretary Val Arkoosh
Fact Sheets
