Fewer Resources, More Hunger: Why This Moment Matters

At the Flagstaff Family Food Center, we’ve been discussing the possible impact of federal budget cuts since January. When the Budget Reconciliation Markup was released this week, it represented all the worst-case scenarios we imagined.

As Congress debates this sweeping budget cuts package, I’m deeply concerned about what’s on the line for families in northern Arizona and for food banks like ours.

The proposed budget cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) could be devastating. We’re talking more than $290 billion slashed from future SNAP benefits, TEFAP, and other essential programs.

These changes may not kick in overnight, but they would undoubtedly erode the program’s ability to keep up with the rising cost of groceries, essentially freezing its impact while prices keep climbing.

Even more troubling is the idea that states, including Arizona, would be forced to shoulder new financial burdens that have always been managed federally. This is an unrealistic expectation. Arizona already has high rates of food insecurity. Forcing our state to take on more of the cost for benefits. Administration could lead to severe eligibility cuts and weakened services.

I understand that concerns about able-bodied individuals receiving public assistance without working can influence public perception of these programs. However, most people receiving support are either working, actively seeking employment, or unable to work due to disability, age, caregiving responsibilities, or because they are children.

Individuals who misuse the system represent a small fraction of those who rely on support (Hartley et al., 2018). Research shows that the overwhelming majority of SNAP recipients have legitimate needs (Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 2021). Fraud in the program is rare and estimated to be less than 1% of total benefits (Durry, P., 2024).

When we focus only on the exceptions, we risk overlooking the millions who rely on these programs to survive and regain stability. Addressing this budget cut issue with stricter work-reporting requirements will punish seniors, caregivers, and low-wage workers who are either unable to work or already working but still can’t afford enough food (Hartley et al., 2018). For northern Arizonans in particular, these requirements present an even greater hardship. Given the region’s limited job opportunities, transportation barriers, and lack of reliable access to technology needed to comply. These proposals don’t just risk increasing hunger. They threaten to unravel the entire safety net meant to prevent it.

Because of this urgency, our team at the Flagstaff Family Food Center headed to Washington, D.C., earlier this month for the Food Research and Action Center’s Anti-Hunger Policy Conference. This is the most important anti-hunger gathering in the country.

I’m incredibly proud that two of our own, Summer Grandy and Zenya Ledermann, invited to present our Northern Arizona Food Equity Report. Their session helped show other small and mid-sized food banks how local data can drive stronger, community-rooted programs.

Additionally, while in D.C., we teamed up with Arizona Food Bank Network. We meet with the offices of Senator Mark Kelly, Senator Ruben Gallego, and Congressman Eli Crane to advocate directly against cuts to SNAP and TEFAP. We also shared real stories from families in our region.

What we learned on that trip confirmed what we already feared. The need for food is already enormous, and if federal funding drops, organizations like ours will be asked to fill a gap we simply can’t cover. The pressure is coming from both sides. Demand keeps growing due to inflation and housing costs, and at the same time, the supply of resources is shrinking. If Congress cuts USDA programs that supply fresh food and reduces SNAP, more families will need help. Just when food banks have fewer tools to respond.

At a local level, The Hunger Action Partnership (HAP), which launched following last year’s Northern Arizona Anti-Hunger Summit, is gaining real momentum. We’ve brought together leaders, agencies, and advocates to focus on what works: innovative advocacy, straightforward resource navigation, and community empowerment. HAP is building capacity to provide legislative guides, organize rapid response teams, and amplify the lived experiences of our clients to make change.

Now more than ever, we need real solutions – protecting federal nutrition programs, increasing access to healthy food, cutting the red tape, and investing in lasting food equity. Our trip to D.C. reminded us that this fight is about more than food – it’s about dignity, justice, and the right of every person to thrive.

As your partner on the field, the Flagstaff Family Food Center is not just contemplating worst-case scenarios; we are actively gearing up to face them head-on.

We are determined to turn our preparation into action to ensure that when these challenges arise, we are ready to meet them with resolve and resilience.