SAY NO TO HUNGER

 

Words and Photo by F LoBuono

There were two noteworthy events that took place over this past weekend that I believe highlight the political chasm that currently exists in this Country. Both were triggered by the current Federal government shutdown (a story for another column). Because of the Congressional impasse, the funding for SNAP benefits, a.k.a. food stamps, was allowed to expire. This, of course, meant that tens of millions of Americans would shortly be in dire need of another way to feed themselves – or go hungry. Apparently, an emergency fund of millions of dollars that could have been made available to at least temporarily eased the crisis was for some unexplained reason not immediately released by the Trump Administration.

In response to the pending disaster, millions of my fellow Americans came through with profound kindness and generosity. Food drives were organized in virtual every corner of the Country filling food pantries with many tons of much needed groceries and cash donations. As is the case MOST of the time and with MOST Americans, our need to help others in a moment of crisis becomes the most powerful display of the American Way.

 Locally, the reaction to the loss of SNAP was immediate, coordinated, and enormously successful. In Nyack, where I reside, the Village council, under the leadership of Mayor Joe Rand and in coordination with several charitable agencies including Rockland County’s largest food bank, People to People, began a campaign cleverly called SnapShot. The goal was to organize food drop-off locations throughout the village, culminating on the same Saturday when the benefits were scheduled to expire. Over a hundred people participated in a two-hour shopping spree for food donations at the Nyack Fresh Market! Thousands of pounds of groceries were collected. And the effort continues throughout the village. I couldn’t be prouder of the place where I live or the people whom I live with.

 In contrast, the second telling event happened on the evening before. That Friday was also Halloween. The prospect of 42 million Americans about to thrown into food insecurity also loomed. Well, the President decided that would be a great time to throw a Great Gatsby themed Halloween party at his private residence, Mar-a-Lago. In addition to scanty glad dancing girls in over-sized cocktail glasses lining the walkways, guests were treated to a lavish meal and exotic desserts. Unconfirmed estimates of the cost for the bacchanalian feast are about $3.4 million. Whatever the cost may turn out to be, the fact remains that this stunt is more than tone-deaf, it’s downright cruel. Families and CHILDREN would soon go hungry! It will go down in the history books right next to Marie Antionette’s let them eat cake.

 His supporters will rationalize as they always do. However, once again the message is clear. It’s hard for ANY reasoning person to see anything but indifference at best and avarice at worst in staging such an affair. But this is no surprise to me. Mr. Trump has ALWAYS shown his disdain for those he feels lesser than himself. To this day, I’ll never know how anyone could look past him knocking a disabled reporter years ago. But now as the polling is being to show, more people are beginning to realize that cruelty IS the message because it lives within the man. What excuse could there possibly be that allows children to go hungry?

 On a positive note, there have been two recent developments that have at least temporarily eased the crisis. First, in an emergency session, the Rockland County Legislature appropriated $2 million to be used for food donations in the county. Secondly, a federal judge ruled that the Trump Administration MUST release the emergency SNAP funds and do so by Friday, November 14, 2025, once again proving people in this Country STILL have a conscience. At least most do. However, keep in mind, food insecurity is not going away. Resolving SNAP does not cure hunger. But we can.