A Massachusetts anti-hunger advocate, Liz Wills-O’Gilvie, has been fasting for 15 days to push Governor Maura Healey to raise funding for the state’s shrinking food stamp program. Wills-O’Gilvie, who directs the Springfield Food Policy Council and the food justice organization Gardening the Community, aims to draw attention to rising food insecurity due to cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Background
More than 5.3 million people across the U.S. have lost SNAP benefits since President Donald Trump made sweeping changes to the program in his 2025 tax and spending law, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data. Rising food insecurity coupled with higher grocery bills have strained low-income households across the U.S.
Massachusetts’ Department of Transitional Assistance, which administers SNAP, said enrollment is down by nearly 182,000 people, including nearly 65,000 children. The agency has seen a 9% rise in daily calls since last year, with about 47% unable to connect, up from about 37%.
Wills-O’Gilvie, who suffers from lupus and hypoglycemia, said she has met with state legislators in her home and intends to forgo food indefinitely. She was appointed to a state Anti-Hunger Task Force created last July after Trump’s law passed.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
