A reflection on the Government Shutdown: look what we made happen by working together

What a whirlwind these past few weeks have been. I’m writing to express my deep appreciation for each and every one of you.

• Thank you to the service providers who worked tirelessly to make sure people stayed connected to food, and to the food shelves that operated far beyond capacity.

• Thank you to the Vermont Language Justice Project and Front Porch Forum, and the many community-based organizations that helped get our communications out to everyone who needed them.

• Thank you to Attorney General Clark for suing the USDA for withholding SNAP payments.

• Thank you to Senator Perchlik, Senator Cummings, Representative Scheu, Representative Kornheiser, and Governor Scott–the members of the Emergency Board, for taking bold and necessary action to get food benefits to 64,000 Vermonters when it mattered most.

• Thank you to House Speaker Krowinski and Senate Pro Tem Baruth and the Joint Fiscal Committee for recommending and supporting these steps.

• Thank you to the Department for Children and Families for working countless hours of overtime to get 3SquaresVT benefits onto people’s EBT cards without delay twice in two weeks.
  
  Just look at what we made happen by working together to ensure the best possible outcomes for all of us Vermont during an incredibly challenging time!
  
  Amid the stress and suffering, there are important learnings that will guide our work forward.
  
  What’s clear is this: every attack on programs that support our basic needs — from the “Big Beautiful Bill,” to efforts to roll back the data we use to measure hunger, to the cruel delay in SNAP benefits for families already struggling with rising costs— is an attempt to chip away at our shared understanding that government has a responsibility to care for its people. We will not let this federal administration undermine our right to be well cared for by our government–with our tax dollars.
  
  Meeting basic needs should be the baseline, not a lofty dream. Hunger Free Vermont’s vision reaches far beyond that—toward a future where government not only ensures that people have food, but actively works to lift people out of poverty; ensures communities have what they need to thrive; strengthens resilience in the face of escalating climate disasters; and brings us closer to a vibrant, community-centered future where everyone has the food they need and want.
  
  The truth is that Vermont’s policy leaders will continue to face challenging decisions in these unprecedented times, often with limited information. We applaud the courage they have shown in choosing Vermonters’ well-being, in a moment of extreme uncertainty and confusion. But what we know is that the answer is clear when we commit to policy choices that support food security in Vermont. 
  
  I also want to extend my deepest gratitude to our staff who worked around the clock alongside all of you: sharing timely information, taking videos during breaking moments, distributing information in multiple languages, crafting clear calls to action that empowered hundreds of Vermonters to successfully urge the Governor to reject the federal decision to withhold SNAP, and being the leading voice advocating for the use of state funds to support families during the shutdown.
  
  There will be more difficult decisions ahead, but I believe strongly that with all of your leadership, our statewide partnerships, and the shared resolve of everyone working for a better future, we can continue pushing toward a truly hunger free Vermont.

Thank you, deeply, for your partnership.

Anore Horton

Executive Director

Hunger Free Vermont