advocacy, federal policy, get out the vote, snap
The Earthquake, the Tsunami, and the Aftershocks
September 15, 2026
Northern Arizona is wide open country. The highway stretches into the distance, and towns and gas stations are few and far between. Arizona isn’t the first state that comes to mind when you think of places like Alaska. But list off our top food systems challenges, and you’ll find northern Arizonans nodding in agreement. Long distances and costly transportation, high prices, too little cold storage, rural communities with limited access to fresh produce, generations of traditional food knowledge undermined – we share all of it. We also share vibrant communities working creatively on solutions: Tribes reclaiming their food sovereignty, farms and food banks partnering to build markets and fresh, local food access, and advocates organizing in community to make it happen.
In early September, I had the chance to join advocates at the Northern Arizona Anti-Hunger Summit in Flagstaff. Invited by the Flagstaff Family Food Center, I spoke on a panel with Arizona attorney and lobbyist Elizabeth Goodman, moderated by Adrienne Udarbe of Pinnacle Prevention. We talked about advocacy – about finding strength and hope, and leveraging opportunity, especially in challenging times. We also heard from Rev. Eugene Cho, who spoke about the power of love and how love makes room at the table for many stories.
Dr. Jessica Knurick and Dr. Jessie Gruner walked us through the federal and state policy landscapes. They described H.R. 1 as the earthquake, the drops in SNAP enrollment as the tsunami that followed, and the impacts on food banks and pantries, farmers and farm-to-school programs, and whole communities as the ongoing aftershocks.
Since Congress passed the One Big Beautiful Bill, nearly every state has seen SNAP enrollment fall. Arizona’s SNAP enrollment has dropped by more than half – from over 880,000 people to roughly 410,000. How amazing would it be if all those people had lifted themselves out of poverty? But nothing in the economic landscape has changed; food pantry lines keep growing, and we know that isn’t what happened. We just have more hungry Americans struggling to get by in one of the richest nations in the world.
After the Summit, my daughter and I took a few days to explore the region. We visited Grand Canyon National Park, which is still working to conserve water as it recovers from the devastating floods in late August. In 2017, advocates there saw a need and started the Grand Canyon Food Pantry, created by Park employees and nearby residents who couldn’t make ends meet. Standing there, I thought about Denali National Park and nearby Glitter Gulch, another tourism-dependent community where seasonal work and high costs leave families stretched thin. In the Denali Borough, Neighbor to Neighbor supports families year-round, from food to housing.
September is Hunger Action Month, and across the country, advocates are calling attention to the families, elders, and Veterans in our communities facing hunger. In one of the richest nations in the world, more than 40 million Americans don’t have enough food on the table. They skip meals and make impossible choices between rent and groceries, doctor’s bills and dinner. Food banks, food pantries, soup kitchens, and other food distribution organizations play a critical and too-necessary role. Sometimes their clients are facing something new – a job loss, an unexpected rent increase. Too often, they face chronic hunger, where a paycheck simply doesn’t cover the basics and food becomes what they stretch and skip so limited dollars can go to the electric bill, the medical bill, and the gas to get to work.
In September and beyond, remember that we all have a role to play in a strong and healthy society. Make sure you’re registered to vote, and make a plan to vote in every election. Volunteer at your local food pantry. Donate when you can. Don’t take your food for granted, whether it comes from the farmers market or the grocery store. A strong community is one that isn’t hungry, and it’s up to all of us to make the choices that get us there.
Learn more about our upcoming elections at akfoodvote.org
