SALT LAKE CITY — Amid concerns over the safety of nutrition program funding and food security in general, dozens gathered in Salt Lake City on Thursday night to hike against hunger.
Utahns against Hunger and Crossroads Urban Center teamed up on short notice for the effort, after organizer Gina Cornia says she noticed an early draft of a U.S. Congress budget resolution could have cut SNAP by 20 percent or more.
“We’re frustrated, we’re angry, we’re scared, we’re sad and we feel really helpless,” said Sen. Jen Plumb (D-Salt Lake City) to the crowd.
Emotions were shared by state senators and protestors alike Thursday, because as she said: “People’s ability to survive is linked to their food.”
It’s an essential part of life that Gina Cornia says isn’t always accessible for many Utahns.
“There are more than 400,000 Utahns who experience food insecurity on a regular basis,” said Cornia, who is the executive director of Utahns Against Hunger.
It’s a disconnect that she believes could soon deepen through the potential cuts.
Just last week, U-S Senator Mike Lee introduced legislation that would require states to pay into SNAP and add requirements for people to receive the benefits.
So, the group walked from State Street to Hildegarde’s Food Pantry, where leaders there also spoke out about potential impacts.
“These are people who are our neighbors, these are our brothers and sisters,” said Rev. Libby Hunter, the deacon of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church which hosts the pantry.
The effects of tariffs and inflation also still loom over the work of these pantries, so these groups say it’s crucial to take steps before hunger consumes even more people in the state.
“We should be doing more,” Cornia said. “Our budgets are a moral document about what’s important to us.”
