Activists Launch Hunger Strikes over SNAP Cuts

Sixty-three-year-old activist Liz Wills-O'Gilvie has been on a hunger strike for 15 days in an effort to pressure Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey to secure funding for the shrinking Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). She is consuming only water, electrolytes and glucose tablets, with the goal of drawing attention to rising food insecurity.

According to data from the US Department of Agriculture, more than 5.3 million people lost their SNAP benefits after President Donald Trump implemented sweeping changes to the spending bill. The legislative changes and stricter rules have led to a decline of nearly 182,000 enrolled individuals in Massachusetts, 65,000 of whom were children.

Many people are also losing assistance because of the heavy workload of officials. Up to 47% of calls to the relevant agency go unanswered.

Wills-O'Gilvie, a member of the state's anti-hunger task force, said that despite her health limitations, she has met with lawmakers and the governor. She has emphasized that she cannot let people down and plans to continue her hunger strike indefinitely.

(Reuters, Max)