What To Do Wednesday 29 October 2025

Posted by Alexis Lux
October 30, 2025

Southern Italy Chapter Treasurer l Deputy National Secretary

A Personal Reflection: The Legacy of Food Insecurity

When I was a child, my mother relied on food stamps to feed us. I remember standing beside her in the grocery store, carefully counting each item as she added it to the cart, silently praying that the total wouldn’t go over what the coupons allowed. Even as a kid, I understood what it meant to ration, to stretch a meal, to open an empty fridge, to feel that gnawing anxiety that there might not be enough next week.

That fear doesn’t disappear when you grow up. It leaves a mark and a memory of fragility that never entirely fades. It’s one of the reasons I care so deeply about policies that ensure no one in America goes hungry. Access to food isn’t charity. It’s dignity. It’s survival.

This Week’s Urgent Issue: The SNAP Standoff

Right now, that dignity is under threat.

On November 1, SNAP benefits will be cut off for more than 40 million Americans because of the ongoing government shutdown. This means children, seniors, veterans, and low-income families won’t receive vital food assistance when they need it most, creating a real and immediate crisis.

Congress already appropriated a USDA contingency fund specifically for emergencies like this, and legal experts confirm it can be used during a shutdown to keep SNAP benefits flowing. However, the Trump administration is currently refusing to tap this fund, holding hunger relief hostage as leverage to force the Democrats to back down. Instead of coming to the table to solve the shutdown, President Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson have doubled down—Johnson has even dismissed the House, refusing to let lawmakers work on a solution. The administration is using these most vulnerable Americans as bargaining chips, all while blaming Democrats and claiming legal reasons that experts say don’t hold up under scrutiny.

This situation is unacceptable, and it's critical for citizens to pressure Congress and the USDA to act. Hungry kids, seniors, and veterans should never be used as a tool for political games.

What You Can Do:

Even from abroad, your voice matters. Congressional offices track every call, every message, and every letter from constituents, especially from those who care enough to engage from overseas.

Here’s how you can help:

Write to the Secretary of the USDA, Brooke Rollins who is refusing to use the already appropriated emergency funding to continue to provide SNAP benefits for our most vulnerable citizens. You can write to her at [email protected] and here is a ready-made email template to adapt, use and share!
Write to your GOP Members of Congress to let them know that holding hungry Americans hostage is despicable. History will not remember them kindly. You can find the contact information for your Senators here: Senate. You can find the contact information for your Representatives here: Find Your Representative | house.gov and here is a ready-made email template to adapt, use and share!
Call the office of your Governor and tell them to demand that the Trump release the SNAP contingency funds. You can find the ready-made call template on 5Calls.org

When writing or calling be sure to share your story. If you or someone you know has ever depended on food assistance, talk about it. Shame thrives in silence; storytelling builds empathy and action.

Together, we can remind our lawmakers that policy is personal, and that withholding food from families in need is a moral failure not a political strategy.

Upcoming Events in Democrats Abroad Italy

We have events planned up and down Italy throughout November—please join us and help make a difference.

DA Italy Monthly Country Committee Meeting, virtual event - 31 October, 09:00

Pumpkin Festival Excursion! , 1 November, 11:30