Say it out Loud! Budget Cuts Would Hurt Most Vulnerable

 Faith Community in #ABQ Speaks Out Against Budget Cuts

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Several members of the faith community in Albuquerque gathered in front of the federal courthouse on Thursday afternoon, June 26, to urge the Senate to pass a #MoralBudget. The event was organized by Franciscan (Joan Brown) and Mercy (Marlene Perrote) Catholic sisters and lay members/supporters of the Loretto community (Karen Navarro, Trish Herron).  Among the local leaders who joined us were  Archbishop John Wester, Samia Assad, Rev. Andy Stoker, Rev. Susan Allison-Hatch, Fr. Vincent Chavez and others. The event was held in conjunction with 20 other similar events around the country, including one on the steps of the Capitol on June 24.

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Help Save SNAP-Ed and Kids Cook!

The budget reconciliation package  approved by the House of  Representatives earlier this year cuts almost $300 billion in funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) over 10 years. The reductions proposed by the Senate are similar to those in the House, according to the Center for Budget and Public Policy Priorities. 

The proposed cuts to SNAP include full or partial elimination of funding for the SNAP-Ed program. "The elimination of SNAP-Ed would have a devastating and disproportionate impact on thousands of communities and millions of Americans who look to these resources to keep them healthy at home, in the workplace and in schools," the Public Health Institute said in May when the cuts came up in the House Agriculture Committee budget. "This includes low wage working families, children, older adults, and people with disabilities. Organizations and groups such as food banks, farmer’s markets and local farmers also count on SNAP-Ed resources to help support and promote their resources and services throughout the country."

25 Years of Serving Kids in New Mexico



In New Mexico, Kids Cook! is one of the most succesful programs. This is a multicultural nutrition and food education program. Along with FUDRR, it supports healthy lifestyle choices and growing healthy communities. 

For nearly 25 years, Kids Cook! has provided hands-on experiential learning for elementary and middle school students and their families, and a reduction or elimination of funding would have a negative impact on the program, said Kids Cook! executive director Sara Robbins.

The organization strives to inspire families to bond over cooking and eating together, be more physically active, and to share their knowledge with their communities. (Watch a video of members of the Interfaith Hunger Coalition preparing black bean tostadas, May 2023)

Here is compelling testimony from a grateful parent



How can you help? Call  Sen. Martin Heinrich (202 224-5521) and Sen, Ben Ray Lujan (202 224-6621) and urge them to vote NO on a budget that does not include funding for SNAP-ED.

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Fasting for Justice 
Join the #EmptyPlatesProtest

As the Senate deliberates on a budget reconciliation package, a broad coalition of health, faith-based, and anti-hunger organizations has launched the #EmptyPlatesProtest, a national relay fast designed to draw moral urgency and opposition to the devastating cuts to healthcare, food assistance, and other basic needs in the budget reconciliation bill. 

Here's how it works:

• Fast for 24 hours any day starting June 23rd, 2025.  The national relay fast will continue until Congress breaks for the July 4th recess.
• Tell your Senator to reject budget reconciliation bill cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, Child Tax Credit.

Pledge to Fast

Speaking with Our Faithful Voices

 

Advocating for a Moral Budget The budget reconciliation package  approved by the House of  Representatives earlier this year cuts almost $300 billion in funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) over 10 years. According to organizations like Bread for the World, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) and the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC), this is the largest single reduction of domestic food assistance ever enacted. (See CBPP chart).   A subsequent Senate proposal seeks similar or even deeper cuts than the House has proposed. One Senate plan forces most states to pay a portion of food benefit costs for the first time. "If a state cannot fully pay its required share, it would have two main options: significantly reduce the number of people receiving food assistance to the point where the state can afford its required share of benefits for the remaining households, or terminate the state’s SNAP program entirely," the CBPP said in a briefing on June 13. "This bill would slash billions in food assistance for millions of Americans to help pay for a $3.8 trillion package that overwhelmingly benefits the wealthy, FRAC said in a similar analysis  on June 12. . Non-profit organizations, coalitions, faith groups and  many others in New Mexico have signed a letter to our congressional delegation urging them to oppose the cuts.  "We are living in a time of rising food costs, high inflation, and, for many working families, incomes that simply cannot keep pace. Across our country and across our state, exhausted parents are feeling the pain of putting their children to bed hungry. Seniors who worked their whole lives are having to make a choice between buying medicine and buying food. Veterans who served this great country with honor are scraping by to pay rent and afford groceries," said the letter coordinated by the New Mexico Association of Food Banks on June 20. On Bread for the World's Lobby Day on June 11, six of us from New Mexico (Lynette Schurdevin, Kendra Poole, Rev. Andy Stokes, Kamatara Johnson, Sergio Mata-Cisneros and Carlos Navarro)  met in Washington with aides to Sens. Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Lujan and Reps. Melanie Stansbury, Teresa Leger-Fernandez and Gabe Vasquez to urge our representatives to oppose the cuts.  Some friends from Puerto Rico joined us at Sen. Ben Ray Lujan's office. We also encountered Rep. Melanie Stansbury and NM State Sen. Harold Pope at Rep. Gabe Vasquez's office. Cuts 'Completely at Odds with the Gospel' Faith leaders are speaking out on the latest cuts.  "The massive cuts to Medicaid and SNAP– programs that support the most vulnerable- add up to a trillion dollars. That political calculus of this historic bill which will define the budget of our nation for years to come is completely at odds with the gospel calculus," Rev. Jim Wallis in God's Politics blog "Cuts to SNAP would result in job losses in the agriculture, food production, and grocery industries. Both would lead to worse health outcomes and add financial stress to millions of families and children in every community across the nation... It is morally indefensible to extract resources from food and healthcare assistance in order to advance tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans and businesses," said  a letter to congressional leaders from more than 150 Jewish organizations nationwide.  "The church and the bishops of the United States should lead the way in speaking against this bill and calling on Catholics to work for its defeat. Because of its overall effects on those who are most in need, passing this budget would be a moral failure for American society as a whole. Unless the church opposes it in the clearest possible terms, we will squander the credibility of our witness to the Gospel and Christ’s command to care for the "least of these," said a statement from Archbishop John Wester of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. Over the years, people of faith have spoken out against efforts to cut SNAP and other food programs. “The proposed budget cuts are of great concern to the humanitarian community. We stand united against any policy that leaves our poor and vulnerable in more perilous conditions," former Islamic Relief USA CEO Anwar Khan said in 2017 in response to proposals during the first Trump administration to cut funding for domestic food programs. "It’s the very safety net programs that the current budget fight is targeting, and to me this is wrong. It, quite frankly, is immoral" said  Sister Simone Campbell, founder of Nuns on the Bus and former director of the Catholic Social Justice lobby Network said in the  PBS Religion and Ethics Newsweekly. At the Urban Way of the Cross in Albuquerque in 2019, we spoke about a moral budget and urged protections for the most vulnerable.  Watch a Video And we carry on faithfully with our efforts to oppose cuts to programs that help the most vulnerable people in our society. We invite you to join us in the following event.  Catholic Sisters and Friends will gather in front of the Federal Court at 4th and Lomas in Albuquerque  Thursday, June 26   4:30-5:30 Faith leaders and friends will reflect, make statements, pray and hold signs reminding all that a Budget is a Moral Document. Jason Riggs, a member of our IHC steering committee, will offer a brief statement on the impact of SNAP cuts on families in New Mexico Other people of faith will reflect on areas that are threatened by budget cuts, including housing, veterans affairs, global nutrition assistance, medical research, environmental protection and much more.  The gathering is in conjunction with a similar event in Washington, D.C., on the steps of the Capitol on June 24, also led by Catholic Sisters and Friends. Local events are planned in about 20 locations around the United States. The public is encouraged to join the Albuquerque gathering of faithful demanding a moral budget.

Statewide Sign-On Letter to Protect SNAP and Medicaid in New Mexico

The New Mexico Association of Food Banks has asked non-profit organizations, coalitions, faith groups and others to sign a letter to our congressional delegation urging our representatives and senators to oppose cuts to SNAP and Medicaid. 

The budget reconciliation package  approved by the House of  Representatives earlier this year cuts almost $300 billion in funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) over 10 years. According to organizations like Bread for the World, the CBPP and FRAC, this is the largest single reduction of domestic food assistance ever enacted.  A similar plan in the Senate would make similar or deeper cuts in the two very important programs. 

Here is the text of the letter.

To the Honorable Members of the New Mexico Congressional Delegation,

We, the undersigned, are writing in strong and unified opposition against the

catastrophic cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and
Medicaid now being considered in the United States Congress.

Our concerns are well founded and based on decades of accumulated experience
serving communities in the fields of hunger relief, housing, medicine, education, and
many other disciplines.

We are living in a time of rising food costs, high inflation, and, for many working families,
incomes that simply cannot keep pace. Across our country and across our state,
exhausted parents are feeling the pain of putting their children to bed hungry. Seniors
who worked their whole lives are having to make a choice between buying medicine
and buying food. Veterans who served this great country with honor are scraping by to
pay rent and afford groceries.

Many low-income New Mexicans are looking to our leaders in DC to help make
everyday life easier and the American Dream more accessible to all.

Cutting over 200 billion dollars from SNAP and Medicaid to pay for tax cuts will not help
our neighbors struggling to put food on the table. Decimating funding for these popular
programs will not result in improvement or higher efficiency. It will only increase hunger,
sickness, and deepen poverty for people who are already struggling.

There are already long lines at charitable food distributions in cities and towns across
New Mexico. The number of people waiting for food in front of their local church or
community center could easily triple or quadruple with the passing of this legislation.
Rural communities could see closures of clinics and grocery stores. More people will go
without health insurance. Less people will get preventative care. This will lead to
increased emergency room visits with less compensation for hospitals and higher
charges for insured patients.

House and Senate plans to shift the costs of federal food assistance to the states could
leave New Mexico taxpayers on the hook for $255 million dollars. Many states will be
unprepared or unwilling to pay and may opt out of SNAP altogether. This will leave
millions of Americans with even less food than they have now.

New Mexico food banks and other charitable institutions cannot be expected to double
or triple the amount of food they distribute in the next few years to make up the
difference. New Mexicans with health care should not be expected to weather higher
prices for coverage. Our state’s hard working farmers should not be expected to incur
losses due to funding cuts to nutrition incentive programs like Double Up Food Bucks.

SNAP and other federal nutrition programs have a proven track record of keeping
millions out of poverty and improving food security during times of recession and crisis.
Medicaid is the backbone of New Mexico’s healthcare provider network.
Cuts to one program will undermine the effectiveness of the other.

Cuts to both will cost New Mexico billions of dollars.

As Americans, we can do better than allowing hunger and sickness to thrive in our
nation.

Now is not the time to gut these programs. Now is the time to strengthen and support
them.

We urge every member of Congress to vote against any legislation that results in cuts to
SNAP and Medicaid.

Sincerely,

Recreating Lobby Day Locally (Letter Delivery Part 2)

We visited Rep. Stansbury's ABQ office on Tuesday, May 13. We had a cordial conversation with her aide DeChellie Gray, who listened to our request to the congresswoman to protect and modernize WIC and save funding for @global nutrition. We handed her Bread for the World letters from seven churches. [#NourishOurFuture]

Our delegation included Winona Poole, Ella Joan Fenoglio and Jim Collie from La Mesa Presbyterian Church, Jeanne Marquardt Elmhorst from Albuquerque Mennonite Church, Terri Christiansen from St. Timothy's Lutheran Church and Carlos Navarro from St. John XXIII Catholic Community.

Special Delivery (and Lunch)

Phase I of our local letter delivery/lobby day is now complete.  

On May 8, we met with Albuquerque aides to Sen. Ben Ray Lujan, Sen. Martin Heinrich and Rep. Gabe Vasquez to advocate for protections to WIC and global nutrition and handed over letters from seven churches (First Presbyterian in ABQ, Central United Methodist, La Mesa Presbyterian, St. Andrew Presbyterian, St. Paul Lutheran, Albuquerque Mennonite, and St. John XXIII Catholic Community) with the same requests. #nourishourfuture

We attempted to recreate a Lobby Day experience for local Bread advocates, many of whom won't be able to go to Washington for the Advocacy Summit and Lobby Day in June.

Our delegation included Andy Stoker and Abbey Reed from Central United Methodist Church, Daniel Erdman and Jeanne Marquardt Elmhorst from Albuquerque Mennonite Church and Carlos Navarro from St. John XXIII Catholic Community.

A few others from La Mesa Presbyterian Church and St. Timothy Lutheran Church are joining Abbey, Jeanne and me for a meeting at Rep. Melanie Stansbury's office on Tuesday, May 13. {Stay tuned for photos and accounts from that meeting)

Drew Hill and Eli Baca (Rep. Vasquez) met with us at a South Valley eatery

We spent 1/2 hour chatting with Desirae Shorter (Sen. Ben Ray Lujan)

We handed our letters to Dalweed Torres-Avila (Sen Heinrich)

Afterwards, we treated ourselves to lunch at Oaxcan restaurant La Guelegatza in the South Valley. Our choice of eatery is significant because Daniel is a native of Oaxaca and Abbey visited that state during her 16 years living in Mexico

In 2022, the restaurant was named a semifinalist for a James Beard Award in the Best Chef: Southwest category.  Read more in New Mexico Magazine

Offering of Letters Photos at St. John XXIIII Catholic Community

St. John XXIII Catholic Community held its Offering of Letters on April 26-27.  Here is our total

Sen. Ben Ray Lujan 25

Sen. Martin Heinrich 18

Rep. Melanie Stansbury 13

Fr. Tai Pham blessed our letters on May 4

SNAP & Other Nutrition Programs Under Threat

 

These are uncertain and turbulent times. The federal administration and Congress have made some policy decisions that are likely to increase hunger in New Mexico. On April 10, the House of Representatives narrowly approved the Senate version of the budget blueprint 

According to the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC), the budget blueprint calls on congressional committees to slash billions of dollars (about $230 billion) from programs within their jurisdictions, which include the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and school meals.

This blueprint comes at a time when hunger is on the rise and families are facing higher food costs. "Proposals to cut SNAP would strip food from individuals and families and make dramatic structural changes to the program, shifting the burden to local governments and charities — who cannot fill the gap," said FRAC. "These proposals would harm local economies, especially for our nation’s farmers and food retailers. Health care costs would increase, as food insecurity is linked to higher rates of chronic illness and poor health outcomes."  See FRAC's New Mexico SNAP data
 

New Mexico Would Have to Boost Spending


And states like New Mexico would have to absorb some of the costs related to the federal budget cut. "That kind of a cut can't happen without cuts to SNAP," Sovereign Hager, Legal Director at the NM Center on Law and Poverty (NMCLP), said at the April Zoom presentation sponsored by the Food/Hunger/Water/Ag Policy Workgroup. 

"So the proposals that are on the table, probably the biggest sweeping one would be to transfer some of the costs of SNAP to states and have a matching system," said Hager.  

To maintain our current level of support for SNAP recipients, New Mexico would have to increase spending by an additional $100 million, noted Hager. The alternative would be to cover fewer people. 

Read More in IHC Blog

Speaking with One Voice on SNAP Outreach

 

Rep. Joanne Ferrary (D) &  Rep. Gail Amstrong (R) at Food and Farms Day

We want to highlight a remarkable bipartisan outcome in the 2025 New Mexico State Legislature: HB77.The bill, sponsored by Rep. Liz Thomson of Albuquerque, requires the Health Care Authority (NM Dept. of Health) to develop a plan to reach out to promote access to the benefits of the federal supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP).  See full text of HB77

And guess what? On Feb. 21, the full House of Representatives voted 63-0 in support of HB77.The Senate followed suit with 36-0 vote on March 21. This unanimous support for HB77 is a recognition that SNAP is an important tool in our efforts to address hunger and food insecurity in our state. And how often do we get full bipartisan agreement on anything?

See full piece in IHC New Mexico blog

Promoting Our Offerings of Letters

Here is a sampling of bulletin/newsletter articles showing how our New Mexico congregations promoted their Offerings of Letters. 

Central United Methodist Church 

February 23 (writing)   March 2 blessing/dedication    Newsletter link

First Presbyterian Church (Albuquerque) 

    February 23- March 23    Bulletin link

First Presbyterian Church (Santa Fe)

March 16    Blog link

All Saints Lutheran Church (Albuquerque) 

March 16 (writing) March 23 dedication    Newsletter link

Albuquerque Mennonite Church 

Offering of Letters Dates in New Mexico

These congregations/organizations have chosen the following dates to write letters around the Nourish Our Future campaign.  These are in chronological order. We will update this page as we get new information, so bookmark the link. 

**  Running total of 670 letters written from Central UMC, First Presbyterian-SF,  All Saints Lutheran, Albuquerque Mennonite Church, First Presbyterian-ABQ, Peace Lutheran (Las Cruces), St. John XXIII Catholic Community, St. Andrew Presbyterian Church**

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Central United Methodist Church (Albuquerque)  

February 23 (writing)   March 2 blessing/dedication

(Thank You Dodie Hawkins and Abbey Reed)

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First Presbyterian Church (Albuquerque)

February 23- March 23 (ongoing) 

(Thank You Carol Marr and Mission Committee)

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First Presbyterian Church (Santa Fe)

March 16   

(Thank You Judy Crawford)

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All Saints Lutheran Church (Albuquerque)

March 16 (writing) March 23 dedication  

(Thank You Judy Messal, Rae Vondemotter, Rozy Kalsbeek and Outreach, Advocacy and Rapid Response Committe)

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Albuquerque Mennonite Church 

March 30  during Breads of the world potluck

April 6 dedication

(Thank You Jeanne Elmhorst and Daniel Erdman)

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St. John XXIII Catholic Community (Albuquerque)

April 26-27  (in conjunction with Earth Day celebration after 11:30 Mass)

May 4  Blessing of Letters

Carlos Navarro

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Peace Lutheran Church (Las Cruces)

April 27

(Thank You Lynette Schurdevin)

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-- St, Andrew Presbyterian Church (Albuquerque)

April 27

(Thank You Paula Mills)

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-- St. Paul Lutheran Church (Albuquerque)

May 4 or May 11

(Thank You Ivan Westergaard)

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-- La Mesa Presbyterian Church (Albuquerque)

May 4 and May 11

(Thank Louisa Doran)

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Committed

-- Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Catholic Community (Albuquerque)

TBD

-- Smith Memorial Presbyterian Church (Truchas)

TBD

Other Possibilities

--Trinity on the Hill Episcopal Church (Los Alamos)

TBD

Photos from World Food Day 2023

Such a beautiful day at Tingley Beach Overlook this morning. We are so appreciative of all the great folks who shared a reflection, prayer and blessing at our World Food Day (Albuquerque) event. We will have a video soon, courtesy of Duncan Sill. We also observed the Solar eclipse (with the special sunglasses, of course) and prayers for the Rio Grande.

Videos below: Helga Garza Offers Prayer to the River, Surgite singers and dancers sing traditional World Food Day song. 

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