A vital part of Hawaiʻi?s safety net for financially struggling families and kūpuna is threatened by federal budget cuts, potentially leading to many more people going hungry and eroding the health of communities.
The University of Hawaiʻi at 惭ā苍辞补’s SNAP-Ed program, run by the (CTAHR), is one of the federally funded initiatives on the chopping block in the U.S. Congress.
For years, SNAP-Ed has played a key role in teaching ʻohana how to prepare healthy, budget-friendly meals, helping to fight hunger and support community well-being across the state.
“Our college has been working with local families and kūpuna (elders) through SNAP-Ed for more than 20 years,” said Jean Butel, SNAP-Ed program director at CTAHR. “Our SNAP-Ed program has become a trusted community partner that helps about 15,000 community members across Hawaiʻi every year. We meet people where they are: public schools, farmer’s markets, senior care facilities and other community gathering places.”
Funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, SNAP-Ed teaches eligible ʻohana how to plan meals, stretch their food dollars, compare prices, and even grow their own vegetables.
Program success
Data highlights the program’s effectiveness with CTAHR’s direct education classes:
- 91% of participants improved their diet.
- 83% learned to budget, compare prices and plan meals.
- 40% reported they could afford more food or had enough for the family.
CTAHR and the Hawaiʻi State Department of Health manage SNAP-Ed programs with a combined $1.57-million budget for this year. However, SNAP-Ed has been eliminated from the federal budget being debated by Congress, putting the future of the program at risk in Hawaiʻi and nationally.
“We are grateful that Hawaiʻi’s Congressional delegation fully supports SNAP-Ed. With our geographic isolation, high cost of living, and ongoing food insecurity, full funding is essential for Congress to continue supporting Hawaiʻi’s SNAP-Ed families and kūpuna,” said CTAHR Dean Parwinder Grewal.
If Congress does not restore funding, the program will end on September 30. Supporters say that cutting SNAP-Ed programming could hurt ʻohana already struggling with food insecurity.