Editor's note: All opinions, columns and letters reflect the views of the individual writer and not necessarily those of the IDS or its staffers.
The consequences of cuts to our nation's nutrition programs are not abstract. They already cause deep pain in homes across Indiana.
Ashley came to Pantry 279, the food pantry that volunteers and staff run here in Ellettsville. She has a new baby, but she also has to work, and breastfeeding is not an option.
Ashley receives Women, Infants and Children Program benefits, but it does not provide enough formula to last the month. Her Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, already slashed, were gone in the first week. So, on a prayer, she came to the pantry, hoping there would be formula on the shelves. To make it last, she waters it down, and then she worries because her baby is not developing as fast as others who are getting proper nutrition. She is terrified, but at least her baby will survive.
Every day, across south-central Indiana, good people take a deep breath, prepare themselves mentally and go to stand bravely in line at a local food pantry. No one wants to be there, but it’s that or another night of explaining to your children that there is just no food to put on the table — or going to bed hungry and hoping tomorrow will be better.
To support three children, Matthew and his wife, Tammy, work three jobs between the two of them. A few years ago, they were donors to Pantry 279. Today, they come weekly to get food to feed their children and hopefully have enough left over for themselves. Childcare, utilities, rent, everything has become so high that low-paying jobs are no longer enough. After childcare, Tammy’s paycheck leaves $11 a week. Both her and Mathew’s savings are gone, and they just do what they can to survive. Three jobs are not enough.
Ashley, Matthew and Tammy are not isolated. We hear stories like theirs from thousands of fellow Hoosiers. You might call these all budgeting decisions, but that language is too tidy. A budget implies that the numbers can be made to work. For hundreds of thousands of families, they cannot.
Hoosier Hills Food Bank reports that roughly one in six Monroe County residents experiences food insecurity. Across Indiana, more than 1 million people experienced food insecurity in 2024.
Economic decline does not arrive suddenly; it trickles down one grocery item at a time. Parents skip meals, telling children they are "not hungry.” Medications are put off or not picked up. Bills are paid late, incurring another late fee. Dinner is whatever food is available, even if that’s breakfast cereal again. Eventually, there is nothing left to remove.
In July 2025, Congress passed a sweeping budget law that made major changes to SNAP and Medicaid. These changes already impact Americans across the country by creating new barriers that cause someone to lose grocery assistance or healthcare. This is not because the need disappeared, but because that person could not navigate another form, deadline or reporting system.
In Indiana’s 9th Congressional District, Republican Rep. Erin Houchin has the power to shape what happens next. She should work to reverse SNAP reductions and prevent eligible families from losing assistance because of administrative barriers. She should protect Medicaid coverage and oppose implementation choices that bury Hoosiers beneath unnecessary paperwork. And she should defend full funding for WIC and federal food-purchasing programs.
Finally, Houchin should come to Bloomington and listen. We invite her to visit Pantry 279, meet the families we serve and see what rising needs look like before they become another line in a federal budget.
We’ll introduce Houchin to her constituents like Nancy, a 76-year-old woman, who must choose between purchasing her heart medication or food. The social security she contributed to over 45-plus years of working is too much for her to qualify for assistance, by $5, under the new rules. So, she puts shoes on her swollen feet and comes to Pantry 279 for enough food to hopefully make it through the week. She never complains.
When someone loses SNAP or Medicaid, the need does not vanish. It moves into pantry lines, classrooms, hospital waiting rooms and the homes of relatives already struggling. Organizations like ours will continue opening our doors for as long as we can. But our federal food allotment has also been reduced.
Generosity cannot substitute for policy. A pantry may help a family through this week, but it cannot replace SNAP, restore health coverage or absorb reductions larger than the charitable food system itself.
The hunger of a neighbor is the starving of our future. What Houchin and our congressional leaders choose to do now will determine how far the harm reaches.
Cindy Chavez is the executive director of Pantry 279 in Bloomington.
Editor’s note: The IDS agreed to grant partial anonymity to the people mentioned in this guest column due to feared stigma for receiving food services. The IDS verified the identities of the individuals referenced.
