“Rise Up”

song by Andra Day & Jennifer Decilveo; check out our full curated playlist here – handpicked jams to keep the joy flowing!

Andra Day’s “Rise Up” is a reminder that even in the face of hardship, communities find ways to stand together. Rising up, now matter how hard it is to do, captures how Wisconsin families and advocates fight to keep food on the table despite federal changes that threaten their well-being.

The passage of HR 1, also known as the federal megabill, puts FoodShare (SNAP), Wisconsin’s food assistance program, at serious risk. The bill cuts funding, adds strict new work reporting requirements, and shifts costs to states, leaving thousands of families vulnerable to losing food benefits.

More than 700,000 Wisconsinites rely on FoodShare, including many in rural communities. People who were previously exempt will now face new work reporting barriers just to keep benefits, while the state will need millions in new funding for implementation and administration.

The bill also eliminates SNAP education programs, cutting funding that provides families with education to make healthy food choices.

More than 100 organizations representing counties, health care professionals, food banks, and community partners urged the Wisconsin legislature to immediately approve funding for the Department of Health Services (DHS) to implement federal changes to SNAP/FoodShare. DHS estimated that $69 million in state funding is needed to comply with the federal mandates passed under the megabill. Without additional state support for SNAP, Wisconsin could be on the hook for fees of more than $200 million in the coming years.

Additionally, while the crisis is changing daily, Kids Forward is advocating alongside the SNAP coalition with organizations like Feeding Wisconsin, Hunger Taskforce, among many others. In November, SNAP funding became uncertain due to the federal government shutdown. Families went without food assistance as the administration refused to release their multi-billion dollar SNAP contingency fund to temporarily ensure families have access to food.

Kids Forward alongside advocates in Northeast WI, including food pantries, the Multicultural Coalition, and Partnership Community Health Center, called on Congress and the administration to act swiftly to ensure families do not lose access to food assistance at a press conference on October 31:

“Look around, one in eight receives FoodShare benefits in the state of Wisconsin. This may be your elderly mother, your friend who lost their job, or a family who is already struggling with childcare and transportation,” said Patricia Sarvela, Chief Development Officer for Partnership Community Health Center. “Local food pantries are already stretched thin, and we’re expecting an even greater demand in the coming weeks. This isn’t a program that affects others, it affects all of us.”

Without legislative action, Wisconsin risks both significant financial losses and disruptions in food assistance for families across the state who rely on FoodShare to put food on the table.

Like the message of “Rise Up,” this is a moment to stand together to lift one another and demand policies that honor human dignity. Wisconsin families and advocates are rising, not out of comfort but out of necessity, determined to ensure that no one in their community goes hungry. This call to action is a promise that, together, we will rise.