About one in five Pittsburgh residents — or roughly 60,000 people — lives in a household that struggles to put food on the table, according to city data.
It may not be garnering the headlines it did in November when SNAP benefits were disrupted by the federal government shutdown, but the problem of food insecurity is not going away.
Tariffs, inflation, and a heartless federal government have combined to create an American hunger crisis.
We can’t turn our backs on it. We must address food insecurity.
First, we must understand that food insecurity often affects our most vulnerable citizens — children, seniors, and people with disabilities. Also, the consequences of food insecurity are severe — it significantly impacts people’s health and well-being, and children are likely to struggle in school when they don’t have enough to eat.
The federal government, as many people learned during the shutdown, has been uncaring and negligent. But even before the shutdown, which disrupted SNAP benefits for two million Pennsylvanians, the federal government was failing people who needed food.
When the GOP-controlled Congress approved President Trump’s so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” in July, they made it harder to get aid from the SNAP food program. Then the Trump Administration cancelled an annual report on food insecurity, surely because they don’t want us to know how many people suffer from food insecurity.
It shouldn’t be this way, because feeding people should not be a partisan issue.
In Pennsylvania, Democrats have stepped up. During the shutdown, Gov. Josh Shapiro released $5 million in state funds through an emergency declaration for food pantries.
House Democrats and the governor also made sure the new state budget includes more dollars for two state food programs — an extra $11 million for the programs that connect low-income Pennsylvanians to healthy local food.
As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, I will fight to make sure those programs remain fully funded in future budgets.
We’re also pushing for policies that would address the root causes of food insecurity, such as an increase in our outdated minimum wage.
What can the rest of us do? Several things.
Contact the offices of Republican elected officials urging them to support funding for food programs and back a higher minimum wage. Also consider volunteering at a local food bank or partnering with a food bank with your office as a donation site.
If you’re struggling with food insecurity, don’t be ashamed. It can happen to anyone.
Reach out to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank at pittsburghfoodbank. org.
Together — with the efforts of compassionate volunteers, advocates, social workers, and public officials — we can make a difference, but it’s going to take a determined effort.
State Rep. Aerion Abney represents the 19th Legislative District.
