Avelar Budget Tools Deliver $20M to Food Pantries Statewide, Combatting Trump SNAP Cuts

ROMEOVILLE, Ill. – State Rep. Dagmara “Dee” Avelar, D-Bolingbrook, released the following statement as Illinois delivered $20 million in new funding to shore up nutrition assistance ahead of the Trump Administration’s freeze on SNAP benefits:

“The Trump Administration's weaponization of hunger to promote his desired political outcome will wipe out food assistance for nearly 2 million Illinois children, teenagers, working parents
and seniors within the next 48 hours. Will County alone houses over 74,000 families who rely on SNAP benefits. This is simply devastating. But Illinois has stepped up—because the health and
safety of our neighbors is not a political game to us.

“Thanks to the smart and responsible budget House Democrats and Governor Pritzker delivered, we can fast track $20 million towards over 2,000 food banks around Illinois. This money will
directly uplift our food banks in Woodridge, Romeoville, Lockport, Naperville, Joliet, Crest Hill and Bolingbrook—ensuring babies receive formula, school children have breakfast and working parents and seniors can put food on the dinner table. This is not a long-term solution— but a dire measure we must take to provide relief for our families who have been blindsided by an administration who promised them everything and have delivered nothing.”

The fiscally and socially responsible budget Avelar passed in May includes a number of tools to meet short-term disruptions in federal funding, anticipating the chaotic leadership and deliberate cruelty of the Trump Administration. Among those tools are a $100 million reserve fund, and flexibility to transfer funds to meet urgent needs. On Thursday, Illinois transferred $20 million in funding to support seven food banks that supply over 2,600 food pantries across Illinois.

More than 1.8 million people in Illinois will lose access to federal food assistance on Nov. 1 as a result of Donald Trump’s unilateral decision to completely shut off the 100% federally funded Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

To access emergency food assistance in Will County, please visit www.repdagmara.org/resources