The Pennsylvania Department of Health and Human Services is sending letters to struggling families, warning they are at risk of losing food assistance. The letters are the result of the Trump Administration and a Republican Congress’s decision to cut Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funding by 20%.
While the Administration claims it is only cutting waste and fraud, there is no evidence to support this. The cuts were not based on any investigations into SNAP. What is known is that many people will not receive a letter informing them that they have only 15 days to appeal the decision to terminate their benefits. Others, because the letter is in legal language and starts by saying you have benefits — ‘You are eligible for SNAP benefits starting 09/01/2025’ — will not read any further. And of course, others simply will not be able to get their mail because they were forced to move.
The cuts are being made to fund tax breaks for top-income earners and corporations. The results: 5 million people will lose help putting food on their family’s table. Included in that number are 800,000 children, 500,000 seniors, and people with disabilities.
With all that is going on, the killing of American citizens trying to protect their neighbors, the assaults on the truth of American history, the legalization of deadly pesticides, and more, it is hard for people to know where to turn or what to do to help hungry children.
The Philadelphia Unemployment Project (PUP) is giving people a way to help fight the SNAP cuts, help families keep food on their tables, and inform them that they can appeal a decision to eliminate their benefits. PUP is leveraging social media by sponsoring a contest for the best message that informs people how to keep their benefits.
The contest will award a $500 prize each month for the next four months to the best message shared on social media. Sponsoring the contest along with PUP are Grace Baptist Church of Germantown, West Philadelphia Mennonite Fellowship, PA Policy Center, Community Legal Services, Liberty Resources, Weaver’s Way CO OP, and the Philadelphia Hall Monitor
Many people are not reached through traditional media. In a city where over 40,000 don’t file for the Earned Income Tax Credit and only 66% of the eligible homeowners received the Homestead Real Estate Tax discount, many of the people receiving the letters requiring additional paperwork will not know that there is help if they lose their benefits.
The contest is open to anyone. To submit your social media post and have a chance at the $500 prize, all you have to do is send an email to PUP with a link to the post. The sponsors will select a winner once a month, share the post on social media, and issue a $500 prize.
How to enter
- Create your short video following the contest guidelines
- Post it on your preferred social channel. Make sure to use the hashtag #SNAPback
- Complete the entry form by the deadline for that month (If you aren’t selected as a winner, you do not need to re-enter the following months. Previous entries will be reconsidered. However, you can create a new video and re-enter if you’d like).
Contest Guidelines
- Format: Social media short-form video
- Tailor the length to your preferred platform
- Give an overview of the issue and how it’s affecting people who rely on SNAP (see below for more info on the issue)
- Talk about what people can do (respond to notices, appeal quickly if denied, contact PUP for help)
- Include a link to the PUP help form and phone number in the post description
- Post on your socials, tag us in the post, and use the hashtag #SNAPback
If you know people who would like to help fight back against the attempt to take food off the tables of people struggling, you can make a post, enter it, and share information about the contest with people you know.
“Make a video. Go to PUP’s website, enter the contest, and inform people that they can get help fighting for their benefits. You will have a chance to win $500.” Goldman added.
If someone has already lost their benefits and would like help, they can reach out to PUP for assistance.
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