Administration Moves to Claw Back Food Assistance; GROWW Members Demand Representative Van Orden Defend Wisconsin Families
Eau Claire, Wis. — On Saturday, more than fifty western Wisconsin residents gathered outside Congressman Derrick Van Orden’s Eau Claire office to demand that he and other members of Congress take responsibility for the chaos surrounding SNAP (FoodShare) benefits and ensure families never again lose access to food.
Members of GrassRoots Organizing Western Wisconsin (GROWW), gathered outside of Representative Derrick Van Orden’s office in downtown Eau Claire with 4,266 empty lunch bags, each representing one Dunn County resident who relies on SNAP for groceries. Participants handed out informational fliers on the impact of recent SNAP cuts, collected several hundred pounds of food and cash donations for Feed My People Food Bank, and hand delivered an open letter to Rep. Van Orden’s office demanding he take action to restore SNAP funds.
In July, Rep. Van Orden and other members of Congress voted for HR1, the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill”—a tax package that slashed SNAP funding by $186 billion over the next decade while delivering enormous windfalls to billionaires and corporations. Those cuts have real consequences here in western Wisconsin, where 4,266 Dunn County residents, including 1,531 children, depend on SNAP to meet basic food needs. Across the Third Congressional District, 35,000 people rely on the program; statewide, the number is roughly 700,000, and nationally 42 million.
On November 1, SNAP benefits across Wisconsin were abruptly suspended when Trump administration officials chose not to release emergency funds that could bridge the gap created by the government shutdown. Families could still use any remaining balance on their cards for a few days, but no new payments were issued at the start of the month. By the end of the first week of November, many households had already exhausted their benefits, leaving grocery shelves bare and food pantries overwhelmed. The uncertainty deepened after the Trump administration appealed a federal court order restoring SNAP, creating confusion over when — or if — benefits would resume.
“People shouldn’t have to follow court cases and executive orders to know if they can buy breakfast in the morning,” said Abraham Smith, a GROWW organizer. “We’re demanding that Rep. Van Orden stand up for his constituents and fix what Congress broke.”
“There’s no reason any American should be wondering where their next meal is coming from,” added Courtney Ernste, who recently lost her job of five years and has yet to receive any of her $70 a month SNAP assistance. “It’s irresponsible to play politics with people’s plates. Seventy dollars might not seem like a lot, but trying to find that in my budget right now has been really stressful, especially when I’ve opened a hundred and fifty dollar electricity bill after turning on my baseboard heating.”
Saturday’s event followed weeks of turmoil surrounding the shutdown of SNAP funding and the federal court order requiring its restoration. The Trump administration’s appeal—and its request that Wisconsin reverse full FoodShare payments—has once again left thousands of families uncertain. Governor Evers has pledged to continue benefits while the case moves through the courts, but for many families, the instability has already taken its toll.
Wisconsin is one of several states now caught between conflicting federal directives — told by the courts to pay benefits, and by the administration to take them back. This moment, organizers said, shows how congressional choices in Washington translate into hunger in Wisconsin. Thousands of people across the region are already struggling to pay for food, housing, and medical care while the ultra-rich continue to receive record tax breaks. The community’s demand is straightforward: Congress must fund SNAP, feed families, and end the pattern of treating food security as a political bargaining chip.
“When the government shut down, the food stamps we relied on just stopped,” said Claudia Holley, a Menomonie mother of three. “I started skipping meals so my kids could eat. Asking for help isn’t weakness—it’s love in action.”
Saturday’s demonstration sent that message directly to Rep. Van Orden’s office, where attendees left signed letters urging him to take public action to restore SNAP funding and prevent future shutdowns.
“Congress created this crisis by prioritizing tax breaks for the wealthy and partisan power over people’s basic needs” said Smith, “We’re calling on Rep. Van Orden and his fellow members of Congress to fix it – permanently.”
