Friday Dispatch: In Our Own Backyards

National and state policies have local impact

Friday greetings,

On Tuesday afternoon, after lunch, a rest, and a little walk, my mom and I decided to check out a Salvation Army in Springfield, the small city that neighbors our new hometown of Longmeadow. GPS led us to a collection of stores and restaurants… but no Salvation Army. It must have closed, we figured.

I could have just gotten back on the highway, but I was tired of GPS and wanted to see if we could find our way home without it.

There is something about getting lost on purpose that has, no pun intended, gotten lost with the advent of smartphones. (I sound old. I am old!) I miss that experience of wandering, stumbling into places, and discovering things I wouldn’t have found and experienced if I’d only gone from point A to point B.

Attempting to get home as the crow flies landed us at a small community garden store in the middle of the city. Maybe I’d have heard about it eventually, but ending up there this way gave it a serendipitous feel.

We parked and wandered into the bright, small building, admiring the baskets and crates filled with produce for sale. A kind-looking man with tattoos greeted us. Just as we were about to leave, I asked him if it would be ok to peek at the gardens. He did us one better, offering to get the farm manager to give us a little tour.

Kami appeared by the greenhouse and introduced herself, along with a young adult working with her that day. She gave us a brief history of Gardening the Community, a Black-led, youth development nonprofit dedicated to food and racial justice. Two young women harvesting veggies smiled and said hello; both had graduated from being teen volunteers to joining the staff. Morning glories climbed a trellis in the unseasonably warm sun; cherry tomatoes shone in the greenhouse. The place felt loved.

This farm is approximately six miles from our new house. It is in a food desert. Kami told us that the farm has been able to accept EBT, SNAP, and HIP benefits. I had to look up the last one – it stands for Healthy Incentives Program and anyone who qualifies for SNAP can automatically participate.

However, Kami went on to tell us that HIP benefits are being cut as of December 1. The news broke last week.

This article quotes Gardening the Community store manager, Christopher Gregoire, describing the impact of this cut on their customer base, 85% of whom use SNAP and HIP to purchase food there: “This is huge blow to them. You’re harming already the most disadvantaged population in the state.”

“Well, that’s shitty!” I exclaimed. Kami nodded and said, “Yes, add this to your list of things to be angry about and please make some calls.” I promised her I would. Then, I asked if I could write about our visit and she said yes. I promised her I would do that, too.

A quick look at this May 2024 report about SNAP participation rates reveals that the million+ participants in Massachusetts fall into one of three categories: Over 60, under 18, and people with disabilities. In addition, “Of all SNAP households in Massachusetts, 70% had gross income below 100% of the federal poverty level, which is $19,720 for a family of two in 2023.”

With the national election 10 days away and no shortage of global crises, it seems like an extra good time to remember that there is always so much we can do in our own backyards. This can also mean turning off the GPS and learning more about where we live, our neighbors, and the needs we can contribute to – right here at home.

Shabbat Shalom and love,

Jena

p.s. What’s your voting plan? We are going today!

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