Massachusetts anti-hunger advocate fasts to protest Trump food stamp cuts

Liz Wills-O’Gilvie, a 63-year-old anti-hunger advocate from Massachusetts, has gone 15 days without food in an effort to pressure Governor Maura Healey to increase funding for the state's food stamp program, known as SNAP. Wills-O’Gilvie, who was appointed to an anti-hunger task force by Healey last year, aims to highlight the growing issue of food insecurity resulting from President Donald Trump's changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in his 2025 tax and spending law.

Since these changes, over 5.3 million Americans have lost SNAP benefits, according to USDA data. Wills-O’Gilvie, who directs the Springfield Food Policy Council and the food justice organization Gardening the Community, stated that more than 5.3 million people across the U.S. have lost SNAP benefits since Trump implemented sweeping changes to the program in his 2025 tax and spending law.

Wills-O’Gilvie's fasting is driven by the rising food insecurity and the strain on low-income households due to higher grocery bills. In Massachusetts, enrollment in SNAP has decreased by nearly 182,000 people, with nearly 65,000 of those being children, as reported by the state's Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA). The DTA has seen a 9% increase in daily calls since last year, with around 47% of callers unable to connect with caseworkers, up from 37% last year.

DTA staff are reportedly overwhelmed, and some people are losing benefits because they cannot reach the necessary support. Wills-O’Gilvie recently spoke with Healey, who assured her that she was working on addressing the issue. Due to her fasting, which is exacerbated by her health conditions including lupus and hypoglycemia, Wills-O’Gilvie, who cannot drive, has been meeting with state legislators in her home. She intends to continue her fast indefinitely to draw attention to the issue.