The scale and scope of the $186 billion in SNAP cuts included in the Trump administration’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R.1) are staggering and could force millions to lose their benefits. There is a need to identify clear national, state, and local strategies for diverse capital partners to address the structural harm to SNAP and widespread negative impacts on hunger, health, nutrition and economic security posed by this legislation. 

For the first 45 minutes of this call, speakers will share insights into emerging needs for advocacy, technical assistance, strategic communications, and other areas, in both the short and long term. Following Q&A with our panel, there will be funder conversations to reflect on how organizations are responding, what is being funded, and how we could collaborate.

This call is co-hosted by Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Funders and Grantmakers In Health and is open to all funders. Please register below.

Speakers

Crystal FitzSimons, President, FRAC

Crystal FitzSimons is the President for the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC), leading the organization to achieve its vision: A nation in which all people have the nutritious food they need to lead healthy and productive lives; and mission: To improve the nutrition, health, and well-being of people struggling against poverty-related hunger in the United States through advocacy, partnerships, and by advancing  bold and equitable policy solutions. 

Prior to taking on the President role, Crystal oversaw FRAC’s work to improve and strengthen the school, summer, and afterschool nutrition programs. She analyzed policy to advocate for legislative and regulatory improvements to increase children’s access to the child nutrition programs. She helped develop strategy and direct national partnerships and field efforts to achieve program improvements through legislative and administrative changes. Recent successful efforts include the Pandemic and Summer EBT Programs; the child nutrition waivers during the pandemic that allowed schools to offer school meals to all their students at no charge, the nationwide expansion of the Afterschool Meal Program; and the Community Eligibility Provision. 

She led FRAC’s efforts to provide technical assistance on the school, summer, and afterschool nutrition programs to national, state, and local partners. Crystal also has helped develop successful partnerships to support increased access to the child nutrition programs including the National Healthy School Meals for All Coalition; Partners for Breakfast in the Classroom, a project with the National Association of Elementary School Principals Foundation, the National Education Association Healthy Futures, and the School Nutrition Foundation; and CHAMPS (Cities Combating Hunger through the Afterschool Meal Program and Summer) with the National League of Cities.  

Crystal is a sought-out policy expert for briefings, webinars, conferences, and state legislative hearings. She also is regularly quoted in the media, such as The New York Times, NPR, PBS NewsHour, Politico, the Washington Post, USA Today, and local media. 
Crystal is the author or co-author of numerous reports. Recent publications include: The Reach of School Breakfast and Lunch During the 2022-2023 School Year; The Case for Healthy School Meals for All; Community Eligibility: the Key to Hunger-Free Schools, School Year 2022-2023; Large School District Report Operating School Nutrition Programs as the Nation Recovers From the Pandemic; and Hunger Doesn’t Take A Vacation: Summer Nutrition Status Report.  

Her previous work experience includes the Center for Community Change and Housing Comes First. She holds a BA in Philosophy and Sociology from Carroll College in Wisconsin and an MSW from Washington University in Missouri.

Chloe Green, Assistant Director of Policy, APHSA

Chloe Green (she/her), is the Assistant Director of Policy at the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA), which is the bipartisan membership association for state and local human services agencies. 

At APHSA, Chloe leads federal nutrition policy and program strategy, with a primary focus on SNAP. In her role, Chloe builds strategic partnerships, manages projects to formulate nutrition policy recommendations, and facilitates peer-to-peer exchanges with state SNAP agency teams nationwide. She serves as the APHSA staff liaison to the American Association of SNAP Directors (AASD) and the National Association for Program Information and Performance Measurement (NAPIPM) and supports additional peer groups and projects related to SNAP Employment Training, Summer EBT, and more.

Chloe is a former Bloomberg Fellow in Food Systems for Health at the Bloomberg American Health Initiative at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, a Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellow at the Congressional Hunger Center, and a Wisconsin Idea Fellow at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Morgridge Center for Public Service. Before joining APHSA, she worked with food justice organizations in Los Angeles and researched farmers markets and incentive redemptions across Wisconsin.Chloe holds a Master of Public Health from the Bloomberg School of Public Health and bachelor’s degrees in Dietetics and Community Environmental Sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Jorge Soto, Senior Associate, Annie E. Casey Foundation

Jorge Andres Soto is a Senior Associate for National Policy Reform and Advocacy at The Annie E. Casey Foundation where he the manages investments in food assistance, healthcare, and youth mental health advocacy and policy grantmaking. Prior to his time at The Annie E. Casey Foundation, Jorge was Associate Vice President of Policy and Advocacy at the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) where he led policy and advocacy to address discrimination in housing, lending, and community development. Jorge also served as Co-Chair of the Fair Housing/Lending Task Force of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition responsible for advancing fair housing policy at the federal level. Jorge also previously worked as a labor organizer at Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and as a community organizer with CRECEN/American Para Todos, in Houston, Texas. Jorge earned his B.A. in History and American Studies from Wesleyan University.