Petition to Declare a State of Emergency and Release Emergency Funds to Avert Mass Hunger

Governor Ron DeSantis and the Members of the Florida State Legislature

This is a humanitarian and economic emergency that impacts every community in Florida.

The suspension of SNAP benefits is not a distant political issue; it is an immediate crisis that goes far beyond the families who receive assistance.

1. It Creates an Immediate Hunger Crisis. SNAP is the single most effective anti-hunger program. Its suspension will force nearly 3 million Floridians—mostly children, seniors, and people with disabilities—to choose between food and other essentials like rent, utilities, or life-saving medication. Food insecurity is directly linked to severe negative health outcomes, including childhood developmental delays, poor academic performance, and higher rates of chronic illness among seniors.

2. It Will Cripple Local Economies. SNAP benefits are a powerful economic stimulus. According to the USDA, every $1 in SNAP benefits generates between $1.50 and $1.79 in local economic activity. This money is spent immediately at local grocery stores, bodegas, and farmers' markets. Removing this funding is a "demand shock" that will hurt small businesses, threaten jobs, and reduce state and local tax revenue.

3. Our Food Banks Cannot Fill the Gap. Florida's charitable food system is already strained by high demand and recent federal program cuts. Food banks are bracing for a "tsunami" of need that they are not equipped to handle. The charitable system cannot replace the purchasing power of a federal program of this magnitude. This suspension will overwhelm the entire social safety net.

This is not a partisan issue; it is a community crisis. Taking action protects our most vulnerable neighbors, supports our local businesses, and prevents a cascading emergency that will affect all Floridians.

To: Governor Ron DeSantis and the Members of the Florida State Legislature
From: [Your Name]

We, the undersigned residents of Florida and supporters of the Voices of Florida Fund, write to you with an urgent demand for action.

The suspension of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) due to the federal government shutdown has created an immediate and catastrophic human rights crisis in our state.

This decision will strip nearly 3 million Floridians—including over 1 million children, 700,000 seniors, and 250,000 people with disabilities—of their primary means of putting food on the table.

This is not a political issue; it is a humanitarian emergency. While the cause is federal, the responsibility to protect the health and safety of Floridians is yours. The state’s network of food banks and mutual aid groups cannot absorb this crisis alone.

We call on you to use the full power of your offices to protect our neighbors from hunger. We demand that you immediately:

Declare a State of Emergency for Food Insecurity: This is a disaster on par with a hurricane. An emergency declaration will unlock critical state resources, streamline logistics, and deploy the Florida National Guard to assist in food distribution if necessary.

Release Emergency Funds: Florida maintains a Budget Stabilization ("Rainy Day") Fund worth billions. It is raining. We demand you immediately release emergency funds directly to Feeding Florida and the state's network of food banks and pantries so they can purchase food and manage the overwhelming demand.

Convene an Emergency Session: We call on the Governor to convene a special session of the legislature for the sole purpose of appropriating emergency aid to prevent this disaster from unfolding.

Publicly Pressure Congress: Use your powerful platform to publicly demand that Florida's entire congressional delegation in Washington D.C. work to end this shutdown and restore SNAP benefits immediately.

Inaction is not an option. We will not stand by while our neighbors, children, and elders go hungry. Protect our state.

Sincerely,
[The Undersigned]