A version of this column originally appeared in Michigan Advance
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) keeps 270,000 Michiganders, more than 40% of them children, out of poverty every year and helps ensure that families have enough to eat. SNAP’s positive impact has been limited, however, by an outdated basis for calculating benefits. President Joe Biden’s administration recently announced steps to modernize the program and increase benefit levels effective October 1, which will support people throughout our state and Northern Michigan in particular.
According to a recent study by the Urban Institute, SNAP users in Leelanau County face the nation’s largest gap between their food assistance benefits—an average of $1.97 per person per meal—and the actual cost of a meal—$6.16. That’s a shortfall of 68%, which struggling families have to cover by making unhealthy diet choices or shifting resources away from other basic needs like utilities and medicine.
While Leelanau County’s gap is extreme, the SNAP shortfall in many other northern communities is above the state average of about 12%. Fourteen of the 20 largest SNAP gaps in the state are in Northern Michigan counties. The League’s 2021 Kids Count in Michigan Data Profiles show that child food insecurity rates and SNAP use by families with kids also tend to be higher in Northern Michigan.
That’s why we celebrate successes like 10 Cents a Meal for Michigan’s Kids and Farms, which helps school districts and child care centers purchase Michigan-grown produce. Thanks to the efforts of Senator Wayne Schmidt and a tenacious network of advocates led by the Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities, the program has recently been expanded statewide. This opportunity is especially important to provide a nutritional boost for kids in communities where hunger is prevalent and SNAP benefits don’t go very far.
To really move the needle on hunger and health, however, strengthening SNAP is critical. SNAP is the nation’s largest anti-hunger program, providing 9 meals for every one meal provided by the charitable feeding network.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) sets SNAP benefit levels based on the Thrifty Food Plan (TFP), a theoretical basket of food items that currently doesn’t meet USDA’s own nutrition standards, address geographical differences in food prices, align with actual human consumption patterns, or accommodate the diverse needs of individuals and families.
The TFP was first developed in 1975 and has been updated periodically (most recently in 2006) only to account for inflation. The items in the basket, however, have stayed the same for nearly 50 years despite changes in our understanding of what a healthy diet looks like. To ensure that the TFP keeps up with evolving science and the economic and logistical realities of American families, the most recent Farm Bill requires USDA to update the TFP every five years.
This first revision will raise the maximum pre-pandemic SNAP benefit by 21%, which works out to $1.20 per person per day. This modest bump will have a sizable impact on SNAP families, making it easier for them to choose nutritious foods that meet their needs within a tight budget.
The boost in pre-pandemic SNAP benefits, taking effect on October 1, comes just in time—federal COVID-19 recovery legislation raised benefits by 15%, but only through September 30. The long-term increase resulting from modernizing the TFP will help both families and economies affected by the pandemic. During an economic downturn, every $1 of SNAP spending generates about $1.50 in economic activity. This supports thousands of jobs in the grocery, agriculture, and other food-related industries as well as other sectors as food assistance frees up money in families’ budgets for a variety of other goods and services.
While very effective, SNAP isn’t a cure-all for the many factors that drive hunger in northern, rural communities. In Ogemaw County, for example, the average SNAP benefit actually slightly exceeds the average meal cost but the child food insecurity rate of 20.8% is one of the highest in the state.
That’s why we still need other programs like the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), community eligibility for school meals, and state-level initiatives like Ten Cents a Meal. It’s why Congress needs to keep working to pass the American Families Plan, including the permanent expansion of the Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit to help reduce poverty, and also enact the Summer Meals Act and the Stop Child Hunger Act. We need all of these policies and programs working together, and a modern, robust SNAP is an essential pillar in our fight against hunger.
Jay Cutler joined the League in March 2026 as the Kids Count Senior Data Analyst, where he collects, analyzes, and prepares data for Kids Count in Michigan.
Danielle Taylor-Basemore joined the League as the Development Data and Stewardship Coordinator in June 2025. She brings with her five years of nonprofit experience with a special focus on community engagement, data visualization and strategic programming. Prior to joining the League, Danielle served as the Business District, Safety, and Digital Manager at Jefferson East, Inc.
Scott Preston is a Senior Policy Analyst with the Michigan League for Public Policy, where he leads the organization’s immigration and criminal justice reform portfolios. In the three years prior to joining the League, Scott facilitated the Southeast Michigan Refugee Collaborative and managed a small business economic development program at Global Detroit. His work included launching Michigan’s first Refugee Film Festival and building on a trusted connector model that linked marginalized communities with crucial resources. Scott’s work at the League is informed by his background in journalism and research. He spent four years covering the Syrian refugee crisis in the Middle East for publications such as The Economist, and later worked with unaccompanied refugee minors through Samaritas. Scott holds a master’s degree in international migration and public policy from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Kate Powers joined the League as the Chief Development Officer in February 2025. Prior to joining the League, Kate held leadership positions at many Michigan nonprofit organizations, most recently serving as the COO and Chief Development Officer of Ele’s Place. Kate has spent the bulk of her career in fundraising, with a short stint in the state Legislature as a legislative aide to members in both chambers. Kate is a graduate of Michigan State University’s James Madison College with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Relations and has a certificate in fundraising management from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University. Additionally, Kate served on the East Lansing Public Schools Board of Education and is a past President of the Junior League of Lansing. In her free time, she enjoys traveling with her husband and her son and saving outfit of the day and home decor ideas on Pinterest. 
Nicholas Hess joined the League as the Fiscal Policy Analyst in September of 2024. In this role, Nicholas focuses on tax policy, government revenue, and their impact on working families and racial equity, including the effects of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC). Nicholas values the role that judicious fiscal policy can play in the improvement of people’s lives and the economy, alleviating inequities along the way.
Audrey Matusz joined the League as the Visual Communications Specialist in September 2024. She supports the team with implementing social media strategies and brainstorming creative ways to talk about public policy. She brings with her nearly a decade of experience in producing digital products for evidence-based social justice initiatives. 
Jacob Kaplan 
Donald Stuckey 
Alexandra Stamm 
Amari Fuller
Mikell Frey is a communications professional with a passion for using the art of storytelling to positively impact lives. She strongly believes that positive social change can be inspired by the sharing of data-driven information coupled with the unique perspectives of people from all walks of life across Michigan, especially those who have faced extraordinary barriers. 
Yona Isaacs (she/hers) is an Early Childhood Data Analyst for the Kids Count project. After earning her Bachelor of Science in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience at the University of Michigan, she began her career as a research coordinator in pediatric psychiatry using data to understand the impacts of brain activity and genetics on children’s behavior and mental health symptoms. This work prompted an interest in exploring social determinants of health and the role of policy in promoting equitable opportunities for all children, families, and communities. She returned to the University of Michigan to complete her Masters in Social Work focused on Social Policy and Evaluation, during which she interned with the ACLU of Michigan’s policy and legislative team and assisted local nonprofit organizations in creating data and evaluation metrics. She currently serves as a coordinator for the Michigan Center for Youth Justice on a project aiming to increase placement options and enhance cultural competency within the juvenile justice system for LGBTQIA+ youth. Yona is eager to put her data skills to work at the League in support of data-driven policies that advocate for equitable access to healthcare, education, economic security, and opportunity for 0-5 year old children. In her free time, she enjoys tackling DIY house projects and trying new outdoor activities with her dog.
Rachel Richards rejoined the League in December 2020 as the Fiscal Policy Director working on state budget and tax policies. Prior to returning to the League, she served as the Director of Legislative Affairs for the Michigan Department of Treasury, the tax policy analyst and Legislative Director for the Michigan League for Public Policy, and a policy analyst and the Appropriations Coordinator for the Democratic Caucus of the Michigan House of Representatives. She brings with her over a decade of experience in policies focused on economic opportunity, including workforce issues, tax, and state budget.
Simon Marshall-Shah joined the Michigan League for Public Policy as a State Policy Fellow in August 2019. His work focuses on state policy as it relates to the budget, immigration, health care and other League policy priorities. Before joining the League, he worked in Washington, D.C. at the Association for Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP), providing federal policy and advocacy support to nonprofit, Medicaid health plans (Safety Net Health Plans) related to the ACA Marketplaces as well as Quality & Operations.
Renell Weathers, Michigan League for Public Policy (MLPP) Community Engagement Consultant. As community engagement consultant, Renell works with organizations throughout the state in connecting the impact of budget and tax policies to their communities. She is motivated by the belief that all children and adults deserve the opportunity to achieve their dreams regardless of race, ethnicity, religion or economic class.
Emily Jorgensen joined the Michigan League for Public Policy in July 2019. She deeply cares about the well-being of individuals and families and has a great love for Michigan. She is grateful that her position at the League enables her to combine these passions and work to help promote policies that will lead to better opportunities and security for all Michiganders.
Megan Farnsworth joined the League’s staff in December 2022 as Executive Assistant. Megan is driven by work that is personally fulfilling, and feels honored to help support the work of an organization that pushes for more robust programming and opportunities for the residents of our state. She’s excited and motivated to gain overarching knowledge of the policies and agendas that the League supports.
