Friends and neighbors, In just 3 days, over 440,000 Minnesotans will lose critical food assistance due to the federal shutdown under the Trump Trifecta. For millions of Americans, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a lifeline. Just $6 per day makes the difference between just getting by and going hungry for too many of our neighbors. Here in Minnesota, nearly 40% of all SNAP recipients are children. In fact, almost 1 in 3 kindergartners throughout the state receive SNAP benefits. Never before has the SNAP program been made insolvent, under Democrat or Republican administrations, even during prior shutdowns. Now when Republicans control the White House, Republicans control the Senate, and Republicans control the House of Representatives, the Trump administration is refusing to take meaningful action and prevent unnecessary pain and suffering. Now – you may say, “Carlie, this seems awfully partisan.” And I agree with you. The Trump Administration has access to $5 BILLION of USDA contingency funds, money set aside for programs like SNAP in case of an emergency or government shutdown. Republicans could end this manufactured crisis right now instead of pointing fingers. Unfortunately, President Trump and his administration are actively choosing not to feed children, seniors, and disabled Americans. The money for food is there, but his priorities seem to be elsewhere. In my four terms as your Representative, I’ve served in a split legislature, in a DFL majority trifecta, and in the second-ever tied Minnesota House. The duty of the majority party is to negotiate and govern – and it’s not always easy. I’m proud to say that, even in divided government, we’ve never shut down the state during my tenure, and I will continue to work to keep it that way. I’m inspired by the dedication of our neighbors taking immediate action to support those in need here in Eden Prairie. Our local food shelf, PROP – People Reaching Out to People – has issued a critical request for donations. If you are in need of food assistance, you can find resources here. If you are looking for a way to help, consider donating time, money, or food to your local food bank or food shelf. You can find resources in our community here.  Our help is critical in these challenging days. Last week, I spent some time at Second Harvest Heartland alongside both DFL and GOP colleagues helping sort and package onions and potatoes to go out to local food shelves. In just an hour and a half, our volunteer crew packed just under 7,000 pounds of food -- resulting in nearly 6,000 meals!  Diaper Drive in Eden PrairieThe EP Early Childhood PTO is running the annual fall diaper drive for PROP. Despite ongoing state investment in the Diaper Bank, disposable diapers continue to be one of the most needed items for families who visit PROP. Please consider donating at one of the locations listed below, if you are able: - Eden Prairie Community Ed Building: 8100 School Road
- Eden Prairie Community Center: 16700 Valley View Road
- Especially for Children: 6223 Dell Road
- New Horizon Academy: 17995 Linwood Court
- Kinderberry Hill: 10160 Hennepin Town Road
Not able to drop off? You can also donate online through their Amazon Wishlist! bit.ly/EPDiaper  Carlie’s Book CornerAt the start of the school year, I started a new volunteer role as a book reshelver at one of the local Eden Prairie elementary schools. I’ve been having fun highlighting some of my favorites for the next generation and just yesterday I was invited to read to some of the classes when they visit weekly.  I’ve been on a detective kick lately, reading a number of novels in the Cormoran Strike series by Robert Galbraith and the Finlay Donovan series by Elle Cosimano, who recently visited the Hennepin County library system for an author’s visit. My book club is reading Society of Lies by Lauren Ling Brown this month and I am listening to a classic: 1984 by George Orwell. |