With her open smile in the Oct. 12 paper (“Historic cuts to SNAP will affect thousands in Maine”), Ms. [Nichole] Mulrenin of South Portland admirably defies the stigma of food insecurity that persists in our society. The article carefully reports a variety of perspectives on upcoming changes to SNAP and reveals how national food policy changes interact with economic policy to significantly affect local families.

The writers and photographers remove the lens of shame and reveal that we can act, through our votes, through our wallets, through our own willingness, to look hunger in the face and see it for what it is — the result of an interconnected web of food policy that we, as citizens, have the power to change.

Nancy DellaMattera
Cape Elizabeth