It's 10:00 a.m, on Monday morning, and while most people are filling up their second cup of coffee, Nellie is busy sorting loaves of bread, leafy greens, and egg cartons for a line of eager customers. Next to the I-580 overpass and across the street from a Safeway is the Emeryville Citizens Assistance Program, which she founded 30 years ago with the belief that "food should always be available to everyone." She's been volunteering her time—eight hours a day, five days a week—ever since. Asked why she continues to do this work without pay, Nellie says: "We serve almost 300 families every day, and you never know: Tomorrow it could be you who needs the help."
And, unfortunately, she's right. Congress is currently considering a budget proposal—the 2018 America First Budget Blueprint—that would slash food assistance programs and make way for "one of the largest increases in defense spending." But President Donald Trump's emphasis on national security and public safety isn't the problem. Or at least, not on its own. The problem is that a $54 billion increase in defense spending would result in massive shifts in costs to states, many of which are already facing budget shortfalls.
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