The current crisis demands Kitsap responds with a better way forward Charlie Thompson

Growing up in southern Minnesota, some of my earliest memories are accompanying my mom to the local social services office to get colored pieces of paper that she would use to buy food for our growing family. At that time, food stamps (the precursor to today’s SNAP) needed to be picked up monthly because they came in the form of what you could describe as funny money . To my parents, there was nothing funny about it.

They were young and starting what would grow to a family of seven children. Dad worked full time and mom cared for me and my siblings (and even provided daycare for other families to make more money for our household). They worked hard and for many years needed the help of food stamps and other forms of assistance. Over time, they no longer needed support themselves — and b