EDITOR’S NOTE: I know the woman featured in this letter, and the impacts that she has made in the OSU SNAP Educator position (and anything she takes on.) There’s much more to her story and how much she selflessly gives to our community. Thank you to Susan Miller for this heartfelt letter about this amazing community member that does so much for so many. Are you or do you know someone or an organization or business that’s being impacted by these Federal funding cuts? Please reach out to the Pioneer – editor@tillamookcountypioneer.net to share your story.
Sadly, it will come to “this” and in the very near future! The “this” is part of the BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL that will be kicking in soon. My favorite instructor at the YMCA will lose her job with the Tillamook County Extension Office on September 15, 2025. She will maintain her teaching job there at the Y, but with a significant reduction in pay and a total loss of benefits. Part of the program she is involved in includes the Better Bones and Balance class that is offered at the YMCA at no cost to participants.
The other part of her job is SNAP-ED, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. This program educates low-income folks on healthy living and how to incorporate nutritious food. It is a federal program but is run by state agencies through local offices. She is the ONE employee running this program in Tillamook County. Each county in Oregon has ONE representative.
As part of the program, she teaches health education at Helping Hands, does online cooking classes and is part of the Food Hero team. She prepares easy and nutritious food samples (Food Hero Events) to distribute at the Tillamook Farmers’ Market as well as monthly healthy food samples for local food pantries in the area. Along with the food samples, Food Heroes hands out recipes for healthy and nutritious food and reinforcements, which are funded through the FDA. These reinforcements include items for cooking like measuring spoons, measuring cups, spices and food thermometers.
This woman has spent much of her time and energy to be hired for this position. She received the Career to Career scholarship at TBCC and got her Associate’s Degree at Tillamook Bay Community College. Following this accomplishment, she was enrolled at OSU, getting her Bachelor’s Degree in Public Health with the assistance of the dual enrollment program with OSU and TBCC where she was able to take classes at TBCC prices. As she was working through this program, the CEO at the YMCA where she was employed at the time, teaching Enhanced Fitness classes and deep water aerobics class, sent her the job opening at the Extension office for SNAP-Ed. The position had been vacant for two years. It was a dream opportunity for her and she truly loves her job. It has entailed some long hours; she works for three hours each morning at the Y and then switches to her other role as SNAP educator. Her days often end late, but this did not deter her enthusiasm for this job.
As far as what the future holds for this capable woman, her last day as an employee of the OSU Extension Service will be September 15, 2025. She will be laid off and her name put on a recall list. If a similar position becomes available in Tillamook, that is if something changes as far as the BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL goes, she may have another chance. Essentially, her life will be limited to her position at the YMCA, and without the benefits, as she will lose her benefits along with her job as a SNAP Educator.
This upcoming loss is affecting her personally and emotionally as well as financially as can be imagined! It will be a huge loss to the many people in Tillamook County whose lives she has touched with her expertise. My heart goes out to her and her family. I sincerely hope she finds a place in the working world that she loves as much as she does this one. She is just one person in the United States being affected by this BBB signed into law recently. Perhaps you are or know someone who is affected. I am truly sorry for everyone affected!
Susan Miller
Oceanside, OR