Reflecting on the most recent holiday of our country, it’s difficult to justify celebrating or even posting content just to keep up appearances with the algorithym, when the Trump administration passed the controversial “Big Beautiful Bill” as they call it.

What does this mean for us?

“We’ve taken health care away from veterans and people who served our country,” she said. “Nearly 12 million Americans will lose health care. Ten million elderly and disabled who are dual eligible and depend on this to access this care coordination are now going to be harmed by the decisions in Washington D.C.” -Island County Commissioner, Janet St. Clairs (Whidbey News-Times)

Whidbey Island (and Island County) have a notably high number of non-profits per capita. Many on the South end focus on finding help for the disabled, marginalized, and fixed income families. Whidbey Island’s High Per-Capita Presence

• Island County is home to approximately 86,500 residents as of 2024 .
• It contains 473 registered nonprofits, which equates to about 5 nonprofits per 1,000 people—a dense concentration for its population size. [South Whidbey Record]

This has led locals to claim that Whidbey Island has one of the highest per capita nonprofit densities—not overall numbers, but community involvement relative to population.

We’ve already witnessed a significant amount of groups lose most of their federal funding due to the administrative decision. As a community, it knocked us down a few pegs… but the fire to fight back reigns supreme here.

Marginalized Groups

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law on July 4, 2025, includes sweeping provisions that significantly impact low-income and vulnerable populations MedicalEconomics+13Wikipedia+13New York Post+13.

📉 Key Provisions Affecting Marginalized Communities

• Medicaid & Healthcare Cuts

• Medicaid work REQUIREMENTS: able-bodied adults (19–64) must work ~80 hours/month to retain coverage; new verification rules and increased bureaucracy washingtonblade.com+4Wikipedia+4Vogue+4.
• Estimated 7.8 million people to lose Medicaid by 2034; total 10.9 million uninsured due to ACA and Medicaid cuts Northwest Catholic+4GovFacts+4MedicalEconomics+4.
• Eliminates Medicaid coverage for gender-affirming care for all ages (Crenshaw Amendment) starting in 2027—despite a recent parliamentary ruling removing that provision from Senate version, it remains in House language Wikipedia.

• SNAP / Food Assistance Reductions

• Deepest cuts in SNAP history—$290 billion cut over 10 years. Millions of children at risk; school lunch programs also impacted waer.org.
• Work requirement disparity: single parents must meet 80-hour/month work standard, unlike married households which only need one working adult Vogue.

• Immigration Enforcement & Reproduction

• $46.5 billion allocated to border wall, expanded ICE capacity, more detention beds and agents, increased deportations ABLE+3Wikipedia+3Vogue+3.
• Nearly 200 Planned Parenthood clinics, especially in abortion-access states, face defunding or closure — limiting reproductive health services Vogue.

• Disproportionate Impact on Communities of Color, Women, Seniors

• Women of color and low‑income parents bear harsher burdens—lost healthcare, cuts to SNAP, limited loan access and increased debt burdens .
• Older adults (50–64) face difficulty meeting work requirements, increased costs for Medicare/Medicaid, and higher risk of hunger under SNAP changes.

• AI Provision Concerns

• The bill prohibits states from regulating AI for a decade, removing local civil rights and privacy safeguards—setting stage for potential AI-driven discrimination in housing, healthcare, employment, etc.

In summary, if and when you see an uptick in charity drives on the south end, you’ll know why. Whidbey Island’s ecosystem of nonprofits spans social services, cultural arts, environment, and animal welfare—each providing vital support to the local community.

This community runs on volunteerism and the charitable time that we give to our nonprofts, but is it sustainable in the long run? I’m thinking a few case studies might come in handy for further examination.