Millions of Americans Facing Food Insecurity After SNAP Cut
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Amid the government shutdown, millions of Americans have been questioning how they’re going to feed themselves and their families after Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” was passed and SNAP benefits have faced severe cuts and restrictions. Currently, SNAP has been reinstated following the reopening of the U.S. government, but some benefits have been delayed, decreased, or are no longer accessible due to new regulations.
According to ABC News, “Nearly 42 million Americans, including low income families and vulnerable households, rely on SNAP, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, to help pay for groceries or other household essentials.”
ABC News also shared that, “Under the mega bill, the upper age limit for those who need to meet work requirements was raised from age 54 to 64 for the first time for able bodied adults without dependents.”
These new regulations brought down by the Trump administration will leave millions of Americans without the benefits needed to feed their families. In light of this, many people are forced to rely on local food banks, or food pantries.
When asked what this could mean for food pantries moving forward, Jilliane Jaugan, VP and community outreach chair for Cooking For Camden, and a current sophomore in nursing at Rutgers Camden says, “SNAP benefits are essential for many people to buy groceries and be able to eat. It is heartbreaking that this federal program has been cut resulting in many people not knowing when their next meal is and increasing food insecurity. Due to these cuts, I do think more people will be relying on food banks. However, these food banks have also faced a huge blow due to the Emergency Food Assistance Program budget being cut this year. With the influx of people relying on food banks and budget cuts, food banks are also facing uncertainty with their sustainability. I do hope with the current media focus on food banks/pantries, that other corporations, organizations, institutions, and even individuals are inspired to give back to their local communities by donating monetary or food donations or simply spreading awareness.”
These cuts to food assistance programs, and the reliance on food banks comes at such a dire time for the people who utilize them, especially considering that grocery prices are higher than ever, meaning it may be harder in the coming months for people to donate extra food to local food pantries.
When asked how they feel about the current cuts to SNAP, Camryn Champion, a student at Rutgers Camden says, “I feel like it’s so unfair and also evil to take away benefits given to millions of struggling citizens that were helping them survive.”
Many Americans feel the same, so much so, that it has led to some democratic led states to take action.
The Hill says, “Democratic officials in 21 states and Washington D.C., sued the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on Wednesday, alleging that it is “arbitrarily” excluding many lawful permanent residents from receiving food assistance benefits.”
The response from democratic officials is the start of what could be lengthy pushback in the following months as more people begin to face food insecurity.
When asked if anyone at Cooking For Camden has voiced their concerns about SNAP being cut, Jaugan says, “As Cooking for Camden, our main mission is to serve those in Camden who might not have easy access to hot, nutritious meals. I firmly believe that food is a right and not a privilege and no one should be denied that no matter their life circumstances. These past months, we have discussed how SNAP benefits are being cut and to expect an influx of guests to come in during our lunch services and to be prepared. We have noticed the number of guests increasing a lot and we are running out of food quicker these past few services. Just like food banks and pantries, funding and budgeting is a big concern for our organization as we often fund our services and purchase the food. We are currently searching for ways to gain funding and grants to ensure we can keep our services running for the many guests we serve every week! Although, as a student organization, we feel that we do not have a lot of power to make huge changes like reinstate SNAP benefits or provide millions of funding for these food programs, we continue to try to make little changes in the community by providing at least one hot meal and being a place of consistent support for the people we serve weekly!”
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