SNAP lapse leads to local scaling back, sharing and communing
East Bay residents are implementing their own contingency plans as the Trump administration reluctantly agrees to issue only half of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for its 42 million recipients on a delayed schedule. In response, many are scaling back, going without, and leaning on each other for support.
Maribel Flores lives in Concord with her three daughters. Since her brother was deported last month, Flores and her 65-year-old mother now care for her brother’s children as well. “I gave up my food stamps a few years ago and started going to the food bank instead,” Flores said as she signed up for a grocery buddies program. Flores’ mother struggles with diabetes, and her daughter has autism. “I have medical insurance, but everything is expensive,” she added. “I’m very shy about asking for help, but today I’m surprised and happy to get some.”
In nearby Moraga, Elizabeth Berkes is part of a group of women from her church creating a system where those in need can sign up for a grocery shopping buddy to help put food on the table. Berkes set up a table outside the Lamorinda Care Collective free store in Lafayette, equipped with a Google Form and Google Translate to assist people from both sides of the Caldecott Tunnel as they signed up to either receive or offer help.
“It’s so frustrating that the government isn’t willing to take care of its citizens,” Berkes said. “The only blessing is that we get to step in and meet our neighbors.”
As a single mom and preschool teacher, Sunita Shastri is used to being frugal. She lives in an apartment with her two boys and an unrelated roommate. Shastri cooks at home and considers it a blessing that she’s always been able to use her EBT card (SNAP) at the local Indian store to keep staples on hand. Over the weekend, she talked with her children about their tightened budget.
“I explained to my kids that we’re scaling back. No meat or fish. Just the basics like fruit, onions, and tomatoes,” Shastri said. “We’ll have lentil soup and rice, and maybe an egg once in a while for a treat.”
Before Shastri was able to access SNAP benefits, which now provide her with a monthly food allowance of around $300, she recalls struggling to buy anything beyond rice and lentils. “The dahl and lentils that I have in my pantry will suffice for about 3–4 months. I’ve budgeted $20 a month for fruit,” she shared. “It’s sad to tell my kids that they can’t eat what they want or that they can’t cook because we don’t have enough food.”
Matt Harrison, executive director of the Community Youth Center (CYC) in Concord, oversees a facility that serves 2,100 youth between the ages of 3 and 18, the majority of whom come from low-income families.
“As financial stress and food insecurity hit a household, it causes a ripple effect,” Harrison explained. “When there’s anxiety, stress, fear, and uncertainty about the future, it creates a dangerous home environment. If you’re worried about your next meal, then homework isn’t important, and your academic future starts to fall away. Then the cycle repeats itself, and this is how we end up in a cycle of poverty.”
While food insecurity is an issue for families of CYC members—including some who utilize SNAP benefits—Harrison notes that others go without, particularly immigrant families. “If I’m scared or living in fear of being deported or having a loved one get deported, I’m not seeking help,” he said.
Harrison emphasizes that it’s more important than ever for Americans to come together. The CYC is offering Thanksgiving meals to families of its youth members and hosts resource fairs in partnership with organizations such as Monument Crisis Center, Welcome Home Baby, Making Waves Education Foundation, Earn and Learn, and Northern California Family Center.
“We’re leaning heavily into the community part of our name,” Harrison said. “It’s the only thing that gets us through the divisiveness in our country. We need to stop blaming and yelling, and start having dialogue. We need to understand that our political perspectives differ because our lives are different.”
https://eastbayexpress.com/snap-lapse-leads-to-local-scaling-back-sharing-and-communing/
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