Terrified moms speak out, say their kids face starvation as SNAP benefits expire: ‘We have nothing’
Kelli Austin, 38, lives in a small apartment in Augusta, Maine, with her three teenage children. She works as an addiction‑recovery coach and studies at a local college at the same time. This weekend, she finds herself staring at an empty grocery shelf, unsure how she will feed her kids.
“I don’t know how I’m going to feed my kids tomorrow,” she told reporters, tears in her eyes. Her question is the same one thousands of low‑income families across the country are asking after SNAP—the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program—cuts its funding today, November 1. The program has paused $300 a month for Austin and 42 million other Americans, many of whom rely on those funds to buy beans, rice, fruit and other basics.
After the SNAP cut, Austin says she won’t have money for groceries during weekends or school vacations. Her children, who often get free breakfast and lunch at school, will have to go hungry. The prospect of the holiday season without her usual pantry of turkey and treats is terrifying. “If it’s the first time in almost twenty years we have to skip a meal, I’ll have to look at them and say sorry,” she says.
Austin’s story is not unique. She grew up in generational poverty and has fought hard to break the cycle, but her gigs in drug rehabilitation centers pay barely enough to cover rent and bills. “I’ve been a SNAP recipient for years; those benefits feed my family,” she says. “Without them, we have nothing.”
She is also dealing with several autoimmune conditions and takes nine medications daily to keep going. A second job is unfeasible. “We’re not talking about luxury here; we’re talking about basic meals, stability and dignity,” she adds. She blames both state and federal governments for leaving families like hers “out to dry.”
Another voice in the story is Lauren, 35, a single mother of two girls from Syracuse. After her husband left, she found herself in a shelter with limited meals and had to lean on SNAP to buy eggs, bacon, cereal and fruit. “SNAP was the only thing we had,” she says. “It gave us security when we were in a shelter. Now that relief is being taken away.”
Both women highlight the same problem: the loss of food assistance is creating a spike in food insecurity among low‑income families and especially single mothers. “The food banks in our community are empty,” Austin says, describing the hours she spends waiting in line at 4 a.m. for the remaining supplies. “I have to take days off from work to hope I can get enough to last a few days.”
The federal debate over SNAP funds continues in Washington, but New York State is taking action. Gov. Kathy Hochul has pledged $65 million to emergency food providers across the state, on top of an existing $30 million earmarked for programs like the Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program and Nourish NY. While this state aid will not replace cut SNAP funding, it will help food banks, soup kitchens and other charities keep serving families like Austin’s and Lauren’s.
“We’re not a statistic,” Austin says. “I’m a constituent; you take these programs away from me, you take food from my kids’ mouths, jeopardizing their health.” Lauren agrees. “You feel like there’s a foot on your neck. If you’re a single mother working hard, you shouldn’t have to rely on wobbly systems.”
Both women remind us that the fight over food assistance isn’t about politics; it’s about whether a family can put a meal on the table. For now, they are looking for support and hoping state and federal agencies act quickly before hunger turns into a crisis.
Source: New York Post
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