This week, we asked mothers in our community: How is the loss or delay of SNAP benefits affecting you and your family right now?
What they told us is raw, urgent, and we can’t ignore it.
“Lately, I’ve had to choose between paying bills or buying groceries, and it’s heartbreaking telling my kids we have to make food stretch. It’s affecting our health and my peace of mind. I just want to make sure my children and baby have enough to eat and feel secure.”
— Mother of 4, rebuilding after crisis
As of today (November 7), partial benefits are starting to go out in some states. After revised guidance Wednesday night, families will now receive approximately 65% of normal benefits (reduced by 35%) instead of the previously announced 50% NPR The Hill. A federal judge ordered the administration to restore FULL funding by Friday (November 7) NPR.
The situation is evolving daily—court orders, revised percentages, state-by-state responses—but here’s the bottom line: it’s still not enough. When your SNAP benefits were $200/month and groceries cost $600, getting $100 isn’t a relief—it’s having to tell your kid there’s nothing left when they’re still hungry. The government shutdown is now officially the longest in U.S. history ABCNews and while headlines shift, the lived reality for families hasn’t changed.
“Being freshly postpartum I’ve been struggling to provide nutritious foods and have been skipping meals myself. My mental health has taken a toll and I am worried my family won’t have the necessary foods all month long.”
— Single mother of 3, 2.5 months postpartum
When a mom who has recently given birth skips meals, she’s describing a cascading health crisis. Food-insecure mothers are nearly 7 times more likely to experience postpartum depression NIH. Food insecurity is positively associated with significantly greater parenting stress at 2 months postpartum and negatively associated with maternal-infant bonding at 6 months Frontiers.
A malnourished mother can’t produce adequate breastmilk. She can’t heal from childbirth. She can’t care for her children. The fourth trimester is when mothers need the most support—instead, we’re asking them to survive on half their food assistance with no timeline for when full benefits return.
“After losing our only income during the LA fires this year we fell behind on a lot of things. We slowly started playing catch up, now the shutdown is happening, and we’re losing our food benefits making it harder for us to decide if we feed our children or pay our utilities for the month. People think snap recipients don’t work and most of us do and we try our best to survive with what we have.”
— Mother affected by LA Wildfires
Most SNAP recipients who can work, do work. They’re rebuilding after disasters. They’re working full-time and still can’t afford groceries. Every dollar of SNAP benefits generates up to $1.80 in local economic activity—when SNAP is cut, entire communities suffer.
These mothers need help today.
Here’s how you can help:
- Volunteer to be a “Community Hub”: Activate your network—ask neighbors, coworkers, friends, or your local school/church to donate food and supplies. Once you’ve gathered donations, organize them into boxes and we’ll coordinate DoorDash drivers to collect and deliver directly to families. Especially needed in LA. Sign up here.
- Be a Grocery Buddy: Next time you go grocery shopping, purchase a gift card in the same amount you paid for your own groceries. Mail us the physical gift card or email us the digital version.
- Make a Cash Contribution: Every donation helps us reach more families with essential support. Donate here.
- Contact Your Representative: Urge Congress to act swiftly to fund SNAP and end policies that leave pregnant and postpartum families without food.
“I just want to make sure my children and baby have enough to eat and feel secure.”
That shouldn’t be too much to ask. But here we are.
We’re not waiting for politicians. Join us in showing up for mothers today—with food, with support, with solidarity.
Questions? Email us: care@4thtri.org
