We must keep SNAP strong
In Spanish, we have a word, “hambreada,” which means to be in a state of constant hunger.
This feeling is one I know all too well as a child of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. Hunger and poor access to nutritious food rob hundreds of thousands of children right here in Illinois from experiencing their childhood to the fullest. As a child, the days I was hungry versus the days I knew we would have a consistent meal affected how I showed up for school, how I behaved at home and if I participated in the neighborhood baseball league.
I’m a daughter of immigrants and come from a home that suffered from food insecurity. I witnessed domestic and community violence throughout my childhood. In my community, SNAP was and continues to be a guiding light, offering a sense of peace, security and, at times, the only source of stability we could rely on.
With these experiences in mind, I recently joined fellow American Heart Association advocates and volunteers in Washington to share our stories with members of Congress and urge them to keep SNAP funding strong in the 2023 Farm Bill.
For more than 50 years, SNAP has played a crucial role in addressing hunger and poverty, but in its current form, it does not address nutrition security. We must build upon this success by investing in ways to improve access to healthy food and the nutritional quality of food.
In my previous role at a legal clinic that supports domestic violence survivors, I heard over and over: “I cannot leave my relationship even though my life is on the line because I don’t know how I will feed my children.” Cutting SNAP could increase instability and adverse childhood
experiences and put those at risk of violence in further danger by not providing a way out. Cutting SNAP would be undercutting humanity.
Having access to food through SNAP changed the trajectory of my life. It’s the reason why I graduated. It’s the reason I was able to be successful. And it’s the reason I can now be an advocate for other families in my community experiencing some of the same challenges that I did.
By keeping SNAP strong, Congress would be providing a lifeline to millions of families just like mine.