“Beyond the Stigma: The Real Cost of SNAP and the Fight for Food Equity”

We just came out of the largest government shutdown in history — and one of the biggest topics on the table was the SNAP program, also known as Food Stamps.

For years, the court of public opinion has had a lot to say about SNAP — most of it fueled by misinformation. We’ve heard the same myths over and over again: “People abuse the system.” “They’re lazy.” “They live off my tax dollars.” But when we start peeling back the layers, we find something completely different — something much more human.

The Working-Class Reality

Here’s the truth: to receive SNAP benefits, a person must have some form of income. You cannot simply walk into an office and get SNAP “for free.” In fact, 55 to 60% of SNAP recipients are working-class people. These are men and women who clock in every day but still don’t make enough to both pay rent, keep the lights on, and feed their families.

Then there’s another 30% who are disabled, many of whom cannot work at all. And finally, we have our senior population — people who have worked all their lives, paid into the system, and are now living on fixed incomes that can barely sustain basic needs, much less provide consistent, nutritious meals.

One in Eight Americans

Let’s put this into perspective: one in every eight Americans receives food assistance. That’s your neighbor, your coworker, your child’s classmate’s parent — not some distant stranger living off the system. These are everyday people in our communities trying to make ends meet.

The $6 Truth

Now, here’s the mind-blowing truth about SNAP. The average benefit works out to about $6 per person, per day for food.

That’s supposed to cover breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and beverages.

Let’s think about that.

A salad alone can cost $3 — half of the daily food budget. That means for the rest of the day, there’s only $3 left — or about $1.50 per meal for breakfast and dinner.

Even making or buying a simple sandwich for the average person is going to cost over $6 in a place like New York City — that’s one meal, already exceeding the entire daily food allowance under SNAP.

We say we want people to eat healthy, but we’ve given them a budget that barely buys a cup of ramen. And while some states have implemented sugar restrictions or tried to promote healthier options, those choices are only as good as the affordability behind them.

Cuts to SNAP-Ed: Education Matters

One of the most overlooked pieces of the puzzle is the SNAP-Ed program, which provides nutrition education — teaching families how to prepare healthy, affordable meals, and introducing them to foods they may not be familiar with.

But SNAP-Ed programs are being cut, leaving many families without access to the education that could help them make the most of what little they have.

The Overlooked Factor: Medical Needs

SNAP also doesn’t account for medical or dietary restrictions. For instance, kidney patients can’t eat beans or dark leafy greens. Some can’t have potatoes. But the system doesn’t adjust for that — it assumes a one-size-fits-all diet that simply isn’t realistic for people with health conditions.

The Bigger Picture: SNAP and the Economy

Here’s what most people don’t realize — this isn’t just a “SNAP issue.”

This is an economy-wide issue.

If the SNAP program disappeared tomorrow, the ripple effect would be massive. Walmart alone would lose roughly $2 billion in profit per month without SNAP spending. That kind of financial hit doesn’t just affect corporations — it translates into store shutdowns, layoffs, and even more instability in communities that are already struggling.

And let’s not forget what we’ve all been complaining about since the end of the COVID quarantine — higher prices and inflation. Without SNAP, consumer spending would drop sharply, driving the economy into deeper imbalance.

Let’s stop all the misinformation and disinformation surrounding SNAP and start recognizing that there are real people with real faces behind these numbers. There are families depending on SNAP, not just as a source of food, but as a source of employment — because if the program were to vanish, every employee working within SNAP agencies and related programs would also lose their jobs.

These are the things we don’t think about. These are the things we don’t talk about. We like to pretty it up. We like to make the jokes, the insults, the assumptions — but we don’t want to face the hard truth.

There are food deserts in major cities like Chicago and New York, where access to healthy, affordable food is scarce for parts of each month. Many families are forced to make impossible choices — whether to eat or buy medicine, whether to pay bills or buy feminine hygiene products.

This is not a “my tax dollars vs. them” issue.

This is a quality-of-life issue.

It’s time to start a real conversation — not one filled with stereotypes and shaming — but one rooted in understanding and solutions. Let’s ask how we can be part of the solution instead of consistently complaining about the problem.

Community Call to Action: Let’s Be the Difference

Now that we know the truth, it’s time to do more than talk — it’s time to act.

If you truly want to see change, start by being part of the solution:

Educate yourself and others. Share accurate information about SNAP and the realities of food insecurity. Correct the myths when you hear them.

Support local food drives and pantries. Even one donated item or one volunteer hour makes a difference.

Shop local and advocate locally. Many neighborhood stores depend on SNAP spending to survive. Supporting them supports your own community’s economy.

Call on your elected officials. Demand that they protect and strengthen programs like SNAP and SNAP-Ed — programs that feed families, fuel local businesses, and stabilize our economy.

Check on your neighbors. Hunger doesn’t always look like what you think. Sometimes it’s a coworker, a single parent, or a senior next door quietly trying to stretch $6 a day.

This isn’t a charity issue — this is a community issue, an economic issue, and a human issue.

Let’s choose compassion over criticism.

Let’s choose truth over rumor.

Let’s choose to feed hope, not stigma.

Because when we lift one person out of hunger, we lift the whole community with them.