The federal government stopped paying for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for all recipients on Nov. 1, due to the ongoing government shutdown. SNAP, a national program, provides monthly assistance to people in low-income households through an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card that helps them buy food.
“With SNAP benefits, a family does not have to worry about what they and their kids are going to eat at the end of the day,” said senior Tabby Perez, President of McPantry, the McLean High School branch of Food for Neighbors.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), between 8% and 9.9% of Virginians received SNAP benefits in 2024. In 2023, 11.1% of those who received SNAP benefits were under the age of 5, and 27.7% were between the ages of 5 and 17.
“Of the over 42 million Americans who rely on SNAP benefits, the individuals most affected by halting SNAP benefits will be children,” said Ericka Senegar, science teacher and club sponsor for McPantry. “The youngest Americans and families with small children use SNAP benefits to stretch their grocery budgets and to provide meals in preschools and elementary schools throughout the McLean pyramid.”
With SNAP benefits paused, Governor Glenn Youngkin declared a state of emergency. In response, the Virginia government created a state funded program, the Virginia Emergency Nutrition Assistance (VENA). VENA provides weekly benefits through the month of November to people eligible for SNAP; the program will cost roughly $37.5 million per week.
“We have all heard all the statistics about the crippling effects of hunger on learning,” Senegar said. “I would love to see state or local governments assist in this area.”
While Virginia has made an effort to compensate SNAP beneficiaries, many states such as Texas, Florida and Alabama have not. The USDA has stated it will not reimburse states if they try to cover the cost of the benefits temporarily.
“The government taking [SNAP] away from people is inhumane, and I really, really hope that the government of Virginia can take action,” Perez said. “I especially [hope] the people [can take action] because the people have more power in creating change.”
Despite the federal government not subsidizing SNAP, McPantry will continue to supply those in need with food to the best of their abilities.
“We are going to be really prioritizing getting out food—as much food as we can—to those who are in need of it,” Perez said. “We are still going to continue with our goal of fighting food insecurity and taking away that stigma [around food insecurity].”
SNAP benefits impact many students. Perez and her family relied on SNAP when some family members were sick in order to afford food while paying for medical bills.
“My family has experienced cancer. [We have been] spending a lot of money at hospitals getting scans done, paperwork, and it costs a lot of money,” Perez said. “Having these EBT benefits really helps. [They] just give you a little boost of encouragement. We don’t [have to] worry about getting food; we can use this government-funded money.”
Through her personal experience, Perez has seen how important SNAP can be for families who are not just low income, but may have to spend their money elsewhere and don’t have adequate financial support.
“My aunt, as of right now, is going through chemotherapy, which is a very hefty load of money,” Perez said. “There are a lot of families that might be experiencing that, and might not even be getting the benefits of Medicare or insurance.”
Medical expenses can be costly for people and are the leading cause for people going into bankruptcy, according to a Cornell University study. The American Cancer Society reports that approximately $183 billion was spent in the United States on cancer-related healthcare in 2015. This amount is expected to grow to $246 billion by 2030.
“We’re grateful that we’re able to [pay for things], but I’ve had a lot of cancer in my family. If another family who didn’t get the benefits of health insurance were to experience this, it would be a lot of money,” Perez said. “I’ve seen how much money one CT scan costs; it’s thousands of dollars. Just putting that into perspective of how many people have experienced cancer [and] have experienced injuries–it’s a lot of money.”
The disruption in SNAP benefits has affected students, but state programs such as VENA and local food pantries such as McPantry are working their hardest to assist.
“Food is a human right,” Senegar said. “Universal breakfast and lunch should be something all children and teens, regardless of family income, in all states across our nation, enjoy and should be able to depend on for their basic food needs.”
