"And yet, this fall, I found myself checking the balance on my Bridge Card (Michigan's version of SNAP, formerly known as food stamps) as the federal government shut down and the USDA warned that benefits for November would not be going out, affecting 1.4 million Michiganders, or about 42 million people nationwide. (That amounts to roughly 1 in 8 people.) My last deposit came on October 17 and I won't be waiting to see whether I'll eat next month."
"I'm lucky, as a natural-born citizen whose first language is English, with a college degree and no dependents. I work in an intellectually challenging, highly competitive industry. When I was let go by one of the largest food publications in the country earlier this year, I received a healthy severance package that postponed my need for assistance."
A food professional simultaneously moved through elite culinary circles and relied on SNAP benefits during a federal shutdown that threatened benefit distributions. The shutdown risked cutting November benefits for millions, leaving recipients uncertain about eating. Personal circumstances included educational and linguistic advantages and a temporary severance that delayed but did not eliminate need for assistance. SNAP served as a temporary but necessary resource while freelance income fluctuated. The experience underscores how policy decisions, bureaucratic delays, and economic precarity intersect to shape access to food, dignity, and survival across varied social positions.
Read at Bon Appetit
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