‘It gave my family security’: UM student shares how SNAP benefits shaped her childhood

Story By: Lillian Hall

MONTEVALLO, Ala. — The Alabama Department of Human Resources announced that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will be suspended beginning Nov. 1 due to a lapse in federal funding caused by the government shutdown.

According to the Washington Post, on Nov. 9, a federal appeals court rejected the effort by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the federal administration to cut off full SNAP benefits for November, citing “widespread harm” if payments were halted nationwide.

SNAP is fully funded by the federal government, and the state cannot continue issuing benefits on its own. Nationwide, about 12% of U.S. households are feeling the effects of the funding lapse, according to the Associated Press.

More than 750,000 Alabamians rely on SNAP each month, according to the Alabama Department of Human Resources, leaving many uncertain about how they will afford food. In Shelby County, only 4.9% of households receive SNAP benefits, but that jumps to more than 20% in neighboring Bibb County, according to data from the AP. Food banks and community organizations across the state say they are preparing for increased demand, but they warn that they cannot make up for the scale of the loss in assistance.

*This map shows the percentage of households in each county that receive SNAP benefits. An interactive version can be viewed on the Associated Press website.*

Madi Maples, a student at the University of Montevallo who received SNAP benefits as a child, said she was shocked by the announcement from the Department of Human Resources.

“I believe there are going to be many families throughout Alabama who are going to be struggling without the SNAP benefits,” Maples said, “especially those who rely on them during the holidays.”

The suspension comes as food insecurity rates have risen across the state in recent years.

Advocates are calling on lawmakers to find emergency funding solutions to support low-income families until federal funding resumes.

Maples said assistance programs do more than provide financial support – they give families peace of mind.

“Government assistance is very important to families. It’s not exactly about the money, but it’s about getting rid of the stress of wondering where your next meal will come from, especially around the holidays.”

Reflecting on her own experience growing up with SNAP benefits, Maples said the program offered her family a sense of stability.

“I would say getting assistance with the SNAP benefits are important to families, and taking them away is going to hurt a lot of people. And it could cause poverty to grow throughout the state,” she said. “It gave my family security being able to use these benefits, and I hope they can understand the severity of the situation.”

Government assistance is very important to families. It’s not exactly about the money, but it’s about getting rid of the stress of wondering where your next meal will come from, especially around the holidays.
Madi Maples, former SNAP recipient

While SNAP benefits were not be disbursed as scheduled in Nov. 1, program recipients can use existing funds on their EBT cards to make purchases. If someone enrolled in the program didn’t spend all their October EBT allocation, those benefits would roll over into November.

On Nov. 7, the Trump administration said it was taking steps to release SNAP benefits in compliance with a federal judge’s order, indicating the payments could soon resume. However, the administration also petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to pause the ruling, seeking to block the distribution of funds despite the directive.

Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson temporarily halted the lower court’s order, pending a decision from the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The Supreme Court’s administrative stay is set to expire 48 hours after the appeals court issues its ruling.

Meanwhile, states that distributed full November benefits earlier are now being instructed by USDA to reverse those payments or risk losing federal administrative funding.

In the meantime, local food pantries are encouraging donations and volunteer support to help meet the growing need.