Millions of families depend on SNAP benefits to help put food on the table each month. When benefits are cut, families are forced to make difficult decisions – buying less food, skipping meals, or deciding between other expenses like rent and utilities.

Ashuki visits the Community Food Center – Jonesboro to find relief and support during a time of uncertainty. While she works hard to care for her family, her paycheck doesn’t stretch as far as it once did.

“The food is wonderful,” she said. “It’s good quality, and you can grab things you’ll actually use.”

Recent disruptions to SNAP benefits have hit especially close to home for Ashuki. As the mother of a child on the autism spectrum, she relies on food assistance to meet her son’s specific dietary needs.

“I have an autistic son, and I depend on SNAP,” she shared.

“With SNAP being cut off, it’s difficult, because kids with autism sometimes need certain meals. That’s how I make sure he gets what he needs to eat properly.”

The day of her visit marked what would have been her first missed SNAP payment, making the support she received even more critical.

“When that support is cut off, it makes things incredibly hard,” she said.

Ashuki was initially hesitant to seek food assistance, but her perspective has since changed.

“Once you have children, stigma no longer matters,” she said. “What matters is making sure your family is fed.”