(WFRV) – “It means things are tighter than they already were.”
As the government shutdown continues to go on, that means that families using SNAP benefits may be without them for November, and even beyond if the shutdown continues.
Taylor Wilson is a single mother from Appleton who has been using SNAP benefits for less than a year, using them to help put food on the table for her and her two-year-old son Oliver, who has a rare genetic disease that limits his eating and what he can eat.
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Wilson says that with the benefits being delayed, potentially unavailable for November, it is going to make it harder to make sure her son has the proper nutrition that he needs.
“So the way that we usually use our SNAP benefits is to help him explore new foods and get exposed to things that are interesting and healthy and try to learn to eat orally, so I am worried that this is going to set him back,” says Wilson.
The plan of action Wilson has been taking is to stock up on perishable foods, in case the benefits will be unavailable to her.
Now that means if purchasing food becomes a normal financial burden, some tough decisions are going to have to be made on bills and other expenses.
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“Moving forward looks like skipping anything, and missing bills, and kinda playing the game of what one is going to charge the lower late fee, and which one is going to shut off the power, shut off the service, can I not pay the internet bill, and how will that affect us?” says Wilson.
The holiday season is fast approaching as well, meaning that if these benefits aren’t restored soon, things will look a little different for Taylor and Oliver.
“Everything is going on, there isn’t wiggle room, there is no extra, I think that for my family, I am lucky to have a family member in the village who lives close, community members who have come to help me,” says Wilson.
With Wisconsinites feeling the pressure of the benefits possibly being unavailable, grocery stores across the state are feeling the same effect.
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“People out there are the most vulnerable, really, is gonna impact them. I have talked to our managers about ordering a little bit tighter for our perishable departments. It affects all the stores throughout Green Bay and the state. We are just going to put our best foot forward,” says Owner of Save a Lot Green Bay Joe Jarabek.
Taylor is hoping that once the country gets on the other side of the shutdown and benefits are restored, change comes to the forefront of legislators.
“I hope to see permanent change, I hope to see protections in place that will guarantee that this will never happen again. The fact that this is a possibility and that we are living through a historic time, we can learn how to fix it, we can learn how to move forward,” says Wilson.
Community coming together and supporting everyone that could be affected by this is something Taylor and her family are proud to be a part of during these unprecedented times.
