I stretch and make my morning brew, my shirt stained with baby throw-up and snot. A dozing newborn grunts as my oldest washes his face, getting ready for school in the bathroom.
I sit on my stoop, fluffy blue nightgown covering my stained shirt. My coffee cup–a black mug with ghosts all over–sits beside me as I open my phone. A notification from my benefits app flashes across the screen:
Due to the government shutdown, your November SNAP benefits could be unavailable.
It sinks in immediately.
I’ve seen so many videos on TikTok discussing the possibility of it happening, but now seeing the notification come in from the app itself–that’s when it hits.
No Kings Day
Today happens to be No Kings Day. A day to resist the rising tyrannical wannabe monarch in power, ruled by and serving the elite.
The irony is thick. White folks are out dressing up in costume, doing the cha-cha slide in the name of revolution, while their neighbours are strategising how to stretch this month’s benefits as next month’s uncertainty looms closer.
In the land of the free, I feel stranded.
What a shutdown really means
A government shutdown means that Congress failed to pass a spending bill to fund the federal government’s operations. That money-the money that funds programs like food stamps- freezes.
The U.S. government shutdown began October 1, 2025. And for people like me, that means one thing: No benefits. No safety net. No food. This is dystopian, by far.
America loves to brag about being the land of opportunity, but when you’re a disabled Black parent trying to keep three kids fed on one income, you learn quickly–this country could care less about its most vulnerable people.
As a kid, I was raised to believe in patriotism. We sang “Proud to Be an American” at morning sing in elementary school. I still remember the words. We pledged allegiance every day. Now, I’m just trying to figure out how to feed my family in the same country that told me I was lucky to be born here.
Living in the Stereotype
I’ve been labeled a “Welfare Queen.” After being removed from SSI (Supplemental Security Income), I rely on SNAP (Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program) with WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children) to get through each month. My partner works, but it’s paycheck to paycheck–enough for the bills, not enough for groceries.
When the app says “Benefits may be at risk,” what it’s really saying is: “Your kids’ fridge and cabinets will go empty.”
TikTok says the cuts could extend into December. We have just $18 in food stamps left. I’m scouring the internet for ways to stretch groceries that already don’t stretch. Grocery shopping has turned into survival math:
- Needs over wants.
- Saving McDonald’s points for one small treat for the kids.
- Skipping meals so their stomachs stay full.
- Learning how to recycle and reuse just to make food last longer.
Sometimes, it’s preparing to sleep through the hunger pains.
Maslow’s Hierarchy in Real Life
Psychologist Abraham Maslow created a Hierarchy of Needs. He says food comes first–before safety, belonging, or anything else. When the government withholds food, it’s not just hunger. It’s collapse.
It chips away at every level of that pyramid–security, connection, self-esteem, even the will to dream. Families like mine aren’t supposed to wait it out with empty pantries. Children aren’t supposed to rely on school lunch as their only meal of the day. This isn’t survival of the fittest. It’s survival of the forgotten.
Other Moms Are Feeling It Too
I started asking other moms who rely on SNAP and WIC how they’re preparing for what’s coming. Here’s what one shared with me:
How much of your grocery budget depends on benefits?
Being a single mom with no employment right now, 100% of my grocery budget depends on my benefits.
Did anyone warn you before benefits were delayed or cut?
I found out a few days ago while on the Benefits Cal website, so I guess that could be considered a warning, but it’s not much of one at all.
What does “no benefits” actually look like in your house?
My only means of supporting my children and myself while I job hunt is SNAP and CalWorks, so “no benefits” would be devastating in our household. It is definitely something I am worrying about now.
What’s one thing people assume about moms on assistance that isn’t true?
I would say that they assume we women “want” to live off of the government or continue having children for “free money.” Most people who are making these assumptions have had the luxury of not needing government assistance. They don’t consider that some people have had less fortunate lives or were not presented with the same opportunities they were. Some have unexpectedly fallen on hard times. We never really know the next person’s story to assume, but that’s just the world we live in. In reality, we aren’t given nearly enough to live off. It’s not enough to pay rent, bills, and still purchase other necessities. Personally, I’d rather not deal with the headache that is welfare, but I need the help, just like millions of others.
Finish the sentence: “I shouldn’t have to ___ just to feed my kids.”
I shouldn’t have to depend on the choices of people who can’t relate to my situation just to feed my kids.
Her words echo the reality that so many of us are burying.
So What Can You Do?
If you’ve read this far, don’t just scroll — act.
- Fulfil some Meal Trains
- Make an extra few plates for the single mom next door.
- Donate foods kids will actually eat.
- Stock your local community fridge.
- Create little free pantries and community fridges in food deserts.
- Pack an extra lunch for your kid’s classmate.
- Offer rides to the food bank for parents without transportation.
Because hunger shouldn’t be normal.
The Bottom Line
I’m not asking for luxury. I’m asking for butter and meat. People donate to make sure animals don’t go hungry. Even prisoners get three meals a day.
So why are kids going to bed hungry? Because politicians couldn’t do their jobs? If hunger is socially acceptable collateral damage, what does that say about this country? If there’s no money to feed us, will there be money to house us next?
The government is weaponising food.
And we’re the ones left starving.
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