Simple canned goods go a long way to help families in times of need. photo by Ta'Shiaia Box
SNAP cancellation in America affects millions of Americans, including people here at TJ.
(The views expressed in this opinion article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Thomas Jefferson High School or the TJ Journal.)
Political instability in America has come to a head with the recent government shutdown that just ended as of November 13, 2025. Sometimes, when information about political decisions doesn’t directly affect people, they are not aware of what is happening. However, it’s a crucial time to be knowledgeable about everything in the world you live in. On October 1st, 2025, the U.S government shut down. Among other problems that came from the shutdown, Supplemental Nutrition Association Program (SNAP) benefits were cut on November 2nd, 2025, and emergency funding was not provided.
SNAP benefits, also known as EBT or food stamps, are food assistants from the federal government for low-income households. Millions of children and families around America need these benefits to afford meals to make it through the month. A misconception that many people who do not use SNAP benefits may have is that they are used for supplies other than groceries. However, SNAP benefits are not able to be used for hot meals from a deli, fast food, or anything similar. Without SNAP, millions of families, children, and elders will starve, and that is exactly what happened during the recent government shutdown. Children, elders, parents, and more were denied benefits that help them eat. No one deserves to have food taken from them, but the current administration refused to send out emergency funding. Therefore, no one in America had received their most recent SNAP benefits. With every day that passed, families were struggling to keep food on the table. President Donald Trump was ordered to release an emergency fund by the courts, but he refused to comply. By denying SNAP benefits, Trump refused to help his own citizens and the children of America.
Just because the government was in a time of indecision doesn’t mean things weren’t being done to help the people who couldn’t access food at the time. Food banks worked overtime to get as much food to families as possible, thousands of people around the world were donating money and giving out food from their own homes in order to make sure no one had to go hungry, and some restaurants allowed children to eat for free until SNAP benefits returned. It’s unfortunate that the state of the world has resulted in food banks opening in daycares and schools, where children should be going for education, but it has reached that point. The holiday season is approaching, and absolutely no child should go without food this holiday season. Until the starvation of millions of people ended, communities did stop lending a hand and even now, they won’t. No matter how small people think their contribution may be, anything they can do is truly significant. Donating food to local food banks can be hugely helpful. At TJ, remember to use the share table in the cafeteria for extra food, and to be respectful.
As of November 10th, 2025, the government had potentially come to an agreement that would end the government shutdown. There are reports that a few people with SNAP benefits received their stamps, but many people were still going hungry. While the president funded a 300 million dollar ballroom and Congress and the Supreme Court continued to get paid during the shutdown, I urge all TJ Spartans to pay attention to the world even now that the shutdown has ended and SNAP benefits are being restored. Everyone is affected by the choices of the government, and it’s important to care for local communities.
