Once a food stamp kid, I know the fear California families have losing them | Opinion
As someone who grew up in a family that relied on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits — the federal program once known as food stamps — I know firsthand what it means when politics threatens to take food off the table. Before I ever followed headlines or understood partisan debates over this and other programs providing a social safety net for low-income people, I understood the relief of a simple meal shared at home.
Now, Congress is poised to surpass the 35-day record for the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.
With each passing day of the shutdown, millions of low-income Americans face the loss or reduction of their SNAP benefits —a lifeline for families struggling to make ends meet. In California, the state level program distributing SNAP benefits is called CalFresh. It distributes an average of $187 a month to help low-income households.
Last week, the Trump administration declared it would not tap emergency funds to restore these benefits. California Governor Gavin Newsom warned that 5.5 million Californians who rely on CalFresh could soon see their benefits disappear. There has been widespread concern that Californians could lose their CalFresh benefits as early as this weekend, though on Friday a federal judge ordered Trump to keep funding SNAP benefits for more than 40 million Americans nationwide.
There is nothing more urgent than keeping food on the tables of the most vulnerable in our country, yet some politicians see nefarious misuse of an essential program.
“A lot of young men that are on SNAP that should be working,” said U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville, R-Alabama. “Democrats are getting a little bit tight right now. It’s their constituents, a lot of them, in some of these inner cities, that are going to need SNAP to survive, and they’re getting a lot of calls.”
Tuberville overlooks the reality that over 752,000 Alabamians, more than 14% of his state’s population, depend on SNAP. This isn’t a partisan issue; it’s about government living up to its most basic responsibility: helping people feed their families.
Policies that make it harder for families to access food don’t punish politicians; they penalize ordinary Americans facing hardship through no fault of their own.
Coming from a family that relied on SNAP, I can say with certainty that our focus was on our home, not politics.
Snap benefits should not be politicized
In the car ride back from school on a Friday when I was in third grade, my mother took a glance at my report card. I was doing well in class, and to reward my good behavior, she would cook my favorite meal for dinner: Hamburger Helper. It was an acquired taste. Making Hamburger Helper meals is pretty simple. The kit includes everything you need for the meal, except for the meat. There are many kinds, but my favorite was beef stroganoff.
My mom would serve us the beef stroganoff on paper plates, and we’d use plastic forks to eat it. No fine china, but we were together, sharing a meal to celebrate me and the rest of the family. That moment was made possible through food stamps, and the joy from meals like these helped me become the man I am today.
A meal is a sign of love, a reward for working hard day after day. Every American, just like my family, deserves that right.
Our current political climate recycles the toxic “welfare queen” mentality, using government resources to fearmonger against those who rely on assistance. Needing help is not a sign of weakness or laziness; it’s a basic function of our government.
I know what it’s like to wonder if there will be enough to eat and I’ve felt the relief and dignity that a simple meal can bring. Behind every statistic and partisan soundbite are real families who feel the brunt of this political war.
Quit the fighting and keep Americans fed.
This story was originally published November 1, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
