→ Republicans currently control Congress, the Senate, and have President Trump as their Commander in Chief and leader of the ‘Free World’, and head of the Executive Branch.

JUST AS MIDNIGHT STRUCK FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY MORNING, over 41 million Americans lost their SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits. Children from 0-17 years old account for over 38% of all benefits received. That equates to more than 15 million children up to the age of 17 not receiving supplemental nutrition assistance. The ramifications of this cannot be overstated and they will be acute. Here is what we’ve seen so far leading up to the midnight expiration.

States are also fighting back legally, with Massachusetts and 24 other states suing the Trump administration over the funding lapse. The lawsuit, which was filed in Massachusetts Federal Court, accuses the U.S. Department of Agriculture of “unlawfully” suspending the SNAP during the government shutdown, despite billions of dollars in contingency funds being available. There are reportedly over $5billion dollars available, and Trump and his administration are refusing to tap into them.

According to the filing and press release from the AG’s office in Boston led by AG Andrea Joy Campbell:

→ In an effort to show what food and nutritional programs mean to Americans, I spoke with Methuen, Massachusetts resident Rebecca Greco-Ferreira, who recently posted on Facebook about her experience receiving SNAP/WIC benefits for her and her family back in 2006. Rebecca served active duty in the Air Force from 2004 to 2006. She was then in the Air National Guard from 2007-2013 and left as a Staff Sargent. Her husband, Eric Ferreira, is a former Marine (2002-2024, including reserves) who retired as Sargent Major, and was a police officer for nearly 20 years. Their son Eric Jr., who is mentioned in this interview, is now 19 years old. This interview was edited for clarity.

Rebecca:

Hey, Ryan.

Ryan:

Hey, how’s it going? How are you? Gosh, we haven’t or talked for years.

Rebecca:

Good. Currently my in-laws are away so I’m caring for their cat. He’s diabetic and asthmatic so I’m just feeding him and then you have my undivided attention.

Ryan:

How was tonight? Weren’t you partaking in Halloween festivities?

Rebecca:

We got zero people. No trick-or-treaters. I got a bowl of chocolate candy and then a bowl of candy and no one came.

Ryan:

Damn. That sucks.

Ryan:

On October 22^nd you had posted about food benefits. It was really impassioned. Why did you feel like you should speak up about this?

Rebecca:

A lot of the commenters on social media were writing things like, ‘well, now they want to have food, maybe they should go get a job.’ Or ‘I’m sick of being a giver and having all these people be takers.’ Just comments like that. And the thing I don’t think a lot of people realize is that most people, with the exception of the extremely wealthy, can be one catastrophic event from needing a handout, a leg up. And it’s something that with the events that happened to us (the Ferreira family), I can say that, maybe I didn’t realize how close we were to qualifying for assistance. The other thing is that the amount that people contribute monthly to SNAP benefits is minuscule. It’s not like they’re getting taxed a lot of money, and so to have them refer to themselves as givers, and people as takers, when a lot of the people that are using these benefits are elderly, and disabled children, right? People who really can’t even change their tax bracket even if they wanted to, right? So, I think that people, and I don’t want to misquote statistics, but... if I saw correctly, it’s like one in six people in Massachusetts is on SNAP benefits, right?

Ryan:

Yes, 1 million people in the state of Massachusetts. That’s about 1 in 6.

Rebecca:

Yeah, so chances are someone that you know is either currently on and using SNAP benefits or may need to in the immediate future or, you know, has in the past. Sadly, there’s a stigma attached to it that maybe people don’t even realize that the people that they know are on it. Because they don’t want to bring it up. And I don’t know that a lot of people knew that we used WIC.

Ryan:

Right, absolutely.

Rebecca:

Another very similar in programming, right (WIC)? It’s based on assets and income. Our situation was that we both had full-time jobs. Eric (husband) also had a part-time job. My full-time job was in the military. His full-time job was federal police officer. And then his part-time job was as a military reservist. We had like 2 ¼ incomes. We’re living on base with housing, so our housing is paid for. We have one vehicle.

The other thing I’m reading is that these people (on SNAP benefits) drive fancy cars and, there’s so many cars. Okay, well, if they both lost their jobs at the same time or somebody at home got very ill, they could go from paying for those cars to suddenly not being able to pay for those cars. They still need to eat, and their children still need to eat.

To me, it’s just that this is a humanitarian crisis. This isn’t a left or a right or a rich or a poor. It’s basic needs. It’s shelter, food. We’re supposed to be one of the greatest countries in the world. And I feel like feeding those that need to be fed is something that can easily be accomplished and has been for a long time. I wanted to share my story that we had gone from these two and a quarter job, all the way to Eric found out he was deploying to Iraq for his second deployment, and I gave birth to our Eric junior.

I couldn’t envision living a six, seven-hour drive from home with a disabled child with my husband deployed in an emergency. So I decided to get out of the military on a childbirth clause. I moved home, he deployed, and our pay got cut by, one full paycheck, and his activation probably put his pay, I don’t remember exact because it was in 2006, but I think his active duty pay ended up being about the equivalent of his other two jobs. So, he was making a little bit more, but we lost my entire pay. And that’s a huge, huge pay cut.

We also had the added cost of diapers, formula, and medications because of my child’s (Eric Jr.) disabilities, constant doctor’s visits, which is gas, parking, etc. I mean, our expenses went up. And our means went significantly down. A social worker that came out because of Eric Jr.’s disability, I didn’t even know that this (SNAP/WIC) was something I would qualify for.

I don’t think anyone I know had ever used it or hadn’t shared that with me (at that time). A social worker that was coming out because of his disability said, ‘You probably qualify, you should look into it.’ I went down to the office, and they were like, yeah, absolutely. And actually, at the time if you had a blood regulation condition, that was actually a qualifier anyway.

So, we probably would have qualified no matter what, but income for lower enlisted military is considered within the threshold of people that qualify for SNAP and WIC benefits. I did a quick search online. and I think I saw 233,000-ish, and you’d have to check that number, but military that’s either active-duty reservists or active-duty reservists or National Guard members, are using SNAP benefits. I don’t know if that just means the military members themselves, but you’ve got to figure if they have a family of two, three, or four, you’re looking at over half a million SNAP benefit recipients are military members.

People are saying things like, “Go get a job”, or “I’m sick of being the giver”, when some of these people (who are on SNAP/WIC) are putting their lives on the line potentially, to serve our country.

In putting up my post I had some military family make a comment saying that they received SNAP, which I did not know. And I had a person that I went to high school with when he was, I guess, in elementary and middle school. His father was a local firefighter. And he received... either free or reduced; it seemed like breakfast and lunch from his commentary. So, these are everyday people. These are people that are in our communities that are working, and it’s just disheartening to see people say, well, maybe if they went out and got a job, it’s people that, and there are some people that are unemployed, sure, but, even if they are.

Ryan:

Yeah. Those numbers line up roughly speaking.

Rebecca:

So we’re saying, yeah, that’s why the programs exist, you know.

Ryan:

Like a social safety net, right?

Rebecca:

Yeah. You know I worked in a school the past five years as an aide and there’s kids that come in sometimes and life was just too busy and mom and dad forgot to pack lunch or snack and I’ve done that, right? Every parent has done that at some point. And then there’s parents that, you know, there may not have been any groceries in the house that day, so a lot of schools, the teachers will have, out of their own money, out of their own pocket, teachers will set up a closet with healthy snacks for the kids to, choose from. And I just, it’s, just really disheartening that people really don’t see that this for what it is, big problem that affects a lot of our country. And again, a lot of the people that are affected by it are people who cannot change their financial situation. Like I said whether they’re disabled, elderly, children, people deserve to eat.

Ryan:

Yeah, exactly, that would be everybody.

Rebecca:

Right.

Ryan:

I know what you mean. It’s hard to hear that side of things, where people just think that the people around them don’t deserve to have a meal or food or nourishment. It’s hard. It’s been hard to hear because I have a lot of thoughts about a lot of things going on. But the food issue for me... I can’t even imagine having that kind of mindset. But it’s actually awful.

I’ve also never heard someone phrase it yet since this is all started to crop up in the past few weeks, as a humanitarian crisis, which it clearly is. It just is. I think that’s a great point you made.

How did SNAP/WIC benefits help your family, and what do those benefits mean to you?

Rebecca:

Yeah, so it meant... it meant less worry in a time that kind of already had a whole lot of worry. We had our newborn in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) and we almost lost him. My husband was deployed to Iraq, which is scary, too.

Ryan:

It was Eric’s second tour, you said, correct?

Rebecca:

Second tour, yeah. And it was just; it (SNAP/WIC) meant that it was one thing that was constant and that I didn’t have to worry about. You know what I mean? And I really used it for our benefit. A lot of these programs offer vouchers to go to farmers’ markets, which people don’t realize.

Ryan:

I recently found out. I did not know that.

Rebecca:

I tried to go a few different times when different things were in season. And I got a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables that I steamed, pureed, froze in silicone, like freezer trays, ice trays. And I made all his baby food fresh. So that, the next step, once we were past formula, was already taken care of as well, because, and for me, it was peace of mind in a time that was in a time that was really unsteady and... didn’t offer a lot of peace of mind, you know?

Ryan:

As an American and, specifically for you folks being military members, what do you make of the federal government deciding not to release more than $5 billion in contingency funds that they have available to them? What does that say to you?

Rebecca:

That right now their priorities are not the average American. These funds have already been allocated. These things were already agreed on. People have already paid taxes in to these things. And again, you know, this becomes, depending on how long it lasts, a crisis in a country that is supposed to be one of the best in the world. You know, a country that leaves people unfed quickly falls, in my opinion, out of the graces of one of the best nations in the world. If you’re not taking care of your people and there’s clear choices that could be made here. The funds exist. And they’re choosing not to release them. And that’s heartbreaking. Because, you know, some people really, I am blessed that my parents and my in-laws and people like Chris and Ashley (mutuals), no one would have ever let my family go without. You know what I mean? People would have made it so that we were okay no matter what. There are people that don’t have that at all. Or maybe they would be too proud to even let people know that they’re in a situation where they need that sort of help, and then the ripple effect that this is going to have, food producers to grocery stores to truck drivers. So much is spent on food, and if people don’t have this money, then these products are not being purchased. So, we risk the cost of food going up and there’s just such a big, big picture thing here.

Ryan:

I’m interested in some family history. When did you have your son, Eric Jr.? When was he born?

Rebecca:

So he was born in March 2006. He was born in Bethesda, Maryland.

Ryan:

Gotcha. How old is he now?

Rebecca:

19 years old.

Ryan:

What is the timeline for winter 2006? You had your son Eric in March and then Eric’s deployed. What was that year like?

Rebecca:

We think he (Eric Sr.) found out around February that he was going to be deploying again. We didn’t find out about his (Eric Jr.) disabilities until he was born. So, we knew we were having a child, obviously. We were due in mid-April. He came a few weeks early. And then we were surprised by his disabilities. We talked about me potentially getting out of the military because I wasn’t really sure that I wanted to do it, but I was still on the fence.

Then one of my supervisors came to visit the hospital and went over some options with me and said, you can actually get out on your due date, even though he had arrived early as a childbirth clause. If that’s what you’re thinking, with his disabilities.

He (Eric Jr) was still in ICU at that point, and we didn’t have a diagnosis for him yet. They suspected he was blind, but didn’t really know any of the other stuff that was going on.

Ryan:

How long was Eric Jr. in the NICU?

Rebecca:

Nine days.

Ryan:

What was running through your mind in the 24 hours when you found out your husband, Eric, was going to be deployed? What was that like?

Rebecca:

Yeah. We had just gotten over the last deployment. September 25th, 2004, he had landed back on US soil.

Ryan:

Got it.

Rebecca:

Then I was in Texas for the military. So, he joined me in Texas in late October.

He was away for federal law enforcement training, I think from August to October during my pregnancy. He had just gotten back and then found out he was deploying it again. I was like, come on. My initial thoughts were fear he was in a different, completely different unit, and he was in an infantry unit for this deployment, so that made it that made it a lot scarier for me, and as crazy as this is pride. I’ve always been proud of him in anything that he’s done. So there’s always a little bit of pride even though that gets pushed to the back burner for the more, the more intense emotions. But, I think, everything felt really uncertain.

Ryan:

Right. What did you use the food stamps for, mostly?

Rebecca:

Formula was the biggest one. For me, I could use it for milk and peanut butter, which I was. So, my intent was to breastfeed, but his disability made that impossible. So I pumped breast milk for a while. Keeping my nutrition as best as it could be is important when you’re breastfeeding. I continued pumping for as long as I could, and I supplemented breast milk and formula. I took some fruit and vegetables from the farmer’s market for myself. I can’t remember what else. Those are the ones that stick out in my mind.

Ryan:

I asked that because of curiosity and, I know there’s always the stigma of people saying, well, people buy Doritos with it, or something unhealthy, etc.

Rebecca:

If they want, yeah, that is always best, and you never know the situation at home, right?

Like, again, take our junior for instance, right? So, he’s 19 now, when he goes to a residential program, he will once again qualify for SNAP benefits because he’s 100% disabled. If you ask him what he wants to eat and he is given the choice, he is going to only pick French toast sticks, cookies. So chips, he actually loves peppers, so he’ll eat some peppers. And that’s the other thing. You don’t know what’s going on in someone’s home. Maybe they have someone who’s sick and the only thing that sounds appealing to them is Doritos. Maybe you have someone with a sensory processing disorder and that is the only thing that they can eat. Because of their sensory processing disorder, Eric had a classmate that the only thing he would eat was bacon. And he had another classmate who the only thing that he would eat was french fries because their sensory processing disorders were so severe that they couldn’t eat different textures, different temperatures, different colors, different, you know, whatever it may be, right?

So, it may look strange standing at the checkout counter to see someone buying only packs of bacon or only pancakes, but you don’t know what’s going on in someone’s home, and ultimately fed is best, especially for people who are hungry. You can’t judge what they’re choosing to eat. I’ve lived such a unique life that I know that there are parents that have kids that really, that’s all they’ll eat. For a long time Eric Jr., all he would eat was French toast sticks for breakfast.

I’m sure people are like, really, that’s the only thing you have in your cart? I’m sure people looking at a conveyor belt seeing that I have 4 packs of French toast sticks, they’re probably like, really? You know, but it’s not their home. It’s not their choice.

Ryan:

Yeah. Totally.

Rebecca:

I’ve read about kids that will only eat foods that are a certain color, certain texture, certain temperature, so I mean, to think that those kids would have to go hungry simply because they have something that is beyond their control that limits what they can eat, isn’t fair.

Ryan:

Yeah, I agree.

It looks like potentially that a judge may have ordered that they have to pay, or they have to make these funds available, but who knows right now. With that information out there, how does it feel for you to know that at midnight these benefits may no longer be available to 42 million people?

Rebecca:

Heartbreaking. I encouraged in my Facebook post for friends, family, and co-workers to try to see how they can help. I went to the local food pantry and felt as though I did my part. I went with my parents. We kind of made it a whole family ordeal. And the great thing is it looks like so many local restaurants and businesses are really stepping up, too. I saw someone that runs a spa say, ‘hey, I’m going to put a box outside the office if you’re coming in for a facial, you know, if you have extra things in your pantry and you’d like to donate them’. I saw the (city of) Methuen politicians decided to put I think 8 different boxes throughout the city.

So, while it is disheartening, it is also been heartwarming. I’m seeing that in a time of crisis that good is prevailing. People are trying to find ways to get creative and make sure that nobody goes hungry. And that is why I made my post.

Ryan:

Yeah! I love that mindset. It’s important to acknowledge both things. How terrible this is, and how communities are coming together in such a swift, positive way. Thank you so much, Rebecca.

Since this interview, a judge ordered the Trump administration to pay for SNAP benefits.

The Trump administration at first said they would agree to paying out 50% of those benefits, but have increased it to 65% and have said as soon as the shutdown ends, they will resume full payouts. It remains to be seen if this will happen. As of publishing this article, it has not.

WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP AMERICANS WHO NEED SNAP BENEFITS:

There are a number of ways and resources to help out. You can donate your time to local food banks, donate money, make sure your neighbors are fed.

I will add more links as I find them. Please leave a comment or message me privately if you’d like as well with links and information on how to support your local communities. My signal is rbmdispatch.01.

Websites to find sites where you can receive information on food assistance:

Websites to give monetary ($$) donations: