How is it possible that in America, one of the wealthiest nations in the world, 47 million people, including nearly 14 million children, lived in food-insecure households in 2023? It might not seem possible, but according to Feeding America, this is the reality. Consider the magnitude of that reality for a moment. Right now in classrooms across this nation, there are children who sit down to learn, who come to school hungry with empty stomachs. In neighborhoods across our cities, there are families figuring out how to pay rent and still afford groceries. In a nation overflowing with wealth and resources, this is almost incomprehensible.
One resource to help address this problem is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which was formerly known as food stamps. This program provides food benefits to low-income families who are struggling to put food on the table. These funds are added to their grocery budget so they can afford food that is essential for their health and well-being. According to the SNAP website, they are “putting healthy food within reach for those in need.”
The passing of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) included changes to SNAP. As with most issues in our country today, reactions were divided between parties. Republicans celebrated the changes, while Democrats cried foul. However, when you silence the political noise, there are genuine concerns that could significantly affect families, grocery stores, and local communities.
How could SNAP changes affect families and communities?
There are three major provisions in the new SNAP changes that could reshape how this vital program works.
1. States sharing the cost of the benefit
Perhaps the most damaging provision is the requirement that states now share in the cost of SNAP benefits. From the beginning, the federal government has been fully funding SNAP, ensuring consistent support throughout the country. Shifting the financial burden to the states could force them to make tough budget decisions, potentially reducing the level of help families receive. In states already facing fiscal challenges, this could mean fewer resources for those most in need, widening the gap between families who can afford healthy food and those who cannot.
2. The Thrifty Food Plan revisions
The second major change concerns the Thrifty Food Plan, the framework the USDA uses to calculate the maximum SNAP benefit. While the 2021 update finally raised benefits to better reflect the true cost of food, the new bill opens the door for cuts by mandating stricter cost controls and limiting flexibility in future adjustments. In practical terms, this could roll back some gains that helped families stretch their food budgets, leaving them once again in the impossible position of trying to make too little go too far. Before the increase in the benefit to reflect increased food prices, the SNAP benefit didn’t cover all the food costs. The Thrifty Food Plan revisions do nothing to close that gap but potentially widen it.
3. Additional work requirements
It seems logical that able-bodied adults who can work should. The problem is that most of them already are. US Census data shows that 85% of families receiving SNAP benefits had at least one person working in the household in the past 12 months. The problem is not people who don’t want to work and want to live off government freebies. The problem is that for many families in this situation, their wages are too low and they don’t make enough to cover the rising costs of food. For these families, SNAP benefits are not a luxury; they are necessary for their family’s survival. Adding additional work requirements has not been shown to lead to more people working. It does not help them in finding work, and it threatens to remove a desperately needed lifeline many families are depending on.
When people lose SNAP, that doesn’t just hurt individual families. It affects the economies of entire communities. Studies have shown that for every additional dollar of SNAP spent during an economic downturn, it can generate up to $1.50 in economic activity. It is the local communities that can benefit from this as well.
Jesus cared about people’s hunger.
One miracle we read about in the Bible is Jesus feeding the four thousand. However, when you read the story, please pay attention to what led to Jesus performing this miracle. In Matthew 15, the Bible tells us that Jesus went on a mountainside and sat down. Crowds of people came to Jesus, bringing people who needed healing, and Jesus healed them. The people were amazed at this, but it is what Jesus said next that I want you to focus on.
Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.” - Matthew 15:32
Jesus recognized their need and had compassion on them. In case you need reminding, compassion is when you are moved enough that it causes you to do something about it. When you strip away all the media hoopla and the political noise coming from Washington, D.C., my question to us as Christians is, where is our compassion? What truly lies at the heart of this issue is how we care about our neighbor and whether we are willing to do what Jesus did. What I will show you is that the issue is not resources; it’s desire.
According to the U.S. Federal Reserve, the amount of wealth held by U.S. households is $160.35 trillion. If you divided that equally across every American, each person would receive $471,465. Now, I am not advocating for them to do this. My point is that there are more than enough resources to eradicate hunger in our country; however, the real question remains: is there a desire to do it?
Would a First Century Church model work today?
As Christians, we're called to be mindful of how policies affect the vulnerable in our communities. In the first-century church described in Acts, they didn't overlook or look down on the vulnerable; they did something even more surprising. They cared for them.
All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. - Acts 2:44-45
The early church took care of those in need. They even gave up some of their own wealth to make sure no one went without. In today's political climate, some might label this as socialism, but what does it say about us as a nation, and us as a church, if we can applaud the idea that people might lose their food benefits and not be deeply concerned about it? The apostle John put it plainly:
If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. - 1 John 3:17-18
What can we actually do?
So where does this leave us? I don't think the answer is simply to complain about policy changes or argue about politics. The answer, I believe, is to do more than talk about the problem but to figure out how we can be part of the solution.
Whether SNAP benefits increase or decrease, our responsibility as Christians to care for the hungry remains unchanged. Government programs come and go, policies shift, but our calling to love our neighbors doesn't change.
I want you to change your mindset the next time you think about food insecurity. Don’t think of statistics or talking points. Think of your children’s classmates who could be hungry and embarrassed to admit it. Think of your neighbor who you smile and wave at, yet they may have empty cupboards. Also, don’t forget about the families who are deciding between rent and groceries. These are the actual faces of those who are food insecure, and many of them may look just like you.
Jesus cared about hunger, and so should we. The early church responded with generosity, and so should we. God has blessed this nation with incredible resources, and what will we do with them? I remind you of this hard truth. In one of the wealthiest nations in the world, millions still go hungry. We should do everything we can as a nation and a church to ensure that we can shape a future where no neighbor’s table is empty.
Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/ Joshua Rawson-Harris
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