Food-Insecure Families Still Waiting on SNAP to Resume
Virginia Beach, VA – After the Senate vote Sunday night, Gov. Youngkin hit pause on payment from Virginia Emergency Nutrition Assistance program, leaving SNAP recipients uncertain if they will get their full benefits this month. It still remains unclear when SNAP will resume as usual, leaving families to navigate food lines at overwhelmed food banks across the Commonwealth.
This only adds to the uncertainty people in Hampton Roads feel after Rep. Kiggans voted to slash SNAP benefits earlier this year. The funding package voted on by the House failed to reverse the cuts to SNAP, which impacts over 78,000 people in Rep. Kiggans’ district who are now at immediate risk of losing SNAP benefits that help their families afford food.
“As a former teacher and volunteer at For Kids and food pantries once I moved here, I’ve seen firsthand what a difference quality nutrition makes to each and every child,” said Natasha Baird, Suffolk resident. “Right now, the demand is staggering. That anyone can leave hungry children wondering where their next meal will come from is cruel. Every child deserves a full belly. Every parent deserves the peace of mind that can only come from knowing their child’s nutritional needs are being fully met, while still being able to meet their own. Working families are struggling with increased costs for everything, and Rep. Kiggans is only making it worse with her vote to cut SNAP earlier this year. She should put her constituents first and reverse her dangerous cuts to SNAP.”
“As families continue to navigate the chaos of the government shutdown, Rep. Kiggans continues to stay silent on the issues that matter,” said Emily Yeatts, Affordable Virginia Campaigns Director. “We keep hearing from families who have had their benefits halted, and those who thought they were getting support, only for that funding to be paused too. Rep. Kiggans owes it to her constituents to advocate for stability; instead, she continues to align herself with the chaos inflicted by this administration and the Republican Tax Law on working families just trying to make ends meet. Billionaires are receiving huge tax breaks at the expense of working families who are struggling with rising health care costs and the impact of tariffs on everything – including their ability to put food on the table. Rep. Kiggans, stand up for your constituents and stop cuts to SNAP.”