Kentuckians brace for impact without SNAP benefits, and neighbors step up to help

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- It's been 30 days since the government shutdown began, and time is running out for thousands of Kentucky families who rely on federal food assistance.

SNAP benefits — better known as food stamps — are set to stop on Nov. 1 if the government doesn't reopen, leaving families across the state uncertain about how they'll feed their children.

For Desirae Pierson, a single mother of two young girls, the shutdown is more than politics — it's personal.

"It helps put food on the table for me and my kids while I'm in school right now, pursuing my degree," Pierson said Thursday.

When letters started arriving at her home warning that her benefits could be cut off, Pierson said she felt a mix of fear and disbelief.

"They eventually started sending out notices to my home that my SNAP food benefits would be impacted or reduced or no longer showing up in the account," she said. "I got worried. I got worried on how I would be able to provide nutritional food and meals for me and my children."

SNAP, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, helps more than 13% of Kentuckians — a number that mirrors the rate in Louisville, according to Bridgette Johnson, president of the New Directions Housing Corporation.

"It's almost unreal that this is truly happening to our residents," Johnson said. "It's hard for someone to digest that they will not be able to afford groceries for their families, especially during the holidays. Thanksgiving is coming. Christmas is coming. So we are working very hard to support our families during this time."

Johnson said her organization is also working to help families understand the difference between SNAP and another federal assistance program — TANF, or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.

"TANF is temporary assistance for needy families," she explained. "It's a stricter program with stricter income regulations. SNAP is food — and food is a basic necessity that we all deserve."

With SNAP benefits disappearing and TANF payments being reduced by about 35%, Johnson said the need for community support has never been greater.

That's where neighbors are stepping in.

Darrell Fuller, a longtime New Directions board member, said the organization's leadership wanted to find a way to directly help families affected by the shutdown.

"At our most recent board meeting, we talked about the impact the cuts to SNAP would have on our residents," Fuller said. "I want to jump-start engaging our board to contribute toward Dare to Care specifically for the affected residents within New Directions."

Fuller personally pledged $5,000 to the effort — hoping others would follow his lead.

"As a member of this community, as a business owner in this community, it's incumbent on me to do something to make a difference," he said.

That same spirit inspired John Beran, a New Directions volunteer who felt compelled to act after hearing Pierson's story.

"When I heard the story, it wasn't faceless anymore," Beran said. "It was Desiree, and I didn't want to listen to that story and not do something about it before I got up from my breakfast table."

Beran purchased $300 in Kroger gift cards for Pierson and her family — and then reached out to friends for help.

"The commitments are already in the thousands of dollars," he said. "I wanted her to know she's not alone, and I wanted her neighbors to know they're not alone."

For Pierson, that support has been both humbling and life changing.

"I'm going to have to rely on friends and family," she said. "That's my only option. Those are my only options. It's hard. It's already hard being a single parent and in school right now."

Still, she's grateful for the kindness that's come her way — and for organizations like New Directions who are helping her navigate what comes next.

"I am extremely grateful and thankful," Pierson said. "I've been with them for about a year now, and they have been such a big support for me and my children."

As the Nov. 1 cutoff looms, New Directions and community partners like Dare to Care are working overtime to fill the gap — one family, one donation, and one meal at a time.

"The constituents are suffering and will suffer because of decisions that our legislators are making," Johnson said. "But we're here — and we're not giving up on our families."

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