As the director of the LSS Food Pantries, which provide nearly 1.5 million meals each year to people who are hungry, I know that our services can only do so much to help our hungry neighbors.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the number one defense against hunger in our communities. Pantries like ours work best when supplementing SNAP benefits or when SNAP doesn’t cover certain necessary items.

The changes to SNAP administration proposed in this new state budget will increase hunger in our communities by taking away essential benefits to people who are working hard to just get by.

Many clients tell us it’s already very difficult to manage SNAP regulations. These are families and individuals who oftentimes need our help for a short period while they work to recover from medical bills, unemployment and other unexpected expenses.

The proposed modifications around asset tests and change reporting for SNAP will punish many of our clients for simply working overtime or owning a car that allows them to get to work.

Let’s stop penalizing people for working to get ahead and empower them find financial stability. Governor DeWine should veto this language if it remains in the budget.

Jennifer Fralic
Director of LSS Food Pantries
Worthington