In Washington, DC, Congress is making critical decisions about the federal budget. These decisions could dramatically impact programs governed by agriculture committees. The agriculture section of the federal budget contains funding for SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) — known as 3SquaresVT in Vermont.  

Federal lawmakers are proposing deep budget cuts of more than $230 billion from the SNAP program alone. These proposals include policies that would make it harder for people to be eligible for SNAP, expand work requirements, shift program costs to state budgets, and limit benefit increases tied to inflation. SNAP is a supplemental nutrition program and currently, the average SNAP benefit is just $6 per person per day.  These proposals would have harmful impacts on neighbors in Vermont – they would make people less food secure. 

SNAP is a lifeline for many families across our state.

Vermont Foodbank staff recently spoke with a mom who relies on 3SquaresVT benefits to meet her family’s food and financial needs.  

Alicia, who lives in Hardwick, loves hunting, fishing and being in nature with her family of three. Her fiancé works for the state of Vermont. After the birth of their daughter Emori, Alicia left her assistant director job at an after-school program to be a stay-at-home mom. After she spends their 3SquaresVT benefits for the month, she relies on WIC to cover additional items on her shopping list, like fresh fruits and vegetables and eggs.  

“3SquaresVT is the difference between us having to decide if we’re going to be able to afford to pay our bills or put food in the cupboard. The cost of living is so expensive, and it’s even more so now that we have a baby. To not have to worry about having enough food, it’s a blessing…we have more choices, and we can plan ahead for meals, which is something we couldn’t do before going paycheck to paycheck.” 

Alicia described all their essential monthly expenses: rent, heat, electricity, a monthly car payment, car insurance, phones, internet, and gas to get back and forth to work. After piecing together bills, they didn’t have much leftover before applying to 3SquaresVT.  

“It would run down to the wire…I’d have to decide, OK, I’m going to get put gas in my car today and maybe buy a package of wipes today and then tomorrow maybe I’ll be able to buy diapers and the cat’s getting low on food. So maybe the next day we could buy food for our cat and, and maybe some litter for her and that’s how it would go. And before we received food stamps from EBT, it was all solely going to food and we’d be having to decide, OK, am I going to buy the cat’s food today or am I going to buy food for myself today?”  

Alicia is currently exclusively breastfeeding her daughter and expressed how important 3SquaresVT has been to helping her access fresh, nutritious foods. “I’m excited to eventually be able to share this with Emori too. She’s coming up on six months. She’ll be trying new foods for the first time and we’re hoping actually to make baby food from scratch for her. We’ll be able to buy food with our 3SquaresVT and make baby food for her.”  

Both Alicia and her husband have struggled with food insecurity in the past. Alicia described how her grandparents stepped in to help, while her fiancé, “unfortunately, didn’t have the same situation. He went hungry a lot of nights.”  

Looking forward, Alicia says “I hope one day that food insecurity is going to become a thing of the past.”

“I’d love for every person to have access to three square meals a day and not have to worry about where that’s coming from. I hope access to food becomes easier and more affordable for people. And I hope my daughter doesn’t have to worry about food like I have,” she continued. 

To people who have never experienced food insecurity before, Alicia offers, “Food insecurity is scary. It’s not knowing if you’ll be able to eat – that’s scary. No one should be have to go without food. It’s one of the main components alongside water and shelter for human survival. It’s a basic need that everybody deserves access to.” 

Programs like SNAP, Medicaid, WIC and Fuel Assistance, are meant to assist neighbors in a wide variety of life experiences. These critical, federally funded programs are necessary to ensure neighbors like Alicia have the resources they need to make sure their families are housed, fed, have needed medical care, and are able to heat their homes. 

Detrimental changes to SNAP/3SquaresVT that may be coming from the federal government would be harmful changes for families like Alicia’s.  

“A lesser benefit would definitely impact us negatively. We’re right on that threshold of being able to receive benefits. We get just enough from EBT to afford our groceries, any less and it would really be a struggle for us,” Alicia said.  

What can you do?

Write or call Vermont’s congressional delegation offices. Tell Senator Sanders, Senator Welch, and Congresswoman Balint to continue their good work to protect SNAP. Share your experience with them so they know people in Vermont want 3SquaresVT, as well as other critical programs like Medicaid, WIC, and heating assistance to continue to support us and our neighbors. Their staff will ask your name and town to verify that you are a Vermont resident.  

If you do not live in Vermont, use this link to tell your congresspeople NO CUTS to SNAP!