When life took an unexpected turn for a mom in northern Vermont, she got in touch with the Foodbank to help provide her family with nourishing food. With the one-on-one assistance available to help connect her with the food resources that work best for her whole family, she can keep feeding her kids quality food while investing in her community.
“I became a single parent while I was a student and had no income,” shares Jessie. “Around that same time, my partner lost her employment… we were really in a pinch in a way that I hadn’t really ever experienced in my life before.” A friend encouraged her to reach out to Vermont Foodbank, and we were able to help her apply for 3SquaresVT.
3SquaresVT is Vermont’s name for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (or SNAP), which provides eligible households with money each month to buy groceries. About 65,000 people living in Vermont receive 3SquaresVT benefits, bringing $155 million in federal food assistance to our local economy.
Having 3SquaresVT means more than just food on the table. For Jessie, it means being able to feed her kids the way she wants to—prioritizing fresh, organic, local ingredients that nourish her family in body, mind, and heart. With her monthly food benefit, Jessie says she’s able to keep the kitchen stocked with nourishing snacks the kids can help themselves to. “They’re never wondering if there’s enough food. That’s part of helping them build a healthy relationship with food, without stress or scarcity.”
She describes how she stretches her food benefits with programs that match 3SquaresVT dollars at participating farmers markets and give an extra discount at her local co-op. As a result, she’s able to purchase more food for her family while supporting the local economy. “It feels really good that we spend the majority of [our benefits] on local food and that money stays in Vermont.”
Jessie explains the positive impact 3SquaresVT has had for her family: “It’s given me a lot of confidence in my ability to show up as a parent, knowing that I can provide that nutrition. And it has also allowed me just to maintain my human dignity throughout a time when so much else is really uncomfortable and hard.
“As a mom, I’m always thinking about my kids and what their experience in a major life transition is like. And [thinking about] getting to access public benefits to continue to receive high-quality health care, access to high-quality food and nutrition. And the kinds of foods that your family is culturally used to eating, and that you value, and that feel good to you and make you feel good in your body. All of that access has provided real stability for all of us in the household during a time of a lot of transition, a lot of change, a lot of—in some ways—insecurity and instability.”
Jessie says working with the Foodbank “made the [application] process a lot less daunting.” She describes herself as someone who has a high level of education and administrative experience, and as someone who found the application process challenging.
Thanks to our supporters, Vermont Foodbank has dedicated staff with deep understanding of the complex policies of 3SquaresVT. These specialists help neighbors determine if they are eligible, lend support through the application process, and help overcome barriers along the way. Often, neighbors can be connected to additional resources like food shelves, and help paying for utilities and childcare. Jessie shares that having this personalized help “felt really relational and safe and efficient at the same time.”
Looking ahead, Jessie’s preparing for a new career in mental health and wants to continue seeing her children, neighbors, local food system, and community thrive.
“I just hope that as a community we can continue to see the value of helping each other out, giving each being that social support for each other in times of need,” says Jessie. “This is just a way that we take care of each other and that we make sure that the future generation, our children, are having the best possible situation in their childhood—so that they can thrive and grow up to be vibrant, productive citizens.”
* Photo substituted to protect privacy.
Marian and Paul Joseph (Marian’s oldest child) live in Addison County. They like to fish and go to Port Henry to watch the trains. They also participate in community conversations hosted by Vermont Foodbank, where people who have experience with food insecurity help co-create food access strategies in their communities.
As the season changes and the temperature cools, many of us start asking “How long can I go before turning on the heat?” The cost of fuel and other utilities can be a challenge.
Francis and Jerome both know what it’s like to be unhoused in Vermont without access to nourishing food. They advocate for food security and are sharing their experiences with state legislators and the public to support policy changes that address the root causes of hunger.
