When I was a single mother with a newborn and little to no support WIC and SNAP literally saved our lives. There were times we were homeless. I was breastfeeding my baby while wondering where my next meal was coming from.
There was no internet back then so myself and my newborn baby would be waiting in the DCF office for hours and sometimes a full day to be seen and heard. Anyone who thinks that navigating this system is easy has never been through it. It was excruciatingly difficult. Nowadays people are able to do more online but it is still difficult. Bureaucracy is built this way by design. They want people to give up because the tediousness of the red tape is overwhelming.
I was 8 months pregnant when I was discharged from the Marine Corps. Couldn’t get a job, who would hire me? Yet the unemployment office sent me out on job interviews every week. Here I am about to give birth and if I wanted to receive my unemployment check I had to drive all over town applying for positions that were completely out of my reach.
I will never forget when this man (my unemployment agent) sent me to Shapes, you know the women’s gym Shapes? For a receptionist position. The pure humiliation of even walking in there like “yes I know this is absolutely absurd but umm can I work here?” was maddening. Of course they didn’t hire me but if I wanted that check I HAD to comply with THE SYSTEM!!
So for anyone out there who truly believes that people receiving government assistance are “lazy” “unambitious” I implore you to understand that this narrative is completely FALSE. My story is not unique and I am not special. There are millions of people stuck in situations beyond their control who rely on Medicaid, SNAP, WIC, and other programs just to SURVIVE. Understand that no one is THRIVING under these conditions!!
PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF HUMANITY
#SaveSNAP #SaveMedicaid #SaveWIC