Georgia families face hardship as SNAP benefits are cut amid government shutdown

ATLANTA, Ga. (WRBL) — Senator Raphael Warnock toured the Goodr Community Market in Atlanta on Monday to see how the government shutdown is affecting families who rely on SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

The market, located off Edgewood Avenue, has been open for 90 days and provides affordable produce, groceries, and deli items for seniors and families using EBT cards.

Jasmine Crowe-Houston, the founder and CEO of Goodr, says 9 out of 10 customers rely on SNAP and are already struggling.

“Many of our seniors get $16 to $40 a month in benefits. They’re stretching what they have to get by, relying on food banks and other services,” Crowe-Houston said

Customers like Karen Stewart, who use SNAP, say the cuts are hitting them hard.

“It’s going to impact us because there’s now money out of my pocket I would have been able to use for basics,” Stewart said.

Crowe-Houston says the market will continue to help families for free when possible, but she worries that many who depend on SNAP may go hungry.

Senators Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff are urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture to use its authority to fund SNAP this month. Warnock called the shutdown a “manufactured crisis” and emphasized that food and healthcare are fundamental human rights.

Federal data shows more than 1.4 million Georgians rely on SNAP, including over 600,000 children.

The Trump administration has said it will provide partial SNAP benefits this month, meaning over 40 million Americans could see reduced payments and possible delays as the government shutdown nears a record length.