SNAP & Medicaid Protect Basic Human Needs in Cuyahoga County
Food. Water. Air. Sleep. Shelter. These are not luxuries. They’re the building blocks of life—the physiological needs at the foundation of Abraham Maslow’s well-known hierarchy. Without these essentials, everything else—health, opportunity, dignity, and community stability–falls apart.
Currently, we’re on the brink of yet another devastating setback. Impending changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid threaten the food security and health care of millions. These aren’t just numbers—they’re real people: families, children, seniors, and neighbors whose lives depend on decisions made far from home.
Since the Great Depression, we’ve known that hunger and lack of health care hurt everyone. In the 1960s, Medicaid and SNAP were created to help and protect the most vulnerable. Over time, these programs have grown to support pregnant women, children, people with disabilities, and seniors.
But now, due to federal policy changes, more than 12 million Americans may lose these vital supports. New work and reporting requirements—amounting to intentional barriers— will push people out of programs they rely on for survival.
In Cuyahoga County, the numbers are staggering:
Roughly 380,000 residents—30% of the population—depend on Medicaid for health care.
Over half are children under 18.
Nearly 20% are seniors.
Approximately 190,000 individuals—or 20% of the population—receive SNAP benefits.
39% are under 18.
14% are over 65.
It’s important to note that the “s” in SNAP stands for “supplemental”—meaning that, contrary to popular belief, many SNAP recipients work and the food benefits they might get are an add-on to a meager income. Here’s a snapshot of what SNAP assistance for a family of four in Ohio might look like: a single parent of three children making $2,000 monthly and paying $1,200 in rent and utilities and $250 in childcare may receive around $500-600 in SNAP benefits.
Medicaid and SNAP are not “entitlements” or optional line items. They are lifelines. Cutting them means denying access to food, medicine, and basic care. It means allowing young children to go hungry. It means forcing seniors to choose between buying food or filling a prescription. It means putting entire families at risk—particularly those already living on the edge.
Regional leaders, residents, and service providers gathered to confront this looming crisis at a recent community conversation hosted by Cuyahoga County. The message was clear: these cuts will harm our communities. They will deepen inequality. They will devastate those who already face barriers due to race, gender, disability, or poverty.
At YWCA Greater Cleveland, we know these truths intimately. We see them every day in the women, children, and families we serve. We know access to food and health care isn’t just a policy issue—it’s an equity issue.
YWCA Greater Cleveland has stood for justice for more than 150 years, and we are not stopping. We will continue to fight for the right of every person in our community to live with dignity, health, and hope. We will not turn our backs on those in need. Not now. Not ever.
Because no one should have to fight for food. No one should have to fight for health care. And no one should be left behind.