The SNAP Shutdown Tested Us. Our Response Must Transform Us.

Last week—just before the federal government reopened—Cleveland’s Center for Community Solutions captured the chaos of the moment with a headline that said it all: “We’ve rewritten this SNAP article four times in three days.” 

That frantic pace was no exaggeration. SNAP, otherwise known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), is the nation’s largest and most effective anti-hunger program, sustaining 1 in 8 Americans living at or just above the poverty line. For more than six decades, it has been the backbone of the national safety net. Yet, during the recent 43-day shutdown—the longest in U.S. history—SNAP was thrust into unprecedented jeopardy. For the first time ever, the federal government failed to fund the program, leaving 42 million people to face the possibility of empty pantries and plates. 

It is important to note that of the 42 million working-age people enrolled in the SNAP program, most work. Eligibility for SNAP is based on income, not solely on employment status. This means many people are on the program because their wages are not enough to cover their basic needs. 

In Cuyahoga County, 190,000 of our neighbors felt the impact of withheld SNAP benefits immediately. The two-week freeze brought fear and despair—because hunger doesn’t wait for policy squabbles to be settled. And yet, amid uncertainty, the Greater Cleveland community responded with extraordinary compassion. Agencies, faith communities, libraries, nonprofits, schools, and individual residents mobilized with urgency. 

Advocates fear the damage may already be rippling out. As Joel Berg, CEO of Hunger Free America, warns, “By making SNAP payments uncertain, the shutdown will likely further decrease the number of eligible people who will apply.” In other words, families who need help may now be too afraid or distrustful to seek it. 

This six-week crisis laid bare a truth we can no longer ignore: For many of our neighbors, SNAP is not optional. In the absence of living wages for all, SNAP is essential to the very infrastructure of human dignity. The outpouring of bipartisan support and grassroots action during the shutdown only underscores how deeply people depend on— and believe in—this program. 

At YWCA Greater Cleveland, we see this need every day. In recent weeks, we have sheltered record-breaking numbers of women—sometimes more than 300 in a single night. Thanks to our generous partners, shelves have been stocked and meals delivered. But let us be clear: neither nonprofits nor philanthropic organizations can replace a functioning safety net. 

The work of fixing the hole in the safety net is far from finished. If we are serious about protecting our neighbors, we must channel this moment into sustained advocacy. We must insist that policymakers treat SNAP as the lifeline it is—not a bargaining chip. 

Now is the time to speak out, show up, and stand firm. Our community has proven its strength. Let’s turn that strength into lasting change—so that every resident, without exception, has reliable access to food, stability, and dignity.