He choked up mid talk.
The thought of helping people get unstuck weighed on him. Especially when the young man he described had shown so much promise.
But that young man was stuck on the contradiction his mom kept feeding him…
If I improve and earn too much, I will lose all my government benefits.
That talk came from a classmate 10 years ago. He widened my aperture of what’s possible in both business and living in a community.
And his passion shaped how I help others in my community. It’s all about getting others to stand on their own two feet.
But here comes a massive challenge. Those positive efforts didn’t snowball like I hoped. And now that limiting belief has expanded to 42 million people on SNAP.
Ten Years’ Hence
Why is it so bad for more than 12% of Americans to be on SNAP?
In short, EBT cards take away the human connection.
Instead of a handout coming from a hand, money transfers automatically to an EBT card. It adjusts to your income level and number of dependents.
It’s efficient. But at the cost of accountability.
What benefits most from this arrangement? Food companies that make ultra processed, ready to eat meals. Which those families can now buy more of and grow obese and diabetic. Which we then cover with subsidized weight loss medication.
But it’s ok. This is only holding up your 401(k), right?
You don’t need $3k to feed a family of seven
Those easy handouts also inflate expectations. Like how much it takes to feed a family.
The most outrageous one? That it takes nearly $3,000 a month to feed a family of seven.
When that many resources are dumped on someone, they lose their agency to make decisions. They don’t have to discern what’s better or worse for their situation.
That inhibits creativity.
It’s cognitively easier to go to the cupboard, open a snack pack, and continuing to doom scroll.
But preparing healthy foods gives you ownership of the process. And it costs less overall than packaged or fast foods.
Aid could finally be right-sized.
Will getting excess resources out of the system solve this problem? Not completely, but it’s a needed first step.
What to do if you’re trapped
After that? Take as many steps as you’re willing until you can stand on your own.
Learn to manage your money
This is the hardest, but most effective. If you have no idea what you bring in or spend, you have no idea if any changes make a difference…or even that you need to change!
And when you apply the next couple steps, this will show you how much progress you’re making.
Buy cookware from discount rack stores
This is one of the best investments anyone can make. You don’t need anything fancy, either.
Rather than spending hundreds of dollars on a full set, you can spend $20 or less for one ceramic coated skillet to get what you need.
Make something yourself
Now use that skillet to cook an egg. Cook a chicken breast.
Seems boring by itself? Put a handful of spinach next to it and put some sauce on it.
Do this a couple times and that skillet pays for itself in the first week.
A little longer than going from the fridge to the microwave? Yes.
But this little step gives you ownership. Ownership that frees you from dependency.
Get hands on
Are there people on SNAP in genuine need?
Sure.
But hiding 42 million Americans behind the anonymity and neglect an EBT card provides isn’t doing them any favors. People need to be physically seen and engaged instead of being a nameless, faceless stomach.
Being seen is a two way street of accountability.
That’s what builds communities.
That’s what I hope to see as the shutdown plays out.
And seeing that would get me choked up.
Affiliate Corner
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Check out these related posts before you go:
Liberty Begins At Home 
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