Read Time: 4 min 45 sec

BREWING QUESTIONS

WHAT YOU’RE ASKING

What is SNAP?

Picture this: you’re a farmer with a loooot of extra corn (it’s coming out of your ears). But people can’t afford your corn, so they go to the soup kitchen instead, and you have to throw away excess cobs.

That’s the scenario that prompted the U.S.’s first food stamp program during the Great Depression: The government issued stamps to the poor, which they could exchange for surplus commodities. Two decades later, the 1964 Food Stamp Act made the program permanent, and in 2008, it was renamed SNAP—Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. 

How large is SNAP?
Roughly 42 million people receive SNAP every month (1 in 8 U.S. residents). Children account for 39% of SNAP recipients, with roughly 1 in 5 children in the U.S. receiving SNAP benefits.

The average SNAP benefit is $187/month per person and can be spent on certain groceries and non-alcoholic beverages.

How do you qualify for SNAP?
Eligibility requirements:

• U.S. citizen or lawfully present non-citizen

• Gross income of below 130% of the federal poverty level (the federal poverty level is $15,650/year for an individual)

• Limited assets (e.g., non-retirement cash of less than $3,000)

• Able-bodied adult under 60 without dependents working/volunteering 20+ hours a week to receive benefits for longer than three months

Note: SNAP is administered by the states, which have some discretion to relax or tighten eligibility thresholds. 

What do both sides say?
Liberals generally want to see SNAP expanded, arguing that it lowers food insecurity, improves children’s health and educational outcomes, and boosts local low-income economies (money is spent quickly at local stores).

Conservatives generally want to see tighter limits on SNAP. They support benefits going to hard-working Americans who have fallen on hard times, but are concerned about people cheating the system, becoming reliant on government aid, or misusing benefits.

Want to dig deeper into SNAP and hear answers to reader-submitted questions? Check out today’s episode of the TPO Explains podcast.

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CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE
When discussing divisive topics, such as how to best administer SNAP benefits, remember that both your stance and how you take your stance reflect on Christ. We shouldn’t sacrifice relationships to win arguments.

“If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”
Romans 12:18 (CSB) (read full passage)

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WHAT YOU’LL ENJOY

The grid that keeps on giving… this week’s crossword

This week’s bonus Whipped Cream on Top… a cobbler at work

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WHAT YOU’VE BEAN CLICKING…

Top News Article: A view inside the Grand Egyptian Museum, which opened after two decades of construction.

Top News Resource: A map of the UPS plane’s crash path.

Top Christian Perspective: A verse to consider when news reminds us of our frailty… download it as a wallpaper here!

Top Whipped Cream: When a horse gets a pedicure…

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WHAT WE’RE PRAYING

God our Provider, You are the One who sees and knows our needs—the Lord who dropped manna from the sky in the wilderness, who multiplied a little picnic to a feast for thousands. Generous Father, would You provide our daily bread in this moment of need? Use Your Church to bless the world, to share and to serve, brimming and bubbling over with the grace You’ve poured into us. Soften our hearts to be compassionate and quick to give—not hoarding out of fear of scarcity, but freely offering what You’ve given today with confidence that You’ll meet tomorrow’s needs just like You met yesterday’s.

This prayer is an excerpt from our new Sunday newsletter, Praying the News. For more reflection and a prayer for food assistance in your inbox tomorrow, subscribe for free here.