"She had it figured down to the last dollar. The looming insurance payment, balanced against the hard-earned paycheck. The cost of keeping her children fed, covered mostly with government SNAP assistance. And when Shelby Williams reviewed the family budget for November, she told herself that this month would truly be one for giving thanks. After living with her parents for more than two years, Williams and her two children were finally moving into an apartment of their own in her hometown of Reeds Spring, Missouri."
"Now Washington is running again. But as Americans prepare for the Thanksgiving holiday, the relieved gratitude of families in Williams' community, and the many others still recovering from the suspension of government paychecks and food assistance during the 43-day shutdown, is tempered by lingering stress and economic insecurity. "I'm thankful for my children and my job, and I'm thankful for SNAP because it supplies food," said Williams, 32, who works as a paraprofessional in an elementary school."
Shelby Williams planned her November budget while moving into an apartment and relied on SNAP to feed her children. The federal government shutdown on Oct. 1 halted expected funds and paused paychecks and food assistance for many families. Although federal operations have resumed, households continue to recover from the 43-day suspension and face lingering economic insecurity and stress. Williams expressed gratitude for her children, job, and SNAP but said financial strain makes thankfulness difficult. In South Florida, Darlene Castillo worked seven weeks without pay at U.S. Customs, used a mobile food bank, delayed bills, and accepted a Thanksgiving invitation because hosting would be unaffordable. Food pantry lines rose locally and nationwide.
Read at Fortune
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