Imagine you’re a mom in Lafayette. You’ve just had your second child. While you were on unpaid maternity leave, your husband lost his oilfield job and health insurance. You’ve never missed a bill before. But now, the fridge is nearly empty, and your infant has a lingering cough you can’t afford to get checked out. You feel scared, ashamed, and alone.
You’re just one crisis away from falling through the cracks.
Then, you call your local food bank for help.
A calm voice walks you through applying for SNAP and Medicaid and tells you where to go to immediately pick up free food provided by your local food bank. Within weeks, groceries are on the table again and your baby sees a doctor without paying out-of-pocket.
This is what SNAP and Medicaid do every day in ¶¶Ňőh.
But if Congress passes harmful changes to these programs – like those proposed in the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” – stories like this could have a very different ending.
For one nursing student, SNAP was temporary. The impact was permanent.
A college student in the middle of her clinicals called Feeding ¶¶Ňőh for help. She was studying to become a nurse, but her clinical schedule made it impossible to hold a full-time job. With recent changes to student SNAP eligibility, she was not sure if she qualified.
Our team helped her understand the guidelines and walked her through the SNAP application process. The grocery assistance she received enabled her to focus on finishing her education. Without it, she would have had to consider abandoning her dreams of finding steady and fulfilling employment.
For this bright young woman, SNAP provided temporary support that allowed her to complete her degree. SNAP served her when she needed it so that she could serve others through her career.
Social safety net programs aren’t handouts. They’re bridges to opportunity.
Pat R. Van Burkleo, Executive Director of Feeding ¶¶Ňőh, states: “SNAP and Medicaid make it possible for people to work, stay healthy, care for their families, and build successful and productive lives. That’s not a luxury. That’s the foundation that we all deserve to stand on.”
Nearly 18% of our state’s residents rely on SNAP. More than 1.4 million ¶¶Ňőhns receive healthcare through Medicaid. These programs are lifelines, particularly during tough times. Yet they are now on the chopping block.
If Louisiana is forced to pick up a larger share of these program costs as proposed in the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” the ripple effect could be devastating. Fewer people may qualify. Red tape could increase. Benefits might be delayed. Other essential state services may be scaled back.
Food banks – which are already stretched thin – would be left to fill the gaps.
Our food banks can’t fill the gaps that changes and cuts would create.
Food banks across ¶¶Ňőh are working tirelessly every day to help families face hunger and challenge our status as the state with the 4th highest food insecurity in the nation.
Louisian’s food banks connect people to social safety net resources and distribute food for more than 60 million meals annually through more than 1,000 community partners, faith-based organizations, and food pantries.
However, our food banks have limits. Louisian’s food banks are pillars of hope, but they cannot replace the vital safety net these programs provide.
Pat explains: “If SNAP and Medicaid are cut or harder to access, more families will be turning to us for help. That means longer lines, fewer resources, and an overwhelmed emergency food system struggling to fill gaps it was not designed to handle. If we lose ground on SNAP and Medicaid, the burden will likely fall on our food banks, which are already working at capacity.”
What You Can Do: Protect ¶¶Ňőh Families
Many ¶¶Ňőh families are just one crisis away from needing help. Social safety net programs like SNAP and Medicaid offer the support that keeps them steady in uncertain times.
We know that Senators John Kennedy and Bill Cassidy are proud Louisianians. Right now, they have a powerful opportunity to stand up for ¶¶Ňőh families and protect these essential programs.
“Please consider calling or emailing to your lawmakers and urging them to oppose the proposed cuts and changes to SNAP and Medicaid,” Pat continues. “Tell them that these programs are not extras – they’re part of the foundation that helps families stay healthy, stable, and strong.”
Learn more at .
Feeding ¶¶Ňőh: 64 parishes, 5 food banks, 1 mission. Feeding Louisian’s network includes the Food Bank of Central ¶¶Ňőh, the Food Bank of Northeast ¶¶Ňőh, the Food Bank of Northwest ¶¶Ňőh, the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank, and Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana.