Proposed SNAP changes could impact tens of thousands of Georgians and organizations that serve them

Under the new federal rule proposed Tuesday, as many as 130,000 Georgia families would feel the effects.

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Channel 2’s Richard Elliot reported that if implemented, the rule could have ripple effect on the food bank and other organizations, but especially on the hundreds of thousands of Georgians on SNAP.

Many people, some with SNAP benefits, get their groceries at the Goodr Community Market on Edgewood Avenue,

One of those people is 87-year-old Henry Lee Thrasher, who grew up in the neighborhood.

“We can use our SNAP card down there, but we can use the SNAP card here. but now, if it don’t be no SNAP, a lot of people can suffer greatly, too,” he said.

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Thrasher is talking about the Trump Administration’s proposed rule change that might prevent states like Georgia from giving people with SNAP benefits other benefits, including Temporary Assistance to Needing Families, and free and reduced lunches for school kids.

SNAP is administered by the Georgia Department of Human Services, which says, “While we do not comment on proposed rule changes, we are closely monitoring any changes that may impact programs administered by DHS.”

Right now, there are more than 621,000 Georgia families enrolled in SNAP. That’s 1.2-million people with an average benefit of $378.

Jon West, interim CEO of the Atlanta Community Food Bank, says the rule change would hurt people already struggling.

“So to qualify for SNAP, you’ve got to be at 130% of the federal poverty line,” West said. “For a household of three, that’s just about $35,000 annually. That’s not a lot of money right now with the high cost of living.”

Jasmine Crowe-Houston, the CEO of Goodr, runs the Edgewood market. She says, SNAP cuts don’t just hurt those who receive it but also hurts markets like hers because fewer people will shop.

“If they lose their benefits, that means that they’re not going to be buying groceries from us, and many are going to have to figure out how they’re going to buy groceries at all,” Crowe-Houston said. “So it just has so many implications.”

West says any such change by the U.S. Department of Agriculture would have ripple effects across the state and impact organizations who help feed those in need, including the Atlanta Community Food Bank.

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