In my earlier blogs, I talked a little about the SNAP process and how tedious it can be. Without a job, I'm ineligible for SNAP and was unable to actually go through the full process myself. My girlfriend, however, applied in September, went through a hassle finding all of her proofs and getting it to the right county office and three months later... still does not have her benefits.
I think SNAP is a wonderful program, and I am not writing this blog to rant, but to shed light on how difficult the process can be. People have the misconception that people on food benefits are using the government and the people's taxes and that they're taking the easy way out, but that's not the case. Week after week, my girlfriend went to check her mail, and each time left disappointed and wondering if her SNAP application got denied. One day, when I was in St. Cloud with her, she checked her mailbox and got a letter with a balance number for her supposed EBT card for October and November. I stared at that letter with frustration. Here is this letter with her balance, but where is the card? After a few phone calls and pestering my girlfriend to contact the county office, we figured out that the mail with the card kept getting sent back to them due to complications with her mail box where the mail person was unable to close it resulting to it getting sent back. Each time they got it back they would send it again to the same address. This usually takes 7-10 business days. Every time I think about this I get so heated. Almost every day when I asked her the usual check-up questions that couples ask each other, and I ask her what she's eaten, it's always something like eggs, a peanut butter sandwich, ramen, or nothing at all. For months, she's been eating this way. It makes me mad that this letter claims she would've had benefits in October to now. For two months, she could've eaten healthier. She could've been fed. She could've for once in this academic year, say that she is full. But because of a faulty mail box and bad communication, she has to live hungry yet another day. It really goes to show, the extra barriers and roadblocks there is when applying for assistance programs like SNAP. Still I feel like that the county office could've done something to prevent any more time getting delayed from her having a resource to buy food. They could've asked her for an alternative address when it got sent back the first time. They could've kept it at the county office and make it an option for her to pick it up. They could've done something than waste two months trying to send a card that for some reason keeps coming back? After annoying my girlfriend to annoy her SNAP coordinator to annoy the office that issues the cards in the Twin Cities get her the card, they said they would try to send the card in the mail once again (which would take 7 to 10 business days) and if the card got sent back (another 7 to 10 business days) they would send it to the county office (another 7 to 10 business days) where she can pick it up. So, if the card is not in her mail box by this weekend, she will be hungry till the end of December.
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