Mississippi was one of 15 states to decline federal food aid for poor families. Hear firsthand from a mother struggling to feed her kids when they’re home from school during the summer.
Front & Center is a groundbreaking Ms. series that began as first-person accounts of Black mothers living in Jackson, Miss., receiving a guaranteed income. Moving into the fourth year and next phase of this series, the aim is to expand our focus beyond a single policy intervention to include a broader examination of systemic issues impacting Black women experiencing poverty. This means diving deeper into the interconnected challenges they face—including navigating the existing safety net; healthcare, childcare and elder care; and the importance of mental, physical and spiritual well-being.
My name is Brianné, I am 31 and I am raising my four kids on my own. Being a single mom of four is especially hard financially right now with inflation being such a challenge.
I was working as a prep cook and cleaner at a restaurant, but now that the school year is starting I’ll be working in the cafeteria at middle school where I make $10.50 an hour. I have always worked in a kitchen or in childcare. I cook with love; I make sure I use good seasonings. These kids want to taste their food—it should be good! I like to pretend I’m on a food show; that would be such a dream. That may not happen, but one day I’d really love to run a food truck. I love food because it brings people together, it’s a need but it’s also a joy.
Right now, I live in a subsidized apartment complex, and I also get food stamps [shorthand for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP]. But even with that support and working, it’s just not enough to really be able to live off of one income. When you’re a parent and you’re trying to put those meals together and looking at your budget, it’s really hard.
I do get food stamps for the month. And I appreciate having that, but the majority of the grocery stores in my area are not the cheaper ones like a Kroger or a Walmart. The ones around me are part of this chain that advertise that they are selling you products at cost, but then they add 10 percent to your sale at the end. So while you’re shopping, you think it’s going to be one price, but you get to the register and it’s just like, “What did I buy?” You have food for two or three meals, not even thinking about snacks and water.
(Editor’s note: Jackson has experienced a water crisis due to aged infrastructure for years. While officials say it is now safe to drink, many residents are still wary of consuming it.)
And just for those few meals, it’s already $100. So that’s hard, it’s a stress.
There are times I don’t eat to make sure that they do. When you’re a parent, sometimes you have to make those decisions. … I wish it weren’t so hard and that I wouldn’t be looked down on in moments like these where I really do need the help.
You get the food stamps once a month—I get mine on the 18th. And when it gets to the last couple weeks before the next round and you’re running low, forget about what you want to eat. It’s just about being able to put some meals together with the little bit of money you have left.
I’m grateful that I recently did get about a 25 percent increase in my food stamps. But it’s still really rough, I’m not gonna lie. I have an 11-year-old, a 9-year-old, a 7-year-old, and a 3-year-old. So feeding them throughout the summer when they’re home from school; that’s breakfast, lunch and dinner. That’s a lot. It’s a lot. And meanwhile you’ve got the prices of groceries going up, but it seems like the food in the packages is getting smaller.
That’s why I am extremely grateful for the help I received from Springboard to cover those costs this summer.
(Editor’s note: Mississippi is one of 15 states that opted out of federal money to help low-income families afford food while their children were home during the summer months, so Springboard to Opportunities offered families a cash payment to help cover those increased costs.)
When things get tight with the grocery budget, I’ll make something I learned from my grandma: She used to call them—gosh, I hate to say it—but she called them “hobo meals.” You take a packet of ground beef and cut up an onion and put it in with some rice. That’s filling, but it’s not necessarily healthy. At least it’s going to give my kids full bellies. And they know that when things are tight, they have to make do with things they don’t like. They hate oatmeal, but I put a little sugar on some for breakfast now so I can give them something to eat on the mornings where I might not have sausage or fruit to feed them.
I want to feed them healthier food, but healthier things are more expensive. There are times I don’t eat to make sure that they do. When you’re a parent, sometimes you have to make those decisions. But this summer, with the Springboard help, there weren’t so many “hobo meals.” There was more fruit, which my kids love.
Some of those workers at the government benefit offices act like that money is coming right out of their own pockets.
My goal is to one day completely not have to look to the government for anything, but that’s my reality at this moment. With SNAP benefits and other support, the government always wants to put work requirements on them. They say, “You have to work to be able to get these”—but then it’s like, when you’re working you can’t take advantage of these other opportunities that you need, like free food sites that are only open during regular working hours. Then, if you work a certain amount of hours or make even a little extra money, they cut your benefits. And it’s just impossible to get ahead, because they’re cutting my support but I’m still having to pay a bill or come up with money for something my kids need.
So I need the help, but I wish it weren’t so hard and that I wouldn’t be looked down on in moments like these where I really do need the help. Some of those workers at the government benefit offices act like that money is coming right out of their own pockets. They’re so nasty when they talk to you. It’s horrible.
So, right now I’m doing what I need to to feed my kids, but my ultimate goal is to not need those benefits for anything, and maybe even one day be able to organize single mothers who are struggling. I’m not the first single mother, and I won’t be the last. I could be someone to help them and not be degrading or nasty to them, because I know what it’s like.
This is how I would design programs for single moms: First, find out what she wants to do as far as her career goes. If she wants to go to school, okay. Give her the resources to get her into school, to put her on the career path financially. Or, help her to find a job if school isn’t the thing she’s after. And find resources for her children to go to school, or find after school care or other childcare. My program would be an all around set up for success.
For right now, I am finding joy in my children. As hard as it is being a single parent, the fact that I get to raise somebody to be better than me is a gift. They’ve seen what I’ve gone through, and that I’m trying to make things better for all of us. This current reality doesn’t have to be their story forever.
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