The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Education Program, or SNAP-Ed, which has served low-income communities for 33 years, is coming to an end.
A new budget law has eliminated the federal initiative that taught millions of people how to eat healthy, cook nutritious meals on a tight budget, and live active lifestyles.
The SNAP-Ed program is linked to SNAP, and while they are not identical, they are part of the same overall program. SNAP recipients receive additional assistance through SNAP-Ed, such as cooking classes or activities that promote healthy living related to sports and nutritional health.
What kind of programs did SNAP-Ed offer?
Cooking classes.
Mobile Markets: Providing access to fresh food and nutrition education directly in neighborhoods.
Community partnerships.
Promoting physical activity
Why is SNAP-Ed coming to an end?
The decision is part of a federal budget law passed on July 4 that redistributes funds and changes social programs. The new law requires SNAP recipients to work more hours and limits their access to Medicaid health coverage.
The House Agriculture Committee proposed eliminating SNAP-Ed, calling it “ineffective,” despite the fact that the program served nearly 90 million Americans with low incomes.
What do the authorities say about it?
The elimination of SNAP-Ed sparked a strong reaction in the communities it served. Kristin McCartney, the program’s director in West Virginia, told HuffPost that there was “a big influx of people who are upset because this is something that people have come to love and look forward to every year”. In addition to the disappointment, experts such as Harvard’s Cindy Leung predict that the loss of this education will make it more difficult for low-income people to eat healthily.
