The potential loss of food assistance has caused growing anxiety among participants and staff.
SAN ANTONIO — On Saturday, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits are set to expire if the government shutdown continues. More than 3.5 million Texans could be affected.
At Southwind Fields, a San Antonio nonprofit that serves adults with differing abilities, the uncertainty has become personal. CEO Leslie Bellieu said the organization serves 100 adults in the San Antonio area. The organization calls them locals.
“We want our locals to have friends and know that they belong to something,” she said.
The nonprofit helps them live as independently as possible, from budgeting and bill management to wellness and social activities.
“We have some locals that are very independent that have master’s degrees and drive,” she said. “We have some locals that need people to come to their apartment, during the week, to help them cook and clean.”
“Being in the program has meant building a friendship within the special needs community,” said Taylor, a participant in the program.
For many of the people Southwind Fields serves, SNAP benefits are essential. Bellieu said about half of them rely on those benefits to survive.
“It is drastic,” Bellieu said. “A lot of our locals are low income. Not all of them, but a lot come from low-income families.”
The potential loss of food assistance has caused growing anxiety among participants and staff.
“When I realized SNAP benefits might not come through, that’s when I thought, ‘Oh no,'” Bellieu said.
Some of the program’s members also work for government contractors, which means their work is in limbo right now.
Despite the uncertainty, Southwind Fields is working to support its members. The nonprofit is accepting monetary donations online and food drop-offs at its San Antonio office to help those in need. The office is located at 11835 IH-10 West, Suite 306. They can be reached at 210-526-1567.
“We are here to support them and explain to them, it is going to be okay,” Bellieu said.
“We’re thankful for any donations that come in,” Taylor said.
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