Cuts to federal food aid program coming soon to North Carolina
It's always busy here at the food bank of central
and eastern North Carolina
They say hunger here is at its highest level in
nearly 20 years and federal cuts to SNAP that's federal
food aid could make that hunger worse
So good morning
Gregory Jones knows what it's like to need a hand
up
When he was growing up his parents both worked but
his family still needed food assistance or Snap to make
ends meet
Please don't
Any cuts please keep Snap around and alive because again
there are a lot of families out here that really
really really need the support
You're from a rural community right What kind of impact
do you think this will have on rural communities if
this if this goes through devastating devastating
SNAP serves 1.4 million people in North Carolina
Republicans say cuts are needed because people who don't need
help are defrauding the system
The snap cut will cost the state about $420 million
starting in 2026
This is not a problem charity alone can solve
Amy Barrows is CEO of the Food Bank of Central
and Eastern North Carolina
She says nonprofits like hers cannot make up for such
a large cut and it won't just lead to more
hunger it will cause economic damage and a lot of
that is going to our local retailers our local North
Carolina farmers
And without that income from SNAP they may not be
able to keep their doors open or keep their farms
open which means more lost jobs and less access to
food and creating even more food deserts in our rural
communities
Barrows wants federal lawmakers to undo the cuts in next
year's budget but all 10 Republicans representing North Carolina in
the US House voted in favor of the bill
I asked all 10 why did you vote for cuts
to food aid and will you work to restore it
in the next budget bill
Representative Tim Moore said the cuts are meant to be
an incentive for states to root out waste fraud and
abuse
The one big beautiful bill strengthens SNAP by keeping the
focus on those who truly need help Moore said including
children pregnant women and disabled Americans while also requiring states
to reduce their payment error rates
Laura Leslie WYL News Raleigh