(
NEWS
New housing for PAUSD teachers. Page 2
LIFESTYLE
Benefits of positive thinking. Page 6
SCI/TECH
AI therapy and relationships.
PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT PALO ALTO HIGH SCHOOL 50 EMBARCADERO RD. PALO ALTO, CA 94301
NON-PROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE
PAI D PALO ALTO PERMIT #44
Page 13
The Campanile Vol. CVII, No. 4
Palo Alto High School, 50 Embarcadero Road, Palo Alto, CA 94301
Wednesday, December 17, 2025
SLASHING SNAP
!"#$%&'(&)(*+,,-$.$/&%-(0+&#1&1)/(2''1'&%/3$(4#)5#%.(1/3#$%'$(6))7(1/'$3+#1&8( T
he United States federal government shutdown, which started “If it wasn’t for SNAP, what do you think everybody would be eating?” on Oct. 1 and went for 43 days, paused many federal programs Reyes said. “I’ve seen people eat out of garbage cans … If they say we’re the including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or richest country, then why are people su$ering?” SNAP. The shutdown limited monthly food benefits to low-income However, even with SNAP, benefits rarely cover the cost of food for individuals and families, resulting in many SNAP recipients struggling to an entire month. In California, the average CalFresh benefit – the SNAP access food. program in California is referred to as CalFresh – per person per day The shutdown ended on Nov. 13 when the House of Representatives is $6.23, but the estimated minimum food cost is $12.20 per day. This passed a bill to fund the government until the end of January. discrepancy forces many to rely on food pantries even while receiving During the shutdown, legal battles between states and the federal SNAP benefits. government over SNAP benefits sowed confusion and distress. Chris Chesavage said many SNAP recipients run out of funds even without a Richardson, a volunteer for the Palo Alto Downtown Food Closet, said government shutdown. he has seen an increase in people relying on the “When those bits of money are not loaded onto shelter’s resources. that card, then those folks don't have anything “We’re certainly seeing a lot more extremely to live on,” Chesavage said. “Even with CalFresh vulnerable folks attending, for example, the benefits as they are, most people cannot survive Thanksgiving meal,” Richardson said. “Our numbers o$ of their CalFresh all month long, because they at the food closet have gone way up. They’ve gone usually run out. Even if they're frugal, they'll run way up across the country. There was a lot of out within the third week.” uncertainty, and even the folks that are getting paid, Reyes said the government should provide they missed almost a month where they weren’t SNAP recipients with adequate resources so they getting their SNAP benefits, and so they didn’t have don’t need to rely so heavily on external sources. access to food outside of charity in a lot of cases.” “I really would like to see that they give Palo Alto resident Pamela Chesavage, who everybody what they really need to survive,” Reyes volunteers with local food distribution programs, said. “A lot of people, when they get that food for said the shutdown also forced SNAP recipients to the month, it doesn’t last long, and then they have reduce their daily food consumption. to (seek other resources) or they have to su$er.” million people “We’ve definitely heard from folks that they Richardson said SNAP cuts have worse e$ects. projected to lose were struggling (to find) what they were going to “When folks have to decide whether to buy food eat during the day, even the folks in the shelter,” or pay their rent or address their medical needs, SNAP benefits in Chesavage said. “They might get some breakfast those are long-term e$ects based on even just a the next decade foods, and they’ll get dinner, but they don’t get month of missing out on a benefit, like SNAP,” lunch, so they would have to go without anything to Richardson said. “They’re having a very tough time eat all day.” meeting all their basic needs. And so when you Although SNAP benefits have since resumed, remove a benefit like SNAP, it’s like a house of prior legislative mandates had already tightened restrictions on access to cards: everything else falls down as well.” benefits. Under the “One Big Beautiful Bill” signed in July by President Despite being what she called an e#cient and e$ective program, Trump, SNAP recipients must now submit to expanded work requirements. Chesavage said there are common misconceptions about SNAP. In addition, the bill raises the required work age from 54 to 64 years old in “One very obvious misconception is that people without documentation order to qualify, and it increases the number of required work hours to 80 can get food stamps, and they just can’t,” Chesavage said. “It’s impossible per month. for anybody without a proper ID and a Social Security number to get As a result of increased restrictions, the bill will reduce SNAP funding government benefits. That’s a huge misconception that has been spread by by approximately $186 billion — a 20% cut — over the next 10 years. An the current administration.” analysis by the Congressional Budget O#ce estimates the expanded work According to the Department of Agriculture, 90% of SNAP recipients requirements alone will reduce SNAP participation by 2.4 million people are native born, and 96% are U.S. citizens. over the next decade. Adding on, Chesavage said people often assume the unhoused have The bill also imposes a five-year waiting period to qualify for benefits steady access to resources and support, even though that isn't the case. directed at some residents, including legal immigrants and refugees. “There’s a huge misconception that these people are hooked up with Supporters say these new restrictions are an attempt to combat services, and there’s plenty of things that they can do to help themselves,” supposed waste, fraud or abuse in the SNAP program, despite an April Chesavage said. “But what’s pretty obvious when you volunteer or Congressional Research Service report finding SNAP fraud “rare.” work with people who are unhoused is that they su$er not only “There are people who just are not making enough money to support from financial poverty, but from relational poverty. They don’t their food needs,” Chesavage said. “Anybody who qualifies for those benefits have anybody working with them who really cares about would be really struggling without them.” them and can really walk alongside them to get the services Currently, to qualify for SNAP, a person’s gross monthly income, income they need. And some unhoused individuals have trouble before taxes or other deductions, generally must be at or below 130% of the navigating the mountain of administrative tasks needed in poverty line of $2,798 a month — about $33,576 a year for a three-person order to access benefits and access resources.” household. But Jackson said government Additionally, Chesavage said there is also public uncertainty about why assistance like SNAP can also benefits are actually necessary. sometimes trap people in a cycle “There’s a misconception that people who get these benefits don’t of poverty. actually need them. My “I don’t see the government experience has been that there help as helping because I are people who are in pretty dire think it actually keeps you straits that really do need them,” in this middle ground where Chesavage said. “The income that you have just enough,” you can get is pretty low. If you Jackson said. “I do know make more than $1600 a month, there are certain rules, like you don't get benefits. I think it's you can’t have over $2,000 in a little bit di$erent for families. your bank account … Well, They get additional food benefits how do they expect you to for their children. But seriously, advance in life and get up and it's for feeding children. Why out of that poverty level if you would you not want to do that?” can't have more than $2,000?” Michael Jackson, who said he Food insecurity is also more has been homeless in Palo Alto widespread than many people assume. for 33 years, said social welfare Nearly 42 million Americans receive SNAP programs like SNAP are critical benefits, with children living in about 34% of resources for those who aren’t able participating households. In California, SNAP serves to provide for themselves. nearly 5.5 million people, including roughly 132,000 “I do believe we need a social in Santa Clara County. According to a Feeding America network for people who just can’t interactive, 7.2% of the population in Santa Clara County is (work) or are unable to at certain times,” Jackson said. “Then there’s people food insecure. who are just di$erent, mentally or physically. So di$erent that they’re never Even in wealthy areas, Richardson said food insecurity remains a really going to fully integrate like everybody else, so they need a little help.” serious issue. Chesavage agreed and said SNAP benefits are particularly crucial for “In the richest state with the (fourth) biggest economy in the world those unable to work due to disabilities or other limitations. here in California, you’d think that we wouldn’t have food insecurity, but “There are a lot of people who aren’t able to work,” Chesavage said. it’s pretty rampant, even in a%uent communities like here in Palo Alto,” “They are either on disability or are applying for disability, so they are Richardson said. literally without any kind of financial ability to make any money because And apart from increasing food insecurity, Chesavage said the SNAP they’re either mentally disabled or physically disabled. CalFresh and the cuts increased public distrust of the government. general assistance is what they can survive on until they can either get “People are pretty angry at the government for how much they went disability benefits or they get better and they can get a job.” to bat to keep SNAP benefits away from people,” Chesavage said. “Of all Jose Reyes, a retired Air Force member who relies on SNAP, stressed its of the money that they could have distributed, that would have been the importance. thing they should have done first, and the thing they should have cut last.
2.4
There were emergency funds for such a situation, and they refused to release those, and so I think it puts a much greater distrust in the government to be pulling something like that.” Richardson, though, has hope despite these uncertain times. “Not only did we get donations for places like the food closet and other food sources for low-income individuals, but we noticed a lot more community involvement,” Richardson said. “We’re noticing more and more folks wanting to volunteer now, and that's really heartening. No matter what’s going on at the federal level, communities (want) to stick together and take care of their neighbors. And hopefully, that’s what we’ll see through the rest of this administration.”
Dashel Chun & Lucas Lai Staff Writer & Sports Editor
!"#$%$&'%$&($)(*$&+#)&,-./& '%$&0)/&1'2304&$0)-4#& 1)0$5&/)&.-(()%/&/#$3%& 6))7&0$$7.8&905:)75&+#)& ;-'*3<$.&6)%&/#).$&:$0$</.& +)-*7&:$&%$'**5&./%-44*304& +3/#)-/&/#$18= !"#$%"&'($)"*"+$
RT
A BY EN
ED YO O