The Miscellany News is pleased to announce the winner of our second-annual Young Journalists Writing Contest: Zoe-Madison Fletcher! Fletcher is a member of the class of 2027 at Poughkeepsie High School. Students from PHS’s Pioneer Post submitted original works to The Misc for the opportunity of publication. We extend thanks to Ms. J. Robin Ward, faculty advisor to Pioneer Post, and Charlotte Robertson ’25, former Editor-in-Chief of The Misc, for their assistance in bringing this project to fruition.
Overview of the SNAP Cuts
The reduction of SNAP benefits in November 2025 made many headlines across the country. For many students at Poughkeepsie High School (PHS), this policy struck close to home. This cut was more than just a check; for many families, it meant less food on the table, empty stomachs at the dinner table and food being saved for a later day.
More than a million American families depend on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) every month to help pay for groceries. During the government shutdown, 65 percent of families’ benefits were reduced.
President Donald J. Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill on July 4, 2025. This bill affected SNAP by changing the eligibility, benefits and program administration. This bill also made it harder for immigrants to be eligible for SNAP and ultimately cut the amount of funds people get.
The government shutdown was from Oct. 1, 2025 to Nov. 12, 2025. Brooke Rollins, head of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), decided to cut the SNAP benefit program due to a lack of funds, meaning there was no new legally authorized money to distribute funding to the program.
The USDA warned that SNAP benefits could be paused due to insufficient funds, but instead of fully pausing the benefits, the government reduced them by 65 percent. Not all households were affected to the same degree, but some saw a deeper cut in funds.
This national action led many PHS students and their families to struggle to afford groceries. Families who were already struggling to save money are now struggling even more due to the lack of food assistance, causing them to cut back on fresh food, skip meals and rely more on school-issued food.
How PHS Students and Families Were Affected
At PHS, several students shared how the cuts affected their homes and day-to-day lives. Marquis Serrano (class of 2026) described the immediate financial strain on his family: “Food is more expensive, and we don’t receive the money we used to count on to buy groceries. We just have less on the table now.”
He also shared that the change created stress not only for him but also for his entire family. “It has affected me a whole bunch because my mom is having money problems right now. Because of the cuts, she has to spend her real money for food. That leaves her with very little leftover to manage for the rest of the month or week,” he explained.
Another student, who wished not to be named, explained that the cut even affected his personal health and athletic activities: “I work out, and with less food and less protein, I’ve had less energy. It’s like malnutrition, it affects my training and how I feel every day.”
Students expressed they wanted a stable source of food for themselves and their family. Even if it is just $400, many low-income families depend on SNAP to give them nutritious meals.
Why These Cuts Hit Families Hard
The SNAP cut revealed just how much students at PHS are relying on the government-funded program to receive adequate resources in order to meet a simple need for survival. Many low-income families live paycheck to paycheck, and that money is barely enough to pay rent and provide meals too.
SNAP is more than just an “assistance program.” For many families—especially PHS students—it is the difference between eating or going without. This shutdown illustrates how families are affected directly.
The cut is even more challenging to navigate for immigrant students. “For immigrants, it’s really hard to find jobs because we don’t always have the documents or Social Security numbers. We have to use tax IDs, and not every job accepts that, so we rely on SNAP more than people realize,” one student from the class of 2026 explained.
Beyond the shutdown: The struggle remains The federal government’s 65 percent cut of SNAP benefits does a lot more than reduce monthly access to food. It disrupts PHS students’ day to day lives; it deeply affects their families, routines and health. PHS students reveal this hidden truth: SNAP is more than a number on a check. It is real families, real meals and real futures at stake. The shutdown may have ended, but the consequences for low-income households remain. So the question also remains: “Is this going to be my last meal for the month?”