Boston grocery store owner worried about SNAP crisis, "It will shut you down"
The federal government says it will comply with a judge's order to partially fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). It will likely take days, maybe weeks for the money to get out to people, and SNAP recipients aren't the only ones impacted.
For Jacqueline Teixeira, owner of Davey's Super-Market in Roxbury, her customers are more like family than shoppers.
"We're like a staple in the community," Teixeira said. "We're not only like a grocery store; we're like a community center."
Half of customers on SNAP
Teixeira estimates that about half of her customers rely on SNAP benefits to pay for their groceries. Business typically surges at the start of each month when benefits are distributed, but not this month.
"Normally on the first of the month, especially if the first of the month is on a Saturday, it's super busy," she said. "Everyone's coming in, getting what they need, getting ready for the month, and it was completely dead."
The Trump administration announced Monday that it will partially fund the SNAP program amid the ongoing government shutdown. It remains unclear how much recipients will receive or when they will receive their benefits.
Teixeira said that is good news, but not enough to keep her business stable for long.
"It can ruin the business," she said. "If you don't have the customers coming in, no one buying the products, it will shut you down."
Rep. Pressley says it's "unconscionable"
U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley visited Davey's Super-Market on Monday to show support for local businesses affected by the funding delay.
"People should have their full benefits, and those funds should be released immediately," Pressley said. "We have never in a government shutdown denied hungry people food in the form of SNAP benefits. So, the fact that that is even happening at all is unconscionable."
For Teixeira, the SNAP program is about more than keeping her store open, it's about keeping her community afloat.
"This also helps a lot of families who are struggling to make it, who just can't make ends meet," she said.
While Teixeira welcomes the news of partial funding, she said she hopes the shutdown ends soon so benefits - and her customers - can return in full.