An East Atlanta mother is preparing for the possibility of losing her food assistance benefits, just months after losing her job.

Nicole McClendon says her CDC-contracted job was reduced to part-time in February and ended entirely in April. Since then, she has been scrambling to make sure her children have enough to eat if her SNAP benefits are temporarily cut off.

McClendon lives in the Villages of East Lake, a mixed-income housing development that offers subsidized rent and, with the potential loss of SNAP, now food support for families. She says the financial pressure has forced her to make difficult choices that leave her feeling inadequate as a parent.

"They're in aftercare at their school. I pick them up. They're hungry," McClendon said. "Sometimes if I have to go into the store for something in particular, they'll say, 'Can we get a Lunchable?' Lately, I say, 'Sorry, I can't get the Lunchable.' So it makes me feel bad and guilty."

The East Lake Foundation, which supports the housing community, is working with partner organizations and assessing how to provide direct food assistance to families.

Ilham Askia, president and CEO of the East Lake Foundation, says many residents are already pulling money from other essential areas just to buy food. That means they may soon struggle to pay their share of rent.

"It's a triple-down effect," Askia said. "You cannot look at these basic needs and freeze or eliminate them and not think it's going to impact other areas in the lives of our families."

Askia says about 650 families are living in the Villages of East Lake. While the support being offered may help in the short term, she adds that not knowing how long benefits could be interrupted has families worried.