Help Feed Henderson Mill Families on SNAP During the Government Shutdown
Starting November 1, 2025, the federal SNAP (food stamp) program will be temporarily shut down due to the government shutdown. That means 42 million Americans, including many right here in our community, will lose access to benefits that help them put food on the table.
Even after two federal judges ordered the administration to continue paying SNAP benefits on October 31st, bureaucratic delays mean that payments will still be disrupted, leaving millions of families without the assistance they rely on to eat.
At Henderson Mill Elementary, this will hit especially hard:
- 73.64% of Henderson Mill ES students qualify for free and reduced-price lunches (Based on data from FY 2024 Free and Reduced Lunch School Data) which means that those children come from families that almost certainly depend on SNAP benefits for survival.
- The majority (80%) of SNAP recipients are working families with at least one adult wage-earner but that still make at or below 130% of the Federal Poverty Limit (about $42,000 for a family of four).
- The loss of SNAP benefits will be catastrophic to our Henderson Mill community. Eligible households receive an average of $350 per month in SNAP benefits to supplement their grocery spending.
- The USDA predicts that grocery costs will continue to rise, outpacing the historical rate of growth.
What We’re Doing
We’re a group of Henderson Mill parents raising money to buy grocery cards for families who depend on SNAP.
We are working directly with the Henderson Mill ES counselors and social workers to distribute the grocery cards. The grocery cards will be distributed by the counselors to families that have received a referral from the school social worker. Funds will be distributed based on family size and need.
If there are funds remaining in the account once the crisis ends, we’ll use them to provide holiday grocery cards for the identified families who will struggle during Thanksgiving break and the two-week winter break—when kids can’t count on free school breakfasts and lunches.
How You Can Help
-Donate — any amount makes a difference.
-Share this page with friends and family.
-Volunteer or give food through local partners like:
- Networks Cooperative Food Ministry (Tucker):
- Embry Hills UMC Snax Sax for Kids: Weekend food program for children identified by counselors as being in need. If you would like to apply for this program, please reach out to our HMES school counselors (Ms. Washington & Ms. Cruz). If you would like to volunteer, follow this link to sign up.
- DeKalb County Library’s Food Pantry List
Henderson Mill is a community that takes care of its own. With your help, we can make sure every child and family has food on the table!
If there are any questions about accountability of funds, please reach out to Claire Kostopoulos, parent of a first grade student at Henderson Mill Elementary School.