Mary Rader

Mary Rader is on her own following the death of her husband and now that her six children are grown. A Social Security check each month helps to pay some of her bills, but Mary counts on benefits from the SNAP program to supplement her grocery bill each month. If it weren’t for SNAP, Mary is uncertain what she would do.

Ricky Belgarde

Ricky Belgarde knows what is feels like to skip meals. Having spent the majority of his life on SNAP, the program has helped his family to survive growing up. Today, as disability prevents Ricky from working and driving, SNAP remains critically important for Ricky.

Steve Olson

A 20-year retiree from the North Dakota Army National Guard, Steve Olson struggles to recall a time in his childhood when his family didn’t receive SNAP benefits. As he put it, they offered a hand-up, and allowed him a path to now owning his own consulting company.

Shirley Reese

Shirley Reese remembers the difficult times she and her family faced when they struggled expecting their sixth child and how vital their SNAP benefits became. Now the manager of a grocery store in Hazelton, Reese understands the difficult situation facing many of her customers on SNAP.

Kim Speidel

A single mother of two kids, there are times when Kim Speidel and her family are eating ramen noodles by the end of the month as it’s all that remain. SNAP benefits provide an invaluable resource for them.

Nancy Carriveau

Now the program director at the Great Plains Food Bank, SNAP benefits allowed Nancy Carriveau and her young family to stretch what they had as far as it could go.