LANSING, Mich — Monique Clark, who cares for four children still living at home, relies on food stamps to help feed her large family. Her oldest child at home is 17, followed by children ages 14, 10 and 8.
"Yes, very," Clark said when asked if finances are tough for her family.
Clark typically receives her food assistance on the 11th of each month, but the federal government shutdown has put those funds on pause indefinitely.
"It's sad, very sad. Hurtful for the government to just shut down food stamps for everybody, it's sad," Clark said.
The timing couldn't be worse for Clark's family, as Thanksgiving approaches - a holiday she describes as her family's favorite.
"What am I going to do with Thanksgiving coming up? It was always a resource I used for Thanksgiving to get all of the things we need. It's crazy that that day won't look the same for us," Clark said.
As Clark tries to stay financially afloat during the suspension, she hopes federal officials will find a solution quickly. Five of her nine children have already left home, but supporting four children as a single parent remains challenging even under normal circumstances.
The food stamp suspension affects families across the country who depend on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to help cover grocery costs.
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