MARIETTA, Ga. — Seniors across metro Atlanta and Georgia are panicking over the impending suspension of their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits with the federal government shutdown. Baring a breakthrough, the benefit, which is used to buy food, will be suspended.
Channel 2’s Tom Regan continues the Live Team 2 coverage at Cobb County Senior Services in Marietta for Channel 2 Action News at 6:00.
“It’s very upsetting, disappointing.” said Cheeka Scarbrough. “It’s disheartening. It makes you cry, it really does.”
Scarbrough, who is 76 years old, live in an extended stay motel in Smyrna because she can’t afford to pay rent. She has asthma and hypertension and must take several prescription medications. She isn’t sure how she make ends meet when her SNAP benefit, of less than $30, is suspended.
“Are you going to have trouble paying for your medications?” asked Regan.
“I am, which is depressing. There’s a lot of senior citizens out there, not sure myself that are going through tough times,” said Scarbrough.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 267,900 seniors (age 60 and older) in Georgia were receiving SNAP benefits.
Senior Service Centers in Cobb County are launching food drives to help seniors struggling to put food on the table.
“A lot more people have been calling in the last couple of days with concern, what they should do if they find themselves in that situation,” said Cobb Senior Services Director Ioana Bovo Nicolescu.
Case workers at North Fulton Senior Services in Roswell are also getting a surge of calls from seniors asking for help.
“Everyone is afraid. Everyone is worried and we are worried. ... We’re hoping this shutdown will end soon because they really need these benefits,” said North Fulton Senior Services case worker Amy Miller.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
RELATED STORIES:
- Help fight hunger in Georgia: WSB-TV, United Way team up to help people facing food crisis
- Judges order Trump administration to use contingency funds for SNAP payments during shutdown
- DeKalb County looks to strengthen support for families losing SNAP, affected by government shutdown
- SNAP recipient says benefit disruption is ‘slap in the face’
- ‘What are we going to do?’ Metro Atlanta families now facing food crisis amid government shutdown
- Georgia SNAP benefits ‘not available’ in November due to government shutdown
- Atlanta Community Food Bank to use $5 million in reserves for SNAP benefits pause
- Largest food bank in Atlanta working to get ahead of what could be a ‘wave of hunger’
- EBT, SNAP recipients visit free grocery store as potential end of benefit funding nears
- DoorDash rolls out emergency food response program as SNAP benefits cutoff looms
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
©2025 Cox Media Group
