In rural America, SNAP is especially important

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program feeds more than 41 million people in America every month. That’s roughly one in eight people in this country.

Let that sink in.

In the wealthiest nation on Earth, tens of millions of our fellow citizens and some non-citizens living here depend on government assistance to put food on the table. That number should stop us in our tracks.

My column today isn’t about politics or partisanship. No one — right, left, or center — wants to see a child go to bed hungry.

But it is worth asking, how did we get here, and what does it say about us as a nation that so many of our neighbors can’t make ends meet without help?

In Illinois, 1.94 million residents, which is about 15% of the state’s population, receive SNAP benefits, with participation in some rural counties reaching 25% to 32%.

In Indiana, about 610,000 people, or about 9% of residents, rely on the program. In Missouri, about 656,000 residents — 10.5% of the population — receive SNAP benefits.

Across all three states, participation is often even higher in rural areas.

Nationally, 13.8 million children are on SNAP. That’s a sobering number for anyone who believes strong families are the foundation of a strong country.

SNAP exists for a good reason. It provides a critical safety net when people fall on hard times. For about half of new recipients it’s just a leg up; they’re off the program within a year.

But for others dependence lasts much longer. The median duration is 17 months, and about 28% of participants stay enrolled for three years.

Even after leaving, many return when times get tough again. That revolving door raises an uncomfortable question: Are we solving the problem, or just managing it?

While I couldn’t find any official statistics of how many people are on SNAP “for life,” data does show that long-term dependence on the program is not uncommon.

Some people talk about government programs as though they are the solution, but in truth they are only part of it.

SNAP can put food in a child’s stomach tonight, but it can’t provide a stable job, a strong community, or the sense of purpose that comes from self-reliance. Those are the things that truly lift people out of poverty.

Although there is some fraud and abuse of the program, the real problem isn’t corruption. It is the sheer number of people who need help at all.

Working families are struggling with the cost of housing, health care, transportation, childcare and groceries.

The question we should be asking is not whether we’re spending too much or too little on food assistance, but why so many Americans still can’t afford food without it.

The answers won’t come from Washington alone. They’ll come from communities investing in people — helping neighbors find work, teaching financial literacy, supporting small businesses and strengthening families.

I believe SNAP is necessary, but shouldn’t be normal. In a nation built on opportunity and hard work, long-term dependence on government aid should concern us all.

Compassion must always guide our hearts, but so should a shared desire to build a country where fewer people need rescuing in the first place.