MACON, Ga. — Georgia received federal approval last week to hand out food benefits to the youngest Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients. These recipients are children under the age of 6 years old.
SNAP benefits are also known as food stamps. In order to qualify for these benefits, families must meet a specific income according to the size of the family's household in most cases, according to the USDA Food and Nutrition Service.
For a family of one, a gross income of $1,396 must be met and a net income of $1,074 must be met.
For a family of two, a gross income of $1,888 must be met and a net income of $1,452 must be met.
For a family of three, a gross income of $2,379 and a net income of $1,830 must be met. To see the other household specifications, please visit the website for more details.
Heaven Smith, a mother of two autistic children, has been struggling financially for the past few months.
Smith said with inflation, it has been difficult for her to be able to get all the resources she needs for her family.
"Now in the last four, five months that everything has gone up, those of us who are barely making it are not making it," she said. "We're late on rent, we can't afford groceries, gas is through the roof. "
She wants to give her children better lives, but she feels like it is nearly impossible.
"They have love in their hearts, and I mean, we have food in our stomachs, but there's so much more to life," she said. "I want my kids to be able to live life, not survive life. I feel like all we do is survive. We don't know how to live life."