💙Today's SNAP Story is brought to you by Kaiser Permanente.

Six years ago, Nick lost his son. His son was the person most invested in helping him stay well and navigate SNAP benefits. His son drove him to doctors appointments. He checked on his medications. He encouraged him to move, to eat with intention, and to use his SNAP benefits as a resource for his health. Nick’s son showed his love through everyday actions, quiet consistent ways that love helps another person keep going. After his son passed away, life changed. Today, Nick is becoming increasingly intentional about his health. His disability limits how much he can exercise and therefore the food he chooses has become an important part of how he cares for himself. With limited financial resources, SNAP helps make those choices possible. For Nick, SNAP is not simply a benefit. It is an essential tool. SNAP helps Nick stretch limited resources toward foods that better support the body he is working to care for. It gives him greater choice and allows him to participate more intentionally in managing his health. It is one of the resources helping him continue a journey his son once encouraged him to take. As he says, “I have to do what I have to do and get help where I can.”