The countdown to this weekend looks dismal to Kelli Austin. Rather than looking forward to spending quality time with her children, the single mom of three is staring down the barrel of starvation. “I don’t know how I’m going to feed my kids tomorrow,” Austin, 38, an addiction recovery coach from Augusta, Maine, told The Post through tears. She’s just one of the 42 million Americans being stripped of their grocery budget benefits — financial support provided by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), on Saturday, Nov. 1.
The countdown to this weekend looks dismal to Kelli Austin.
Rather than looking forward to spending quality time with her children, the single mom of three is staring down the barrel of starvation.
“I don’t know how I’m going to feed my kids tomorrow,” Austin, 38, an addiction recovery coach from Augusta, Maine, told The Post through tears.
She’s just one of the 42 million Americans being stripped of their grocery budget benefits — financial support provided by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program on Saturday, Nov. 1.
The loss of her $300 monthly stipend means Austin, who has three teens aged between 13 and 17 — who are often teased for receiving free breakfast and lunch at school — won’t be able to put food on the table during weekends and school vacations.
And she has even greater fears for what will become of the holiday season for her family.
While the other parents will be busy piling their shopping carts with turkeys and treats, Austin worries that this will be the first time in nearly two decades that her family will go hungry.
“I’ll have to look them in the eyes and say, ‘Sorry, I couldn’t do better,’” she said.
Austin comes from “generational poverty.”
It’s a family curse she’s fought to break since working in drug rehabilitation centers over the past few years, hoping to pave a smoother path for her kids.
However, the gig doesn’t pay much, and what she earns from her job just barely covers the cost of rent for her subsidized housing, as well as other household bills.
“I’ve been a SNAP recipient for many years; those benefits feed my family,” explained Austin, who is also taking college classes in addition to working her job.
