November 2025: Reflections from Angie
November has arrived, which, for many, marks the beginning of the holiday season. We set our sights on and begin our preparations for gatherings with family and friends, often centered around special meals together. I remember fondly the first Thanksgiving former refugee and CRIS staff member Sowdo Hussein spent with me and my family when she taught my kids how to whistle.
But for the CRIS team and many of those we serve, this particular November 1st marks something very different: a loss of critical food support for some of the most vulnerable neighbors in our community. Neighbors like Maryam and her children.
A Somali national, Maryam, spent her entire life in Ethiopia as a refugee before being resettled by CRIS in January of this year. As the sole provider for her family, Maryam works full-time at a daycare. With the SNAP assistance she was receiving and help from her sister, she could pay all of her bills. For Maryam, losing her SNAP benefits means she is now faced with the decision of buying food or paying rent. It is important to know that Maryam’s husband is still overseas. He is eager to join and help support his family. Because the United States is currently resettling zero refugees and has announced an intent to limit the entry to predominantly white South Africans, there is no real hope of him being reunited with his family in the foreseeable future.
As of this writing, the federal government shutdown rolls on and SNAP benefits have been suspended nationally. While the courts have gotten involved, millions of Americans are also facing similar stresses and uncertainties in terms of food security this November, like Maryam. We are grieved by this.
What sets Maryam’s situation apart, though, along with thousands of other refugees and immigrants in Franklin County, is that her benefits will not be restored once the federal government is reopened. Cuts to SNAP are merely the first in several cuts to public benefit support for refugees and other immigrants as outlined in the “One Big Beautiful Bill”. Under Ohio officials’ interpretation of the law, refugees, asylees and other vulnerable populations must apply for and receive their green cards and have been in the U.S for five years to be eligible for food assistance (an exception exists for children under 18, who need not meet the five-year waiting period as long as they have their green cards. Note, however, that the process for receipt of a green card is approximately two years from date of arrival, so almost no child who arrived in the past two years will be eligible for food assistance). Thousands of people who our country resettled with an offer of support as they rebuild their lives are having that support stripped away.
Still, where bureaucracy and legislation fail, our commitment to welcome and to our mission continues. The CRIS team is working diligently to identify the most vulnerable families among us, with the goals of providing both short-term assistance and long-term solutions to meet their needs.
If you’d like to help meet these urgent food needs, you can:
Make a one-time or monthly gift to our Emergency Assistance Fund
Donate grocery gift cards
Assemble a pantry staple kit for direct delivery to a family
You can learn more at crisohio.org/neighbors-in-need.
This season, as I reflect on what I’m grateful for, I’m especially thankful for you — our community of supporters who stand beside CRIS and the families we serve, to enable us to respond quickly when the systems meant to protect our neighbors fall short. Thank you for being part of this community of welcome and care. Together, we can make sure families like Maryam’s don’t face this season alone.
For additional reading, please see:
National -
https://abcnews.go.com/Health/refugees-lose-food-stamps-federal/story?id=126994154
Local -