​The children, still clutching the snacks they had picked out, looked at him with confusion. Gene felt their disappointment like a weight in his chest. He had no way to pay for the groceries and no backup plan. He left the store empty-handed.

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Gene never expected to be raising children again at this stage in life. A retired man in his 70s, he had settled into what should have been his easy years. But when his daughter could no longer care for her children, he didn’t hesitate. He took in all five of his grandkids—Zyon, now a high school freshman; Kazyriah, an eighth-grader; Heaven, who’s in fifth grade; Nehemiah, in third; and Elijah who is 5. Then, in 2024, one more grandchild was born, and when doctors determined the baby couldn’t safely go home with their mother, Gene stepped up once again.

 

Six children. All under his care.

 

That January morning, after leaving the store with nothing, Gene did what any responsible caregiver would—he called to report the missing funds. That’s when he learned the truth: his benefits had been stolen. And he wasn’t the only one. Across the state, scammers are draining SNAP accounts, stealing food right off the tables of families who need it most.

 

But the worst part? The federal reimbursement program had expired. Because the federal replacement funding was not renewed, families like Gene’s who had their funds stolen after December 20th are out of the money and there is no way to get it back. 

 

“My main concern is for the kids,” he said. “When they say they’re hungry and I don’t have it, I get concerned. It’s a sinking feeling.”

 

With no way to replace the lost funds himself, Gene reached out for help. He called food banks, searching for anything to feed his family. He connected with his Case Manager at ISDD who quickly stepped in to arrange a grocery delivery. It was one less worry in a month filled with uncertainty. "Organizations like ISDD are the reason I can be the main caregiver for my grandchildren," he said. “If I were 20 years younger, I wouldn’t have to ask for help,” he admitted. “I’d be working, taking care of it myself.”

 

He isn’t alone in that feeling. Many grandparent caregivers never expected to be in this position—raising children again, relying on food assistance. But life doesn’t always follow the plan we set.

 

The kids still receive lunch at school, but due to the stolen funds, at home, meals have become simpler. Snacks, once a small comfort in a busy household, are now a luxury they can’t afford.

 

“I never thought I would need to be on SNAP,” he admitted. “I used to think, ‘That won’t happen to me.’ But you never know. One day, you might need it. And when you do, you’ll understand.”

 

His message to lawmakers is simple: listen. Listen to the families struggling to keep their kids fed. Listen to the grandparents who never planned for this life but took it on anyway. Listen to the people left with nothing.

 

For Gene, sharing his story isn’t about seeking sympathy, it’s about making people understand the severity and commonality of the issue. He wants to make a change.

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If you want to help families like Gene’s, consider advocating for the reinstatement of SNAP reimbursement programs, or consider donating to our Emergency Food Fundraiser, where all proceeds directly fund grocery assistance for kinship families like Gene’s. To donate, click here.