Summer is starting out tough. Customers who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — also known as SNAP, Link in Illinois, or food stamps — are losing critical grocery benefits because of new federal work requirements contained in the so‑called One Big Beautiful Bill.
At Living Fresh Market, the supermarket I oversee as a senior executive, about a third of our shoppers use SNAP, which makes up a significant portion of our revenue. During last November’s government shutdown, I saw firsthand the uncertainty families faced when they lost access to their benefits. I watched customers at the cash register, stressing over how much was left on their cards and making impossible choices at checkout. That anxiety doesn’t stay in the aisle; it follows people home.
Also, during that time, our store took a financial hit. And those moments left a mark on me. Taking SNAP away from people doesn’t just affect what’s for dinner; it could also determine whether independent supermarkets like Living Fresh Market can keep their doors open.
When SNAP is reduced, it’s not just “less help” for families. It’s less spending in neighborhood stores, making it harder for independent retailers to meet payroll, pay bills and stay afloat. We already operate on tight margins, and competing with big chains is a constant challenge.
The ripple effects of SNAP cuts don’t stop there. We carry products from about 100 small local vendors — including teas, meats, seasonings, barbecue sauces, cosmetics and health‑focused products designed to improve the lives of our shoppers. These are entrepreneurs building something in our city. Reduced SNAP spending hurts those vendors too, leading to canceled purchase orders and a weaker local economy.
Living Fresh Market officially opened in 2021, the vision of my father, Dr. Bill Winston, founder and senior pastor of the 21,000‑member Living Word Christian Center in the west suburban Forest Park. We believe our 71,000-square-foot store is the largest Black‑owned supermarket in the nation. The responsibility I feel for the dedicated and hardworking 54 employees, our small vendors and our customers is heavy.
When big chains leave because profits fall short, people are left with even fewer affordable grocery options. This is how food deserts form — not overnight, but through a series of decisions that steadily erode purchasing power and threaten the survival of the businesses working hardest to feed their communities.
SNAP is not a niche program serving a select few. It is a lifeline for more than 42 million people across the country, including about 1.9 million in Illinois, stabilizing grocery budgets for working families, seniors and people between jobs.
It is also a stabilizing force for communities. In fact, SNAP has brought our community closer together. At Living Fresh Market, we host monthly free shopping sprees where customers can fill their baskets at no cost, and we organize monthly vendor showcase events to help small businesses introduce their products to new shoppers. These events are joyful, unifying and deeply meaningful — and they are possible because SNAP helps keep our store strong.
Our political, community and business leaders have rallied inside Living Fresh Market to educate the public about the impact of SNAP cuts. They understand that when SNAP is weakened, the entire ecosystem around it — families, workers, small vendors and local businesses — begins to crumble. We must band together to protect this vital benefit for those who need it most.
I urge lawmakers to consider the broader impact on communities and local economies. If we truly value maintaining neighborhood jobs, thriving economies and stable communities, then don’t destabilize the very places where people live, work and buy food.
I don’t want to lay off a single employee. I don’t want to cut back on the local products we’re proud to carry. And I don’t want to raise prices. I want to keep supporting our vendors, customers and my community. But goodwill can’t replace lost revenue, and decisions made in Washington will be felt immediately at neighborhood checkouts.
If the federal government does not reverse these devastating cuts, Illinois will need to find an alternative way to fund SNAP. We urge everyone to contact their state representatives to voice support — not only for the families who need it to eat, but for the neighborhoods that depend on the economic lifeline it provides.
Melody Winston is the senior executive of Living Fresh Market.