A Nashua resident, who only wished to be identified as Maddie, recently came forward to share what the past five years have been like living on the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Courtesy photo

NASHUA – A Nashua resident, who only wished to be identified as Maddie, recently came forward to share what the past five years have been like living on the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

“It’s a lifesaving program,” she said. “For many of us, it is our whole food budget. All my food comes from SNAP.”

At the age of 30, Maddie began experiencing pressure in her head which ultimately forced her to give up her career as a nurse.

“I loved my job,” she said. “I felt like I had lost a big piece of myself.”

After 20 years of looking for answers, doctors finally diagnosed Maddie with a skull malformation which required brain surgery and shunts in her back.

In addition, she was also in a verbally abusive relationship for a number of years. Although the relationship provided her with financial stability, she ultimately decided to leave her significant other, preferring homelessness over abuse. Fortunately, she qualified for transitional housing.

However, Maddie had only been a nurse for eight years and held various retail positions prior to entering the medical field. She soon discovered that none of her prior jobs produced enough savings for retirement.

“It didn’t end up being a huge amount of money,” she said.

Maddie also knew her disability checks would not cover both food expenses and a monthly rent, prompting her to apply for SNAP.

However, the application process turned out to be surprisingly simple.

“It’s quite easy compared to what it used to be,” she said.

Maddie and millions of other SNAP recipients had a real scare in November 2025 when President Donald Trump ordered that funding be pulled from the program.

“It was very difficult,” said Maddie, adding that she and her neighbors began rationing food. “Food banks can only do so much.”

The crisis ended six days later when the federal courts ordered SNAP funding to be reinstated.

Maddie said she is grateful for SNAP and that there is nothing wrong with asking for assistance.

“I refuse to be embarrassed,” she said. “I didn’t ask to get sick.”

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, SNAP, formerly known as the Food Stamp Program, became permanent in 1964 under President Lyndon Johnson. It has operated nationwide since 1974 and currently serves approximately 41.7 million Americans — 77,000 of whom live in New Hampshire.