In 2016, I had just finished a video production internship and was working seasonally on a farm. When the season ended, money was tight, and I didn’t have a clear career path.
That’s when my roommate told me about SNAP. He explained how it worked, and I decided to look into it. If he hadn’t mentioned it, I probably would’ve ended up at the food bank. SNAP, along with Medicaid, became a lifeline. From 2016 to 2018, it gave me the basic stability I needed. Just knowing I could eat made a huge difference. It gave me the space to think bigger. Without it, I would’ve felt pressure to take the first higher-paying job I could find. Instead, I took a chance.
In early 2018, I co-founded a company with someone I had interned with. That first year, we made just $20,000 combined. There’s no way I could have taken that risk if I didn’t know where my next meal was coming from. SNAP made it possible to stay the course and build something from the ground up. Today, our video production business supports small businesses, state agencies and nonprofits with their marketing efforts. We’ve worked with groups like Endowment for Health, the NH Fiscal Policy Institute and the Institute on Disability at UNH.
I’m especially grateful to leaders like Rep. Maggie Goodlander, who voted against cuts to SNAP benefits. SNAP is more than assistance. It’s an investment in people and in the future of our state.
Eddie Gomez II
Peterborough