On July 4th of this year, a new law called the “Big Beautiful Bill” was signed.¹ This law makes big budget cuts to programs that help families meet their basic needs. It ends funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP Ed), a federally-funded program that teaches about healthy eating.

SNAP-Ed is evidence-based and helps people make their SNAP dollars stretch, teaches them how to cook healthy meals, and lead physically active lifestyles. SNAP-Ed partners with state and local organizations to meet people where they are.

The Bill also reduces benefits received through Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which is commonly referred to as “EBT” or “Food Stamps.” These changes under the Bill will make it more difficult for some people to qualify for nutrition assistance.

To learn more about when these changes will happen, check out this timeline from the Center for American Progress. Keep reading to learn how these changes will affect families in North Carolina, and how you can still get the food you need.

What do SNAP benefits do?

SNAP benefits help individuals and families purchase food and educational resources for stretching budgets and staying healthy. Every $1 of benefits given through SNAP creates $1.50 to $1.80 in local spending.² That means families use these benefits to buy food from nearby stores and farmers.

What is an example of SNAP-Ed programming?

The Poe Center’s Nutrition and Physical Activity, Gardening, and Cooking Education programs are funded through SNAP-Ed. The elimination of SNAP-Ed cuts over 50% of the Poe Center’s annual budget, defunding our effective nutrition education programming for North Carolina youth and families.

What will happen now?

Not only will North Carolinians lose food benefits and resources, but experts say these cuts could lead to the loss of 4,700 jobs in North Carolina over the next year.³ According to the National Grocers Association, SNAP was responsible for 7,772 jobs across grocery and supporting industries, including agriculture, manufacturing, transportation and municipal services.²

Many people think food banks and pantries can help fill the gap. However, over 1,800 groups across the country say that’s not realistic. For every meal a food pantry gives out, SNAP provides nine.⁴ Though food banks are vital community resources, they can’t fully replace the scale of benefits given through SNAP.

Even though the federal government is cutting benefits, local groups are doing their best to support families.

Dana Orr, who works at the Poe Center for Health Education, helps lead a group called the Southern Wake County Food Security Coalition. Their program, Farm to Pantry, buys fresh food from local farmers and gives it to places that serve families in need. This helps both the people who need food and the farmers who grow it.

The Poe Center is working to continue the Summer Food Service Program. This program serves free meals to kids ages 0-18 during summer break.⁵ In the summer of 2025, the Poe Center gave out 283 free, healthy meals.

The Poe Center has hosted this program for 10 years, along with many other meal sites available across Wake County. You can find them on the Wake County Meal Site Map.

Local groups are working hard to make sure families still have access to food. The Southern Wake County Food Security Coalition includes leaders from Wake County and local food pantries. Together, they’re trying to find new ways to help people during this time of change.

You can learn more about programs for kids on the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction website. If you need to contact someone for help with food programs, there are NC-specific contacts available here.

This abrupt end to SNAP-Ed eliminates over 50% of the Poe Center’s annual budget – about 2 million dollars – eliminating nutrition education for over 9,000 children each year and ending support for local schools, organizations, and communities.

If you want to help the Poe Center directly, share a SNAP-Ed story using #SNAPEdWorks or donate to the Poe Center if you can, so we can continue to deliver education and resources to our community.

Even though there are big changes happening due to funding cuts and program eliminations, North Carolina communities are coming together to help one another. Local groups, farmers, and neighbors are working side-by-side to make sure families stay fed.

In partnership with UNC Health and WakeMED Health & Hospitals, join the Poe Center in its continued efforts to support the mental health and well-being of youth at the 2025 Annual Meeting and Conference. This year’s topic is The Pressure Paradox: From Anxiety to Well-Being.

The 2025 Annual Conference will focus on a holistic approach to addressing the epidemic of youth anxiety and stress. The event kicks off on Wednesday, September 10 at UNC Health Rex, with the VIP Reception & Annual Meeting.

On Thursday, September 11, the Poe Center and UNC Health are hosting a session of the Community Resiliency Model® (CRM), where participants will learn a set of biologically-based wellness skills aimed to reset the nervous system, and will be held at the Poe Center.

Then on Friday, September 12, the Health Education Conference with Keynote Speaker and Moderated Panel will be held at the WakeMed Andrews Conference Center.

Interested in attending? Register here.

The keynote speaker, Dr. Danielle Roubinov, is the Director of the Foundation of Hope Child and Adolescent Anxiety and Mood Disorders Program (CHAAMP), and an Associate Professor at the UNC School of Psychiatry.

Similar to the Poe Center’s MindWELL mental wellness programs, Roubinov explores the role of risk and protective factors as they affect youth trajectories of mental health.

Learn more about Dr. Roubinov’s research.

Roubinov received her Bachelor’s from the University of California, Los Angeles, and her Master’s and PhD from Arizona State University. Her research is funded by state, federal, and private philanthropic funds. Roubinov and her husband recently became parents to their first son. She is looking forward to sharing more on the topic of anxiety and pressure during adolescence at the Annual Meeting and Conference in September. 

Protective factors help to build positive outcomes in young people’s lives and can include social and emotional competence, self-efficacy, resiliency, positive social involvement, and much more.

One of the strongest protective factors that a young person can have is a positive relationship with at least one trusted adult. Teachers, doctors, religious leaders, neighbors, administrators, coaches, and family members can all serve as trusted adults in their communities. Young people are encouraged to identify five trusted adults whom they can count on.

As a trusted adult, you can help build up a young person’s protective factors and break down risk factors that can contribute to negative mental health outcomes.

MindWELL programs offered by the Poe Center explore goal-setting strategies, conflict resolution, and self-care techniques to build skills for managing emotions and making responsible mental and emotional decisions.

Check out the featured MindWELL programs below, applicable across the lifespan and a perfect fit for all youth, families, and communities.