I happen to know someone who relies on SNAP benefits. A few years ago, she was a college educated Mom, working at a hospital as a Social Worker, when she suffered a stroke at age 36. She was an active woman and a regular at the gym. After the stroke, she gained over 75lbs due to the side effects of steroid meds. It would be easy to judge her as “fat, lazy, and unwilling to work”, but nothing could be further from the truth. I know she depends on SNAP benefits to feed herself despite the shame she feels about using them. Please remember that not all obese people on SNAP are junk-food addicted slobs. It’s different if you see one paying for chips, candy, soda, etc. with SNAP, of course. There are folks that need the help and are deserving of empathy and compassion.
Specific to your scenario, had government programs not been in place, the public would be stepping up through charities. Prior to the 30s depression, every town had benevolent societies where mid and upper middle class folks took care of the local needy. Now, since the government does it, not as many bother.
https://freerepublic.com/focus/chat/4348676/posts?page=18#18
“There are folks that need the help and are deserving of empathy and compassion.”
Correct. I always want to help the helpless.
In te your friend it would help if snap benefits limited recipients to lower cost fruit, veg, canned goods, meat and dairy and fat.
Similar to WIC in that sense.
It would reduce a lot of the resentment.