KUR News Podcast Feature: SNAP Benefits Lapse: Impact on Students, How You Can Get and Give Help

At Kutztown University, we pride ourselves on being a community that cares deeply for one another. Our students' dreams are made possible not only through their hard work, but also through the collective compassion and generosity that define the Golden Bear spirit. Today, that spirit is being called upon once again. Due to the delayed passage of the Pennsylvania state budget, PA State Grant funds – which many students depend on to pay for tuition and basic needs – have not yet been released. Compounding the challenge, the federal government shutdown has disrupted SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits nationwide. Many of our students now find themselves without the resources to afford groceries, toiletries and other everyday essentials. If you are a student in need of help, how can you receive it? Or if you are faculty, staff, or alumni, how can you give help? All those answers are in this interview between KUR and Leah Cassellia, Senior Director, McFarland Student Union and Student Involvement.