On Nov. 1, 2025, people from all across the United States experienced the bound-to-happen effect of the government shutdown: cuts to their monthly SNAP benefits. But locally, in Lincoln, the community came together to help their neighbors, friends and strangers who were in need of more support.
The SNAP benefit program is available to individuals in the United States who need financial assistance – usually elderly, foster families and low-income families rely on the program.
Every month, on their Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card, money is charged to them, ranging anywhere from $300 to $1,000 per month. They are limited to spending this money on groceries and nothing else, and it is made clear through the guidelines that certain purchases, like alcoholic beverages, are restricted.
But when people’s EBT cards weren’t charged with money on the first of the month, people started to worry.
Nick Maestas, the owner of Muchachos restaurant and food truck in Lincoln, has been praised all across social media for his effort to keep people fed and healthy, who may not have been in a position to do it themself.
Maestas reached out to the Lincoln community through social media to spread the news about a new addition to the Muchachos menu, influenced by the SNAP benefit pause.
The new item was called a “SNAPADILLA”, a quesadilla served with chicken or pork and a complimentary soda. Their post on social media made it clear that anyone who needed a warm meal was welcome to ask: “No payment needed. No judgment. Just happy and full bellies,” is a line they shared through the Instagram post.
Not only did they offer the snapadillas, they opened up their own food pantry too. To add a bit of motivation for involvement, in hope that the pantry would be stocked up, they offered an exchange. If you brought an item for the pantry, they gave you a free street taco.
“If you want to come to Muchachos, fill a sack with groceries, we’re not going to police it,” Maestas said in a 10/11 News article written by Sam Cobb. “You come in and get what you need for your family. It’s hard to say how much we’ve received, because the shelves have depleted and we’ve restocked multiple times a day.”
Maestas generosity comes from his own experience growing up. In the 10/11 article, he shared that his family lived off similar benefits and were in the same situation. It made him feel more empathetic towards individuals struggling, because he had once been in the same position.
Another standout community member is Dylan Kitchen, the Director of Programming and Youth Engagement at Youth Lincoln Leadership (YLL), who has been an advocate of connecting the youth of Lincoln to the city by encouraging students to stay informed.
In these past few months, it came to Kitchen’s attention that networking, socializing and staying connected are key to growth in both people and society. And for Kitchen, he feels like interconnectedness was at an all time low, which concerned him.
“The biggest reason why people decide to leave their community and instead, decide to abandon it for other opportunities, is [because] they don’t feel connected,” Kitchen said. “They don’t feel like they really have [a] place in the community.”
For Kitchen, he has noticed that, as a community, people push those feelings and terrible narratives on impoverished individuals the most.
“We tend to ostracize and alienate as a community, people who are in need,” Kitchen said.
Kitchen has volunteered at Matt Talbot Kitchen and Outreach for a while, and has noticed a different “need” in individuals.
Continuously, low-income individuals feel pushed back upon or “unwanted” in a community. Sometimes the help they ask for has nothing to do with their financial needs, it’s about having someone to talk to.
“If I’m going to be honest, community members who tend to be forgotten, [are] living in poverty. If they’re coming to Matt Talbot, they [may] need a warm, prepared meal, [but] typically, something’s going on where they just need a friendly face and a little bit of support,” Kitchen said.
Many institutions and organizations live off of this idea. Lincoln Public Schools (LPS) is one that offers and builds a community for all students and families in the Lincoln school district. They’ve even taken steps towards helping the community directly.
“In response to the high need of students and their families experiencing hunger, the Food Bank, in cooperation with Leadership Lincoln and Lincoln Public Schools, opened the LPS Emergency Pantry,” LPS Superintendent John Skretta said.
But what was special about this time period of despair, difficulty and struggle, was how the community bonded and worked together to put others first.
The government shutdown and SNAP benefits cuts put a strain on communities across the country, but it seemed to bring back the interconnectedness, kindness and outreach, mending the Lincoln community.
“Just have a little bit of empathy and understanding [because] they could be going through a crisis internally, or at home,” Kitchen said. “So just be a little bit kinder.”
