I’m a 36-year-old parent, and Thanksgiving has always been the one day my family tries to feel whole. This year I planned to buy a turkey and a few sides—something that smells like home. SNAP helps cover our groceries every month, but the timing of benefits isn't the same as the timing of holidays. My benefits hit my card earlier in the month, and by the time Thanksgiving rolled around my account was stretched thin from bills and rent. I went to the store and saw all the turkeys on sale. The price looked doable until I did the math: buying a turkey plus extra sides would wipe out the rest of my monthly food money. I stood there thinking about my kids’ faces, the neighbors who always come by, and the idea that a holiday meal shouldn’t be a luxury. I ended up buying only a small chicken and some canned yams. We made it through, but the meal felt patched together. Many families juggle benefit timing, pay schedules, and seasonal needs. Is the program’s monthly cadence unintentionally making holidays harder for low-income households? Should there be a way to adjust benefit timing or provide targeted holiday support so everyone can have that one familiar meal? #SNAPLife #SNAPVoices