Tag Page EndStigma

"Must be nice to eat steak on my tax dollars." To the man in line at Kroger: You don't know my story.

It finally happened. The moment every EBT user dreads. I was checking out today. My cart had the basics, plus one small pack of steak because it’s my husband’s birthday tomorrow. He’s been out of work since his injury, and I wanted to make him something special. I swiped my EBT card. The machine made that distinctive beep. The man behind me, dressed in a suit, literally scoffed. Loudly. He turned to the woman behind him and said, "Must be nice. I'm buying hot dogs, and she's buying steak on my tax dollars." My face burned. I wanted to turn around and scream. I wanted to tell him that I worked for 15 years as a nurse before my own health collapsed. I wanted to tell him that this "steak" was the first non-ground meat we've bought in three months. I wanted to tell him that I’d trade this card for a job in a heartbeat. But I didn't. I just grabbed my bags, put my head down, and walked to my 2008 Honda Civic. Please, stop judging people by what's in their grocery cart. You have no idea what war they are fighting. #EndStigma #FoodShaming #KindnessMatters #EBT #MentalHealth #BeKind #Kroger