Families on SNAP celebrate Thanksgiving amid uncertainty – Chicago Tribune

Hello, Chicago.

When Jodie Yanek received the remainder of her long-awaited SNAP benefits for the month — and after buying some food to comfort her — she started thinking about how she could host a small Thanksgiving dinner for her and her boyfriend on a budget of $60.

The 47-year-old compared prices of turkey and ham at a nearby grocery store in South Deering. She dreamed of mashed potatoes and green bean casserole and ended up buying a pie.

“I was thrilled,” Yanek said of the benefits. “I cried tears of joy. It was very scary the prospect of losing him.”

Yanek, like countless others in Illinois, says they faced confusion and uncertainty heading into the holidays due to federal back-and-forth over food stamp funding. Some Illinois residents the Tribune spoke with still wondered if they would be able to put food on the table, let alone turkey and stuffing. Many relied on help from local food pantries.

As the longest government shutdown in history dragged on, nearly 2 million people across the state — and more than 40 million nationwide — were deprived of food stamps in early November, leaving many of them struggling.

Read the full story from the Tribune’s Rebecca Johnson.

Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day, including Northwestern University close to reaching a deal with the White House to restore funding, what to know about the NFL’s Thanksgiving tripleheader and our picks for what to do this weekend.

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