PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — A West Palm Beach widow we first met two weeks ago now has a whole lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving holiday.
WATCH BELOW: 'We want them to feel like they are home,' Kerline Aurelien, The Lord's Place director of family services tells WPTV
After nearly a month of uncertainty caused by the government shutdown, the SNAP benefits she desperately needed to feed her three sons have finally landed in her account — and relief is unmistakable.
Anna Walker lost her husband two years ago and has been raising her three teenage sons on her own.
The deposit, nearly $1,000 in SNAP benefits, arrived overnight on Monday, ending weeks of worry about how she would afford holiday meals.
"When they ask me, 'Hey, mom. I'm hungry.' What am I supposed to say?" said Walker two weeks ago, not knowing how she was going to afford dinner for the holidays. "I wanted to create a meal for Thanksgiving and Christmas."
The reaction after the funds posted was immediate and emotional.
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"I'm feeling good, I'm feeling calm, less stress, I felt like the whole world was on me, but that has been lifted," said Walker. "Now, my kids are able to eat and stuff, it feels good."
Her sons are already pitching in to prepare the family's Thanksgiving dinner.
"My oldest, he loves to cook. He has this thing where he seasons meat a lot better than I do, so I'm going to have him do all the meat seasoning then I'll do the rest," said Walker." He's more of a baker; he loves making cupcakes and cake and brownies."
For Walker, Thanksgiving will be both a meal and a moment of togetherness and faith.
WATCH BELOW: Record number of seniors using SNAP in Palm Beach County
"I'm just happy, it's not because I got my food stamps back on, it's just because everything is just going good," said Walker. "I'm able to focus on what I need to do and continue to move forward for my goal of finishing school."
She's determined to push her family forward and noted she still has two years left in a criminal justice degree in order to accomplish her dream of becoming a crime scene tech.
"It's one of those goals where you go where your heart desire. It's one of those things I've been wanting to do since I was 14 and we're making it happen," said Walker. " I have a lot to be thankful for, a lot, cause I could have been in a worse situation."
Walker lives at The Lord’s Place family campus, where organizers said roughly 90% of residents rely on SNAP. Upwards of 40% of residents there remained without their payments at the time of the report. That's why the nonprofit has ramped up food production and mobile distribution to fill gaps, while many families wait for benefits to clear.
WATCH BELOW: Food Finder Map grids out free locations
"What message would you have for families here that are still waiting on the SNAP benefits?" asked Lopez.
"Just have faith, just like Anna has hers now, hopefully theirs will show up shortly," said Kerline Aurelien.
She is the director of family services for The Lord's Place, who said helping others has always been her passion.
"We want them to feel like they are home, and we want the children and the families to feel that," said Aurelien.
That mission is matched by action: The Lord’s Place plans to serve a Thanksgiving meal on Tuesday and said it has enough funding to continue mobile food distribution through December.
They will reassess needs and budget to determine whether services can extend into the new year.
For Walker, the arrival of SNAP benefits means more than groceries. It restores a little calm, lets her focus on school, and gives her boys a chance to take part in a holiday tradition that bonds the family.
"I'm just happy and thankful for everyone that's helped me get to where I'm at," said Walker.
