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Tyler Perry is stepping up to help Americans struggling to buy groceries as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits remain uncertain for November.
According to PEOPLE, Perry donated nearly $1.4 million to several organizations supporting families who rely on SNAP after the Trump administration said it would only partially fund the program this month amid the ongoing government shutdown.
The organizations Perry contributed to include the Atlanta Community Food Bank, Baby2Baby, Meals on Wheels Atlanta, Caring for Others, All for Lunch, Ron Clark Academy, and Goodr.
“If you’ve never been poor then you may not fully understand the life-changing impact SNAP benefits mean to hard-working people, to our seniors and to our children,” Perry said in a statement. “For millions of people, it could mean extreme hunger. For newborns, it could mean a lack of access to formula.”
Despite orders from federal judges, the Trump administration only committed to partially funding the $9 billion November SNAP payment, claiming it didn't have enough contingency funds to fully pay for the program. In a new ruling handed down on Thursday (November 6), a judge ordered the administration to issue full SNAP payments this month, a decision that Vice President J.D. Vance called "absurd."
SNAP benefits for over 42 million Americans remain uncertain as the Justice Department has expressed plans to appeal the ruling.
Perry, who has spoken openly about his experiences with homelessness and hunger, called the loss of food assistance “heartbreaking.”
“Compassion is not political, it’s humanity — and we seem to be missing both right now," he said.
A source close to Perry said the filmmaker “knows firsthand what it feels like to be hungry and homeless” and was “absolutely devastated” by the impact of the shutdown on vulnerable families.
Perry joins other public figures rallying support, including Jimmy Kimmel, who launched a food bank initiative in Los Angeles, and Wanda Sykes, who used her Variety Power of Women speech to highlight single mothers affected by the crisis.
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