BRENTWOOD, Tenn. (WTVF) — A Nashville man who once owned his own business is sharing his story about receiving SNAP benefits, hoping to change perceptions about who needs food assistance.
Wes Howard owned Poppin Off Toys on Charlotte Pike in Nashville. The business started strong, but eventually faced financial challenges that forced Howard to take out loans to keep it afloat.
"So I took out some loans to fight," he said. "Do what I thought I needed to do to try to make it. And so because of that, I wasn't able to pay myself. I mean it got to the point where there was really nothing for me to pay myself with."
When Howard ultimately had to close his business, his wife went to work. He says while it helped some, the family of five still needed help.
"We needed help with food," Howard said.
For part of last year and earlier this year, Howard's family received SNAP benefits. He admits the experience was difficult emotionally.
"Benefits started coming in and I'd go to the grocery store, and I would get what we needed and I'd go to the checkout line and my heart would be pounding," he said. "Because I didn't want anybody to know."
"I was ashamed," he added. "I was ashamed that I put my family in this position. I was ashamed that I was needing help."
Now Howard views the experience differently. He wants people to understand that SNAP recipients come from all walks of life and that the program serves as a crucial safety net.
"The SNAP program – it's a safety net. I never saw it as a safety net. I never even imagined it – but it truly just caught my family," Howard said.
Howard believes the program has the ability to change lives for the better and emphasizes that anyone could find themselves needing assistance.
"It could be your Sunday school teacher. It could be your basketball coach. It could be your neighbor," Howard said.
Today, Howard says he's grateful for the experience because it opened his eyes and heart, teaching him that even the strongest people sometimes need help.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
This is a story I immediately went home and showed my boys - young athletes with big dreams. The Vanderbilt football team's success has stolen the spotlight - what I love about Steve Layman's story is he reveals the individual hardships it took to get there. As Clark Lea says, "we all have scuff marks." This team proves perseverance pays off!
- Carrie Sharp
