We Are Not at War with Crime—We Are at War with Poverty

Twiin Green
Twiin Green

We Are Not at War with Crime—We Are at War with Poverty

By Dr. Twin D. Green

As the Founder, President & CEO of The Link & Option Center, Inc. and one of Illinois’ first Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic’s in Chicago’s Southern suburbs and a behavioral health leader serving the region for over 31 years, I have seen firsthand what happens when systems collapse and communities are left to fend for themselves. Today, similar to COVID and the impact it has on our mental health, we are on the brink of such a collapse for survival of our mental health again—and it is being driven not by crime, but by policy.

More than 41 million Americans rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to feed their families across a lifespan ranging from babies to seniors and those with disabilities.  In Cook County alone, over 800,000 residents across party lines depending on these benefits. The average recipient receives just $6.10 per day—barely enough to cover a modest meal. And yet, due to political gridlock and a looming government shutdown, these benefits are now at risk of being delayed or eliminated.

The consequences of what is to come are not theoretical. They are immediate, tangible, and quite dangerous to be honest.

When people lose access to food, they do not just go hungry. They face cuts in housing, medication, transportation, and essentials for their children and the elderly. When distressed people operate from a mode of survival, what they cannot afford, they may try to take. And when that happens, it is not just families who suffer—small businesses, neighborhoods, and entire communities are destabilized.

Already, social media is ablaze with viral calls for SNAP recipients to raid major retail stores if benefits are not restored. These are not just idle threats. They are the desperate cries of people pushed to the edge. And while we must not condone crime, we cannot ignore the conditions that breed it.

Ironically, crime has been declining nationwide. But if SNAP is cut, we can expect a sharp reversal.

Stand on principle and know that we are not powerless. We have been here before.

I remember growing up as a young girl in the Morgan Park community, a neighborhood with pride and values that embodied the spirit of community. Neighbors shared what they had. They looked out for one another. That is the spirit we need now.

We must return to community-based mutual aid. We must organize food drives, support local food banks, and check on our neighbors. Together, we can make a difference. We must stand with our elected officials and stakeholders who know and value the benefits of restoring SNAP funding immediately—not next month, not next year, but now.

As I said in a recent staff meeting: “You have hungry people… So, what is going to happen to these people? They are going to go into survival mode… You are going to have people who are going to be perpetrators who are going to be waiting around to see those from whom they can get something.  Be watchful of your surroundings.”

This holiday season, let us not just give thanks. Let us provide help. Let us give hope. Let us give each other a reason to believe that we are still a society that cares. Together, we can bring about positive change.  I ask all of us to be the change you wish to see in the world.

Because if we do not, the cost will not just be measured in dollars. It will be calculated in lives.

Dr. Twin Green is the Founder, President & CEO of The Link & Option Center, Inc., a legacy health care organization in South Holland, IL.

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