Emmy nominee Karen Pittman candidly told viewers the “The Tamron Hall Show,” that she once had to rely on government assistance to feed her children.
The Forever actress revealed that 10 years ago, after splitting with her partner, she struggle during that transition period.
“For the first time on my own with my two children. I applied for the EBT or SNAP program.” She continued, “Not an easy thing to do, you have to apply and then there’s a qualifying period. There is a lot of paperwork you have to fill out.”
“The idea that you go here and people just give you a card with food…it doesn’t happy like that at all.”
Pittman told Tamron Hall that she decided to share her story now to show the anyone can be affected by food insecurity.
“I remember swiping my EBT card and and at the very bottom of the receipt, you see the amount you have left in your account and I remember seeing that amount full and thinking – peace of mind,” Pittman said. “There’s nothing more important. I feel like as a parent having that peace of mind knowing you can take care of your child.”
Pittman is currently working with Feeding America, a non-profit organization that helps families through food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, and other community-based agencies.
“Part of the reason why that I work with Feeding America, is to keep me grounded and what is really important, what’s really valuable, what’s really worth my time. And of course, I love to put on a dress. I’ll go to an opening of an envelope. I love it. It’s a lot of fun.” Pittman elaborated, “but you need to ground yourself in what is really important. And for me, it’s helping people.”