When Olena K. arrived in Washington in 2023 as a refugee from Ukraine fleeing war with nothing but $2,000 in cash, food stamps were a crucial lifeline.

Now, as she waits for her work authorization documents that would allow her to secure a job, the $298 in monthly food assistance she receives is one of the only things keeping her from going hungry.

“When you come to a new country and don’t speak the language and can’t understand the environment and what’s going on, this kind of support is very important for the first years,” Olena said through an interpreter. She asked to be identified only by her first name and last initial for fear of endangering family members’ chances of leaving Ukraine.

“I cannot even think about how a person could survive without this support,” she said. “It’s dif

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