TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The last time we all saw Patricia Lamb, her SNAP balance was just $2.45 and she was trying to figure out how to stretch that into actual meals.
Her story sparked a huge response, not only here in Tucson, but from people across the country who connected with the struggle she was facing.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: What happens when $2.45 is all you have left?
I joined Lamb at her local Tucson Neighborhood Walmart on the Southside, as she shopped for her Thanksgiving dinner with her benefits finally restored and her uncertainty replaced with relief.
"It's amazing to not have to figure out if I've got, you know, enough to cover milk so that the kids have at least milk," Lamb said.
Item by item, Lamb filled her cart with butter, potatoes, French fried onions and other Thanksgiving essentials. For her, these aren't just groceries, they're pieces of a holiday she's determined to keep alive for her grandchildren.
"I love cooking. So, I like to get them involved and then we're very grateful for everything we have," Lamb said.
Earlier this month, when Lamb saw her SNAP balance restored to $525, she immediately started planning meals.
"I finalized my list and I actually went to the store the next day," Lamb said.
She moved quickly because she felt nervous after hearing the Trump administration ordered states to "undo" full SNAP benefits.
"My pantry was so wiped out that I spent $350 of my benefits to get everything caught back up and have meals," Lamb said. "And I thought, I better get to the store and get at least these essential things so that if they take it back, I am at least set for a week or so."
I asked Lamb if she has any advice for others who might be facing food insecurity.
"Stock up and buy things that are storable. I'm gonna put a shout out to my local food bank because we were there, you know, every Wednesday to fill in the gaps and you can come up with meals with that. I say look at all of your sources and just buy logically. I don't spend a lot on sweets and snacks, only enough to cover like their lunches and things like that," Lamb said.
Thanks to a raffle held by her property management company, Lamb was able to cross off one of the biggest items on her shopping list — the turkey.
"I got a phone call from the office, and she said, 'You better get over here and pick up your turkey.' I'm like, What? So, I don't know. God's gotten me through this," Lamb said.
Her total at checkout came to $30.71.
Lamb said she's grateful that she and her family have what they need this Thanksgiving.
"We're going to have traditional turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole, corn, and then pumpkin pie for dessert," Lamb said.
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.
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Jacqueline Aguilar is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9. Born and raised in Yuma, AZ., she is no stranger to the unforgiving Arizona heat. Now this U of A wildcat is excited to be back in Tucson and is looking forward to involving herself in the community. Share your story ideas with Jacqueline by emailing jacqueline.aguilar@kgun9.com or connecting on Facebook, Instagram or X.
