Family with six children sees food benefits dwindle
Lords Valley. Mom Nickole Kazes owes thousands in tuition after leaving ESU in her final semester to care for children with health complications. At the same time, her food benefits are shrinking. She depends more and more on the local food pantry to keep her family going.
| 31 Dec 2019 | 11:43
From left: Alexandra Kellogg, Danielle Kellogg, James Kellogg, and their mom, Nickole Kazes (
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Nickole Kazes (
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The more Nickole Kazes works, the more her SNAP benefits shrink.
Once upon a time they were called food stamps. Now the program is called SNAP, the federal government's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
Kazes, a mother of six, said her social worker told her, "There's times it's not worth it to work."
Anytime she or anyone in her household is employed, their SNAP benefits are reduced. Her benefits were once $582 a month and now they're at $328. When she begins to work again, she said, they will probably lose all SNAP benefits.
Kazes's husband has worked for years repairing and cleaning chimneys. The family lives in a rented house in rural Lords Valley.
Kazes was in her final semester at East Stroudsburg University (ESU). She was a high honors student studying psychology and preparing to enter a graduate program. Then, calamities started to multiply in her household.
Her daughter Georgette Kellogg, a 12th-grader on the autism spectrum with epilepsy, lost an aide who had worked with her for 12 years. Her daughter Danielle Kellogg, a 10th-grader, had surgery. Some of her other children were also experiencing difficulties.
Kazes was forced to drop out of school to attend to her children. But ESU is charging her $4,000 for her tuition because she withdrew after the school's deadline. ESU says she can't return to finish her last semester until she pays in full. A bill collector is now chasing her for money she does not have.
Kazes said her family wouldn't have fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, milk. or eggs if not for The Ecumenical Food Pantry of Pike County in Milford. She loves the people there, and views the food pantry as lifesaver. The pantry volunteers know her and her family and treat them well. All the volunteers have hearts of gold, she said.
Anyone wanting to help Nickole Kazes and others who depend on the Ecumenical Food Pantry may contact the pantry at 570-618-1568. Checks may be sent to the pantry at 321 5th Street, Milford, PA 18337.
Editor's note: Please see page 12 for a letter by volunteers of the Ecumenical Food Pantry of Pike County about the food stamp and hunger crisis.
Nickole Kazes' six children:
Robert Kazes, 22, works at EconoPac in Milford two or three days a week. Because he lives at home, his earning are subtracted from the amount the family receives in their SNAP check. He uses his paycheck to pay his own bills so that he doesn't worsen the family's food shortage.
Georgette Kellogg, 12th grader, is on autism spectrum and has epilepsy, for which her doctor prescribed cannabis oil. She can't be left alone without an aide, but there are no licensed aides in her area. Her ability to move forward in her own life will be limited until the family can find an aide to work with her.
Alexandra Kellogg, 11th grader, is on a cheer team that won in varsity competition. The team is raising money so that it can participate in the national competition in Florida from Feb. 6 to 10.
Danielle Kellogg, 10th grader, is a volunteer firefighter in Blooming Grove and is a member of the National Honor Society.
James Kellogg, 8th grader, plays football and is also a wrestler.
Zachery Kellogg, 7th grader, volunteers at a local business.