GLENDALE, AZ — For Glendale mother Monique Moody, getting food assistance has been anything but simple.
Moody applied for SNAP nutrition assistance on June 8th. Two months, multiple phone calls, two interviews, and visits to the ombudsman's office later, she still had not received a decision on her case.
"The benefits stopped in May, and June, July, here comes August," Moody said. "Nothing is still available as far as nutrition benefits."
On August 4th, Moody walked into the Arizona Department of Economic Security office on Olive Ave. in Glendale looking for answers. She arrived at 9:30 a.m. and did not leave until approximately 3 p.m.
Inside, she says she found only three workers trained to handle cases for a room full of people. The minimum wait time, she was told, was three hours.
"If it's only three of them and it's 15 of us, we're like, where's the help?" Moody said.
Making matters worse, the office's air conditioning system was not working. Water bottles were available near the entrance, but Moody said they were room temperature.
"We're already just sitting here and then it's hot," she said. "The water is just as hot as we are."
Moody said she also noticed elderly women waiting alone who did not speak English. She began helping them with her phone's translation app and distributing water bottles.
"I'm walking around like I worked there or something," she said. "But just to make everybody else feel comfortable."
The stakes are high for Moody, who has a 4-year-old daughter with autism who requires specific foods.
"She smells her food, she touches it, if it's not right, she won't eat it," Moody said. "So for this to be an issue, it makes it that much harder to feed her."
A worker at the office told Moody her funds would be available by Thursday morning. As of her interview with ABC15, they had not arrived.
Moody's experience comes as Arizona faces a broader food assistance crisis.
Arizona has seen a drop of nearly 450,000 SNAP recipients since July of 2025, at one point surpassing 50 percent. However, enrollment has trended upward, rising month-over-month for the last three months, bringing the overall decline to just under 50 percent.
The Arizona Department of Economic Security acknowledged the challenges in a statement, saying:
"The Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES) is committed to providing quality services promptly, even as we are navigating high call volumes, long wait times, and processing delays due to significant federal changes to SNAP caused by the passage of federal legislation HR1. Additionally, DES understands the importance of providing a comfortable, safe environment for our clients when visiting a local office, and we take every opportunity to ensure adequate air conditioning and security.
DES is working to meet operational challenges head-on, deploying both immediate operational fixes and long-term strategic measures, including:
Reducing call wait times by expanding call center capacity through improved functionality and new third-party support
Streamlining in-person services by improving local office processes for real-time application entry and verification
Improving online access by promoting self-service options like Health-e-Arizona Plus [healthearizonaplus.gov] and MyFamilyBenefits [myfamilybenefits.azdes.gov] so clients can upload applications and submit documents online
Increasing capacity by leveraging investments from the Governor’s Office and Legislature to hire additional eligibility staff, increase overtime opportunities, and modernize processing systems
These improvements to our phone and online services are designed to give clients faster options to manage their benefits without the need to visit a local office. For those visiting an office, these changes will help shorten wait times. To avoid delays, we encourage clients to respond promptly to requests and unblock and answer calls from 855-432-7587.
We recognize improving service delivery for families takes time, and our work is far from complete. DES will continue pursuing every available tool, resource, and operational fix to reduce delays, strengthen program integrity, and ensure eligible families can access this critical assistance."
Moody says her frustration is not with the workers inside the office, it is with the system above them.
"It's not their fault," she said. "If they had other programs to help social workers actually trained and in those positions, then the people wouldn't get mad at the workers."
She says she is speaking up not just for herself but for every family navigating the same system.
"Even if I never get it, I'm fine with that," Moody said. "I want the people who need it to be able to get it — to not have to sit and wait for three hours, to not have to wonder why aren't they calling me back."
- Visit Health-e-Arizona Plus
- Visit MyFamilyBenefits
- Call DES at 855-432-7587
- Respond promptly to requests and unblock calls from that number to avoid missing appointments
We will continue to follow Monique Moody's case and the broader impact of SNAP delays on Arizona families.
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.
