Article Summary
- As thousands of Illinois households lose their federal food assistance this month, business owners are also preparing for potential loss.
- When households lose their benefits, they spend less at the grocery store, and the already-thin profit margins of independent grocers become even slimmer.
- Business owners face debt and potential store closures that could have far-reaching effects for small communities in rural Illinois.
This summary was written by the reporters and editors who worked on this story.