About 600,000 Indiana residents will not receive their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for November because of the government shutdown, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
On the USDA’s website an announcement states, “…the well has run dry. At this time, there will be no benefits issued November 01…”
The government shutdown began Oct. 1. SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, is a federal program that provides low-income individuals with monthly benefits that helps people buy food.
SNAP provides nine meals to every one meal the charitable food system provides, Hoosier Hills Food Bank executive director Julio Alonso said. The lack of SNAP benefits will increase the number of individuals relying on food pantries for food.
“Because they're already in a situation where they have low incomes, they're not going to have alternatives, and they're either going to have to cut other things that are important, or they're going to have to turn to food pantries for support,” Alonso said.
This may put a strain on food pantries, which are already experiencing a growth in people accessing emergency food assistance. In third quarter statistics of this year, food pantries in the Hoosier Hills service areas have reported a 19 percent increase in patrons compared to the same period last year, he said.
Read more: Food banks stretched thin amid shutdown
Alonso said increasing financial support for food purchasing is going to be important in ensuring people can get the aid they need during this time.
“We really have to rely on private support in order to be able to continue doing what we're doing,” he said.
Hoosier Hills Food Bank released a statement Tuesday in response to the shutdown and absence of November SNAP benefits. According to the statement, their emergency response plan consists of spending almost a quarter million dollars on food purchases for November to help partner agencies provide Thanksgiving food and assist others impacted by the shutdown. The Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County provided a $100,000 grant Monday, to go along with nearly $150,000 Alonso had secured from other donors.
The funds will support purchasing 330,000 pounds of food, equaling about 275,000 meals distributed to support the food bank’s mobile pantries and 84 partner food pantries, shelters and kitchens in six counties.
The food bank will also continue its regular purchasing of local produce and eggs, according to the statement.
“On top of already high levels of need that always escalate during the holidays, we are trying to replace over $3 million in benefits in our six-county service area that support food for over 16,000 people. It’s not sustainable,” Alonso said in the statement.
