The United States Department of Agriculture recently announced that due to the government shutdown, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP benefits (also known as food stamps) will not be issued for the month of November.
The cut in funding means Americans who rely on the system to buy food will have to find alternative means to get the food they need. It also means that unless the government shutdown is ended and funding is restored, food banks around the state are preparing for a large surge in demand over the next few days and weeks.
“We are expecting a surge in demand,” said Rebecca Larsen, a director with the Eastern Idaho Community Action Partnership in Custer and Lemhi counties, who operates a local food bank. “The families that get SNAP benefits now are not going to get it next month. So we are expecting an influx of those families.”
Larsen says SNAP recipients in rural areas are especially vulnerable as there are limited grocery options in town to shop at, and who can’t afford to travel to cities like Idaho Falls or Pocatello to buy in bulk. It means the only option is turning to food pantries like what Larsen runs in Salmon and Challis.
Its a similar story with the monthly Clark County Food Pantry in Dubois where they’ll have to make available donations stretch farther.
“We’re a small community and so we don’t necessarily expect more people,” said Tom L. Strong with the Dubois based food pantry. “But we expect those people will need more food than they normally would.”
Strong said their pantry provides boxes of food once a month for the Clark County community until its gone. “Hopefully we can give them enough to supplement them through this,” said Strong.
Both Strong and Larsen say the best way to help local food banks immediately is through direct food donations. They will accept monetary donations as well, but food donations means they can turn around and get it to people in need quickly.
“We really appreciate the proteins: peanut butter, canned meat, canned chicken, canned tuna,” said Larsen. “Proteins really go far and that’s something that our food bank is lacking right now.”
For those interested in donating to any local food bank. A map with information and phone numbers across the state can be found HERE.
