The droves of people who have visited some of New York’s food pantries in recent days have asked the same questions: How long is this going to last? Will you have food? How am I going to feed my kids? Sister Betsy Van Deusen, who is head of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Albany, heard all of these questions as the six food pantries served by her church braced for impact as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, froze Saturday. Mayors and governors across the country have pledged to supplement the missing federal assistance, while federal judges ruled Friday that the Trump administration should use contingency funds to keep food aid running despite the government shutdown.
The political squabbling has left 42 million Americans — most of whom are children, elderly or disabled — with no SNAP funds to start November. In the meantime, many nonprofits said they will work extended hours to supply vulnerable residents with food, and local community members said they’re also stepping up to fill the gap.
“There’s just general angst,” said Radha Muthiah, chief executive of Capital Area Food Bank in Washington. “I’ve spoken to so many families — mothers, fathers, grandmothers — in line to get food. And for so many of them, it’s disbelief and shock that they’re in this situation.”
In Portland, Oregon, which has been criticized by President Donald Trump as “war ravaged,” a long line stretched outside Josh White’s coffee shop, Heretic Coffee Co. White said that he’d supply free breakfast burritos to anyone who asked for “the SNAP breakfast” — no questions asked.
Families arrived from half an hour away with kids still sleepy in pajamas. Alex and Jennifer Garcia brought their four children, and they carpooled with Yolanda Martinez and her three teenagers.
Alex Garcia said he checked his account Saturday morning, and there was no money or even a note about when he could expect to receive SNAP funds. Yolanda Martinez said she didn’t feel right taking any food or coffee for herself, but “this way,” she said, “at least my kids have something to eat. I don’t want them to go hungry.”
It is unclear when Americans who receive SNAP assistance will see money in their Electronic Benefit Transfer cards. Here’s what to know.
Courts rule to release funds, but delays are expected Return to menu
The Agriculture Department in late last month said it could not use $5.5 billion in contingency funds to keep SNAP running, despite it doing so in the most recent closure, which spanned from December 2018 to January 2019 during Trump’s first term.
On Friday, a federal judge in Rhode Island ruled that USDA must distribute those backup funds “as soon as possible.” A second federal judge in Massachusetts also directed the government to decide by Monday whether it would use the reserves for food aid.
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