A federal judge ordered the US Department of Agriculture to disperse payments to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, recipients using contingency funds set aside for that purpose while the federal government is shut down. The White House has said the $4.65 billion fund will only cover part of the month. More will be needed to fully fund the program for November.
SNAP recipients sometimes use food pantries to help bridge gaps if they don’t receive enough in benefits or during times when SNAP is delayed. Melissa Rigas, Mat-Su Food Bank Food4Kids Program Director says pantry visitors do not always, nor are they required to, disclose if they are on SNAP.
Rigas says the Food Bank supports families directly as well as helps provide food for other places.
“We serve about 3,000 a month and we also resource the other pantries that are in the area, about 32 of them.”
There is no clear timeline for when the SNAP partial payments will be distributed so many recipients are left without resources to purchase food. Food Banks and pantries have been working for more than a year to fill the gap in Alaska because of the State’s backlog in registering people who qualify for the program. With the rising cost of food, the State has seen a big increase in people requesting assistance. Rigas says 100 new households signed up for food pantry services in September alone. But with the SNAP being cut off over the weekend, Rigas says there was a significant increase in visitors today.
“I saw a line outside of our door that I have never seen in the five plus, six years, seven years that I’ve been working here. And people waited. And I think that part of it is okay, yes, we didn’t get our SNAP, but number two is panic.”
Governor Mike Dunleavy today issued a state disaster declaration to help the more than 66,000 people on SNAP. The declaration will be in place for 30 days or until federal SNAP funding for November is received. In a letter to legislators, Dunleavy says he is limiting the funding to $10 million and will submit revised plans each week. The funding will be diverted from the Village Safe Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Projects, with the intent to replenish that in the next legislative session.
Rigas says the Mat-Su Betty White Food Pantry is open to all residents Monday through Friday from 10am to 1pm and some Friday evenings and Saturdays, announced on their Facebook page.
“You know you see people come in, there is absolutely no judgement, because we don’t know with the multi-layered economic problems who’s not eating and who’s eating. We serve everyone. If you’re hungry, come on in. We’ll serve you food.”
