BOSTON — Impending cuts to SNAP benefits will cause more people to seek food assistance in November while the federal government shutdown continues.
That’s what the Greater Boston Food Bank told Boston 25 on Thursday morning.
President and CEO Catherine D’Amato said, “We expect to see a consistent increase in demand at the local food pantries.”
The USDA has indicated it will not have the funding to distribute SNAP and EBT to some states next month.
D’Amato reminded that there are more than one million people dependent on SNAP in Massachusetts, and 42 million across the country.
“The Greater Boston Food Bank supplies 75% of the food into each one of those pantries, so we’re committed to continue to raise dollars to purchase more food and to work with our members of the food industry to help us as well,” said D’Amato.
One of the food pantries getting more questions about food is in Weymouth.
Executive Director Pamela Denholm said, “This year feels like unique in that we have a lot of anxiety around the holidays as we head into November.”
Denholm said more people are asking about Thanksgiving meals than usual, with people worried about losing SNAP benefits and other rising costs in the colder months.
“We normally will serve around 700 families for a Thanksgiving meal. This is a good metric for us, and I think this year we’re gearing up to serve 900,” said Denholm.
immediately, food banks and pantries are preparing to help the one in three people across the state who experience food insecurity.
D’Amato added, “We have to be able to try to mitigate some of the pain that these families are going to feel who are caught in the shutdown. They’re not the issue. The issue is, let’s get this solved and keep these kinds of benefits moving for families that need them.”
If you need food, you can go to gbfb.org and find pantries in your community.
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