Anderson food pantries prepare for extra need with canceled November SNAP benefits
Due to the federal government shutdown, SNAP benefits are canceled for November. That means the more than 571,000 Hoosiers who use the federal food assistance will be scrambling to find alternatives. Local food pantries across Indiana are preparing for the extra need. IPR’s Thomas Ouellette talks to some of them in Anderson.
State numbers show Madison County ranks near the bottom of all Indiana counties for child food insecurity, meaning a lack of dependable food access for many households.
Local food pantries provided by organizations like Operation Love Ministries have been fighting to help provide easy access to nutritious food for people in need.
Executive Director Andrea Baker says October alone has seen a tremendous increase in registration as people prepare to go without federal benefits.
“So we’re talking about 150, 160 families every week,” said Baker. “And then we do have a bonus pantry once a month. So that week we had over 300 families using the program. We used to prepare for just 100 families.”
Read More: Pantries, nonprofits revert to Covid effort as SNAP pauses
Baker expects that number to grow even more in November, but she isn’t sure how long supplies will last.
“Mathematically, I don’t think that pantries can sustain the vast number of people that are going to be affected by the shutdown,” she said.
Baker says a lot of families are barely getting by with federal benefits, and without them, they will be faced with very tough choices.
“I think that, ultimately, what you’ll see is maybe those kids will still get fed and those parents are going to be skipping meals, because they’re going to do whatever it takes for their children,” said Baker. “But it’s a very, very difficult situation and it’s dire.”
Another local food pantry run by The Gathering of the Queens is also seeing an increase in need.
Executive Director of the Queens, Marilynn Collier, says it’s emotionally taxing to explain what a government shutdown means to people who don’t understand it.
“How do you tell someone that you had money on your SNAP card, but now you’re not going to get it?” Collier said. “Or how do you tell someone that you’re not going to be able to feed your children?”
Collier says community support has been immense and that she has received donations of meats, canned goods and other groceries that will help bridge the gap for now. But, she adds she isn’t sure how long the Queens will be able to sustain a newer large number of people in need.
“I don’t think you can ever really be ready for that many families, but we know that we have to do what we have to do,” she said.
Thomas Ouellette is our reporter and producer. Contact him at thomas.ouellette@bsu.edu
