The suspension of SNAP benefits on Saturday because of the federal government shutdown is impacting thousands of Delaware County families who use the program to pay grocery bills, writes Madeleine Wright for CBS News Philadelphia.
Momilani Miller, a Darby Township school bus driver and single mother of three, typically receives about $500 a month in SNAP benefits. November will be difficult.
“I could pay this bill or pay that bill, but now it’s going to come down to: Will I pay this bill or buy groceries for my family?”
Food pantries are already feeling the strain from a surge in demand. At Mount Zion C.M.E. Church in Sharon Hill, shelves are thinning, as demand rises from around 70 families a week to up to 100, said Pantry director Clarisse Smith.
“We have four volunteers,” Smith said. “We lost eight of our volunteers. They went out and had to get other jobs because their jobs with the government were taken away, so they’re not able to volunteer anymore. So hopefully we’ll get some of the church members to come out and help us out, but it’s really hard.”
A county-wide food drive is taking place on Nov. 8 to help SNAP families, writes Max Bennett for Patch.
Delaware County Council and the county’s Department of Human Services are hosting the massive food drive on Nov. 8 at Cardinal O’Hara High School, 1701 South Sproul Road in Springfield.
All collected items will be distributed equally among participating food pantries.
The event is rain or shine and is a drive-up, contactless collection.
Volunteers from the Department of Emergency Services’ Citizen Corps will assist with traffic flow, directing residents and unloading donations directly from vehicles.
About 77,000 Delaware County residents rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance benefits each month to put food on the table, according to the county.
Find out more about the Nov. 8 Delaware County Community Food Drive, including what items to donate..
The county is also launching a new “Community Resources” webpage soon to connect residents to essential programs and organizations.
Read more about how to donate if you’re unable to get to the Nov. 8 collection in Patch.
Read more about the impact of the SNAP suspension in Delaware County at CBS News Philadelphia.
