With SNAP benefits ending Nov. 1, Lake and Porter county officials are preparing for an influx of people seeking food assistance.
Hilltop Neighborhood House in Valparaiso will be open an extra day next week and doubling hours for donations as community members have been coming to give more food, Hilltop CEO Jennifer Wright said.
The food pantry, which is typically open Thursdays, added an extra day for Tuesday next week, Wright said. Next week, the Hilltop Mission Kitchen will be open Monday for hot meals from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and the Hilltop Food Pantry will be open from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Tuesday and Thursday, she said.
In the last few weeks, Wright said the food pantry line has been increasing and it will continue to grow as it gets closer to the end of the month. Wright said about 100 new families have started coming in the last two weeks.
“We’ve already seen an increase just in the last few weeks,” Wright said. “The tipping point will be Saturday, and we didn’t want to make folks wait until the following Thursday … so we added services for Monday, Tuesday and Thursday.”
The fate of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, which helps about 1 in 8 Americans buy groceries, could dry up Nov. 1 without either a resolution of the federal government shutdown or other action.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees SNAP, told states earlier this month not to contact vendors because of uncertainty about whether the program would be funded in November.
A federal judge in Rhode Island Friday blocked the Trump administration from cutting funding to SNAP benefits during the government shutdown.
The average monthly benefit is $187 per person. Most beneficiaries have incomes at or below the poverty level.
Congress and President Donald Trump could strike a deal to end the federal shutdown that started Oct. 1. It’s also possible that the Trump administration would allocate money for the program from a USDA contingency fund even if the shutdown continues.
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The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimates that about $5 billion is available in a contingency fund and is calling on the administration to use that for partial benefits in November.
U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan, D-Highland, said he would support using the $5 billion reserves or a separate piece of legislation to fund SNAP.
As Hoosiers are experiencing increases in their utility and grocery bills, cutting SNAP benefits adds “insult to injury,” Mrvan said.
“They are refusing to put food on the table of senior citizens, working families, children across Northwest Indiana so people will go hungry. I find that unacceptable,” Mrvan said. “These types of cruel maneuvers do not benefit anybody. Let’s negotiate in good faith and find solutions, open up the government and move forward.”
Wright said that many of the people who come to Hilltop Neighborhood House are senior citizens and they typically receive about $28 a month in SNAP benefits.
“They are already having to reach out to the food pantry anyway. This just doubles their need,” Wright said.
There’s a misconception that people with food insecurity are lazy and don’t have a job, Wright said, when really the majority of people who need food support work but just can’t make their checks stretch to the end of the month.
Wright said a portion of the clients that Hilltop services come because an unexpected expense, like medical bills after a child breaks their arm, has meant less money for food.
“This will be a little bit tighter for them too; if pantries can’t keep up with all the new clients or the emergency clients, it will possibly mean less for our regular clients,” Wright said.
But, Wright said the community has been stepping up to give donations. With the increased need for food, Wright said the best kind of donation is food products that can be put right on the shelf.
“That’s probably counterintuitive to most people, but if I don’t have to pay someone to go pick up the food and it’s already there I can turn around and pass it out,” Wright said.
Wright said she anticipates the cuts to SNAP will be “a short-term thing,” that lasts about one or two weeks.
“Right now, we’re just going day by day,” Wright said. “We’re doing the best we can.”
Hanover Township Trustee Director of Public Assistance Beth Tate said the township has a food pantry that services about 50 families monthly.
The trustee’s office helps with rent, utilities, food and clothing costs, Tate said. Anyone who needs food assistance can apply for public assistance, and if they are approved, they get a Stack & Van Til voucher for groceries.
Beyond that, the township can’t do much more because it receives taxpayer money, Tate said.
“There’s nothing we can do. We only have a small amount of money in a gift fund for groceries,” Tate said.
The township will help direct people to local food banks for assistance, Tate said.
“I hope they don’t cut food stamps because it’ll be a mess. That’s a dear over here,” Tate said.
The North Township Trustee’s office offers support for food assistance, household and personal care items, emergency disaster relief, rental or mortgage assistance, utility assistance and clothing support, according to an email from the office.
“With recent reports suggesting that SNAP benefits may soon be reduced or eliminated, we understand that many families are feeling anxious about how they will continue to meet their basic needs,” according to the North Township Trustee’s office email.
Antiqua Austin, Chief Deputy of Ross Township, said the office has been proactive for the last few weeks in anticipation of the cuts to SNAP. Township officials have been reaching out to grocery stores and local businesses for support, and received many food donations, she said.
“We’ve been proactive for the last few weeks,” Austin said. “We do anticipate the need coming.”
The township has a food pantry through the Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Merrillville, Austin said, and people can sign up to utilize it at the township office. In the last month, sign up for the food pantry has increased by 20%, she said.
“We’re trying to meet the need of the people in need, so if we see that need, we can discuss increasing (food pantry hours),” Austin said.
Austin said she would encourage anyone who needs assistance to reach out to the township office.
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“We don’t want people to go without,” Austin said. “Even if we can’t meet that need, we can direct them.”