Millions of Americans who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to feed their families are still waiting for delayed benefits to be restored.
The federal government shutdown, which began Oct. 1, caused SNAP benefits to stop on Nov. 1. SNAP funds Wisconsin’s FoodShare program, which helps people in low-income households and those on fixed incomes purchase food.
Three federal judges have directed the U.S. Department of Agriculture to restart funding in full, or in part. But just when recipients will be able to use FoodShare again is uncertain. It takes time to restart the benefits, and the Trump administration is contesting the judges’ rulings.
In the meantime, food pantries are helping to fill the gap. The House of Peace pantry on West Walnut Street in Milwaukee is one of them. The organization, in the Johnson Park neighborhood, operates the largest food pantry in the city. It serves more than 18,000 people a year. More than 200,000 Milwaukee County residents receive FoodShare assistance.
Pantry Coordinator Armondo Diaz says FoodShare recipients normally come to the pantry the first few days of the month. "So, we maybe get 25-30 households that come in for food pantry. But because everything is delayed, we been consistently hitting 90-100 households every single day," Diaz says.
Diaz says the House of Peace pantry is in a slightly better position than some other pantries that solely rely on government funding because the pantry also gets support from donors and grants. But Diaz says it could use more help. He says the pantry will accept monetary donations; however, the most immediate impact comes when people donate food.
