With Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits set to be paused next month, Southwest Michigan food banks are preparing for more traffic.
Kalamazoo
Jennifer Johnson is the Executive Director of Loaves and Fishes, based in Kalamazoo.
Johnson said the food bank has been stocking up and planning for an influx of customers.
“We have the ability to add additional shifts and we have the ability to add another night if we need to. So, we can push it, we can add capacity where needed," she said.
However, she added that she’s unsure how long the organization will be able to sustain this push.
"We only have a historical reference in the past of 35 days. That was the longest the government shutdown has existed, that was from 2018," Johnson said.
"If it goes longer than that month, which, if it gets into November, it will, then we're kind of in territory we're not familiar with."
To keep Loaves and Fishes going through the shutdown, Johnson said the food bank would need the assistance of the local community.
"We're going to continue to look to the community for assistance, to look to funders for assistance and anybody who has the ability to donate food or donate time to help us get it out. Those are the kinds of things that we we are going to be looking for to help us continue this if it's 60 days, 90 days, however long it lasts."
Paw Paw
Sue Miller is the Executive Director of Eleanor’s Pantry, which serves residents in Paw Paw and Lawton.
She said they buy much of their food from Feeding America, which provides products at a lower cost than grocery stores.
But Miller said Feeding America has reduced the amount of food they’re providing in anticipation of cuts to federal programs that help fund it.
"If we can't get that from Feeding America and we have to pay $7 a pound at the store, I mean we're in double trouble because people will need more and we will have less," Miller said.
“Nobody's going to give enough to offset that kind of a deficit. So we'll have less. That's our only option, to offer less.”
And according to Miller, they aren't the only food bank in the area that are in this situation.
"We have contact with, particularly, the small food pantries here in Van Buren County," Miller said.
"Each town has their own and they're all in the same boat."
But she stressed the pantry would try everything to provide for those impacted by the pause.
"We'll try our level best and we'll go right 'til we can't go anymore."
Michael Symonds reports for WMUK through the Report for America national service program.
