A local foundation is stepping up to help support the nearly 97,000 Pinellas County residents who rely on federal food benefits to afford groceries.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Pinellas Community Foundation (PCF<\/a>) announced Saturday that it is awarding $150,000 for emergency food assistance to offset an ongoing surge in demand. Nine county food banks and pantries will receive the much-needed funding.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Trump administration said Monday that it would provide only half<\/a> of the typical food assistance benefits for November amid a historic government shutdown. However, the timing of already delayed<\/a> payments remains a mystery.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve been watching this for a while and, honestly, hoping it wouldn\u2019t be needed,\u201d said Duggan Cooley, CEO of PCF. \u201cBut with all the uncertainty that\u2019s going on and seeing what\u2019s happening with food banks and food pantries right now, help is needed. There\u2019s no question about it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Roughly 10% of Pinellas County\u2019s population receives Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Nearly 13% of Florida residents \u2013 2.94 million people \u2013 receive what is colloquially known as food stamps.\u00a0<\/p>\n The state\u2019s average monthly payment is $181.97, about $6 less than the national rate. Households must generally earn less than the federal poverty line<\/a>, which is $32,150 for a family of four, to qualify.\u00a0<\/p>\n Two federal judges ordered the Trump administration to, at a minimum, utilize a $4.65 billion contingency fund Friday and temporarily support the program. SNAP uncertainty, which took another turn Tuesday, is driving local demand for food assistance.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re hearing from our partners that even if stuff is resolved tomorrow, and the government reopens, that it takes a while for people to adjust,\u201d Cooley said. \u201cAnd these things don\u2019t just turn around quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n PCF\u2019s announcement states that even brief disruptions can send thousands of families searching for food programs. The shutdown began Oct. 1, and local federal employees and contractors can face immediate impacts when paychecks pause<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Cooley noted that area food banks and pantries were already navigating an increasing demand due to the \u201ccontinued high cost of living.\u201d While many local organizations are trying to bridge assistance gaps, SNAP recipients cannot receive special pricing at grocery stores.\u00a0<\/p>\n The U.S. Department of Agriculture prohibited grocery stores from offering discounts to SNAP families<\/a> Sunday. Those receiving food assistance must pay \u201cthe same prices and on the same terms and conditions\u201d as their exponentially higher-earning counterparts.\u00a0<\/p>\n