Benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, will come to an end on Saturday as the federal shutdown stretches into another month.

It’s estimated that tens of thousands of children in Allegheny County alone are on SNAP benefits. With the potential for those to go away, it puts more pressure on school districts to help kids get the food they need.

Schools all across the region run backpack programs that get food to families who need a helping hand. 

Down at Baldwin High School, they have the Purple Pantry. It started a couple of years ago and addresses students weekly and on an as needed basis with food and other needs like hygiene products. 

“As teachers and educators and those of us, whatever our role is in education, I think we just feel that natural calling to support our students not just within the walls of our classroom,” teacher Becca Mackin said.

They expect that need to go up. So far this year, they’ve seen a change from just needing snacks to more meal foods like pasta and rice.

Gateway’s program says they expect to see an increase in the upcoming weeks for their weekly distribution. They currently serve about 200 students a week.

Franklin Regional’s program runs every other week. Nothing is finalized, but changing that to weekly is not out of the question.

“I think we continue as a school district just to provide support in so many different ways, not just food directly,” Franklin Regional school counselor Doug Kelly said. 

For students on the free and reduced lunch programs, they will still qualify for the meals, even with SNAP stopping. According to food service directors, students qualify for the whole year.

“Their child can have food at school, two meals a day, every day for free,” Baldwin Whitehall food service director Joyce Weber said.

All the school pantry and backpack programs ask if people can help to lend a hand and donate nonperishable food items.