SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A letter recently sent to all states from the USDA stated there will not be enough money to support the SNAP benefits program if the government shutdown continues. This is causing local food banks to brace for a possible rise in need.

28/22 News Reporter Colby Hughes spoke with the president of a food bank in Scranton, and a Scott Township man who uses SNAP benefits himself; both of them are concerned for what the next few weeks will look like.

As the government shutdown continues, funding for SNAP benefits may be paused in the month of November.

The potential pause is prompting some food banks, like Friends of the Poor in Scranton, to stock up their shelves to meet any rise in need.

“It is pretty difficult for us because with the government shutdown, we’re kind of experiencing that hit ourselves with some of our funding streams. So, we have to try to make sure that we can procure more food and have more available to serve more people, but we’re doing it with less resources,” Friends of the Poor and Catherine McAuley Center President and CEO Meghan Loftus told 28/22 News.

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Friends of the Poor typically sees a greater need during the summer months while kids are out of school.

As the potential SNAP pause might send more people to food banks, Loftus is surprised that nothing more is being done to help.

“In the past, when we’ve had government shutdowns, the government has always used the contingency funds through USDA to continue funding the SNAP allotment, and this is the first time in my tenure, I’m here almost nine years, that the government has no plan or hasn’t said anything at this point about using those contingency funds,” Loftus explained.

Friends of the Poor accepts donations from the public, and while there is some worry for what is to come, Loftus has hope that the kindness of others in the area will help.

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“We live in a very, very generous community that relies on one another and really helps each other get through, and I’m very confident that that’s what’s going to happen again,” Loftus continued.

28/22 News was contacted earlier this month by a couple in Scott Township who had their benefits stolen. Now they are facing another challenge on top of that and are fearful for the sake of local food banks.

“Every food bank, not just in this county but in the entire commonwealth, is going to be stretched to the absolute thinnest, and they’re going to have to either give people smaller portions or they’re not going to be able to serve as many people,” Stephen Wasilewski from Scott Township said.

Wasilewski is worried that this may end badly for those impacted by this possible pause.

“It’s going to come down to where people have to decide, ‘okay, option A, I pay my rent and my bills and I starve for the month, or option B, I buy food, but there’s a possibility that by the end of the month, I may be living out of my car or a tent,” Wasilewski added.

Anyone looking to help out Friends of the Poor as they prepare for next month can go online to learn more.

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