READING, Pa. – The Helping Harvest Fresh Food Bank will need more food and more hands on deck if the federal government doesn’t reopen soon.
State officials say nearly 60,000 people in Berks County will go without food assistance next month if the shutdown drags on.
Pennsylvania officials say unless Congress acts fast to end the government shutdown, they won’t be able to make payments to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, next month.
“That will affect in Berks and Schuylkill counties, 88,000 recipients of SNAP benefits, who cumulatively would normally expect $16.4 million each month for benefits,” said Jay Worrall, president, Helping Harvest Fresh Food Bank.
Worrall says he expects waves of new clients who currently rely on the program. And this year, the food bank is already dealing with other challenges.
“Unfortunately, because of the government impasses, both in Harrisburg and Washington, we have less food available to them this time of year than we would normally have,” Worrall said.
Worrall says last year the federal government reduced the amount of resources available to food banks through the Emergency Food Assistance Program.
“It would be bad enough if food stamps were cut off in, say, February or March, but for food stamps to be paused or eliminated right before two holidays that Americans use food to celebrate — so central to who we are — it’s really a tragedy,” Worrall said.
He says the food bank’s new kitchen in Reading allows for access to more food through restaurants and food manufacturers, but the food bank still has a 16 million dollar loss to make up for.
“We’re looking for financial support,” Worrall said. “We need to purchase more food now than we probably ever have before, and it’s really people’s financial support of the food bank that allows us to do that.”
The food bank says anyone facing hunger can reach out to get help finding food or to get answers to any of their questions. Helping Harvest is also looking for volunteers to help make and distribute the meals.