ALLENTOWN, Pa. – More people are seeking assistance from a Lehigh County food bank.
Allentown Ecumenical Food Bank says it’s seeing an increased demand from people who’ve lost or seen cuts to their SNAP benefits.
Community leaders gathered at the food bank today and say this is because of the One Big Beautiful bill.
They say when SNAP funding changes this fall, states could scale back paying for it or withdraw from it.
“Food is not a luxury. It’s a basic need and we have a collective responsibility to ensure our neighbors have enough to eat,” says Julie Bancroft, CEO, Feeding Pennsylvania.
The food bank says it receives food from Second Harvest each week, but Second Harvest hasn’t received the amount of federal food it has years ago.
According to the food bank, it is spending between $10,000 to $15,000 a month on food to fill the gaps.
The Trump administration has defended its SNAP policies, saying new restrictions promote taxpayer stewardship, prevent fraud and strictly adhere to funding limitations.