SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE\/WYOU) \u2014 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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
As the government shutdown continues, funding for SNAP benefits may be paused<\/a> in the month of November.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is pretty difficult for us because with the government shutdown, we\u2019re 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\u2019re doing it with less resources,\u201d Friends of the Poor and Catherine McAuley Center President and CEO Meghan Loftus told 28\/22 News.<\/p>\n Counterfeit cash found in purse at Mohegan Pennsylvania <\/a><\/p>\n Friends of the Poor typically sees a greater need during the summer months while kids are out of school.<\/p>\n As the potential SNAP pause might send more people to food banks, Loftus is surprised that nothing more is being done to help.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the past, when we\u2019ve 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\u2019m here almost nine years, that the government has no plan or hasn\u2019t said anything at this point about using those contingency funds,\u201d Loftus explained.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Luzerne County business raises money for medical research <\/a><\/p>\n \u201cWe live in a very, very generous community that relies on one another and really helps each other get through, and I\u2019m very confident that that\u2019s what\u2019s going to happen again,\u201d Loftus continued.<\/p>\n