(WHTM) \u2013 Pennsylvania\u2019s months-long budget delay and the depletion of SNAP benefits amid a federal shutdown collided last week as lawmakers scrambled to find solutions to help those who will feel an immediate impact.<\/p>\n
On Friday Governor Josh Shapiro announced the direction of $5 million worth of state funding to Feeding Pennsylvania<\/a>\u00a0to distribute through its network of food banks.<\/p>\n The governor also signed a declaration of disaster emergency to expedite the funds and announced a private sector fundraising effort that\u2019s raised more than $1 million from individuals including Mark Cuban.<\/p>\n \u201cNearly two million Pennsylvanians rely on SNAP every month \u2014 and they shouldn\u2019t have to wonder where their next meal will come from because of the dysfunction in Washington,\u201d said Governor Shapiro. \u201cThere is no substitute for the federal government\u2019s decision not to release SNAP benefits, but my Administration is stepping up to use every tool we have \u2014 state resources, private sector support, and the compassion of our communities \u2014 to make sure our food banks are fully stocked and our families are fed. The federal government has the money to keep people fed \u2014 they\u2019re just refusing to use it. In Pennsylvania, I won\u2019t let our families or food banks shoulder that burden alone, and I\u2019m not going to stand by while the federal government lets Pennsylvanians go hungry.\u201d<\/p>\n Shapiro and 24 other states have sued the Trump Administration over the suspension of SNAP benefits during the government shutdown.<\/p>\n Every week, This Week in Pennsylvania gives a comprehensive look at the week\u2019s biggest news events in Pennsylvania, provided by the abc27 News team, along with the latest updates on local stories.<\/p>\n