Editor’s note: The following is a statement by Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas.
With basic living expenses rising faster than wages, many Kansans are having to make difficult decisions between buying food for their families and paying utility bills to keep them safely housed. Adding to this already dire situation is the delay and only partial funding of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
SNAP is a lifeline for nearly 42 million individuals, families, those with special needs and seniors across the United States. The program addresses food insecurity by providing eligible individuals with supplemental financial assistance for purchasing food items — an average per household member of $182/month or $5.98/day.
Eligibility for the program is determined based on factors such as income, monthly expenses and household size. Participants receive a benefits card (similar to a debit card) that allows them to purchase a wide variety of nutritional food items from fresh produce to dairy products, meats, poultry, fish and other pantry staples.
SNAP empowers recipients to make nutritious food choices for themselves and their families. Benefits cards may be used at traditional grocery stores and at farmers markets. They can also be used to purchase plants and seeds so that recipients can grow their own vegetables and fruits at home.
A ‘both/and’ issue.
SNAP benefits were distributed as planned in the month of October but those families who rely on these benefits are now highly concerned following the announcement that they will not receive full benefits in November due to the current government shutdown AND beyond, due to the proposed federal funding cuts to the SNAP program overall.
What impact will a delay or disruption on SNAP benefits have in Kansas?
• SNAP provides more than $34.4 million to more than 93,000 Kansas households — nearly 188,000 Kansans who depend on SNAP each month to help feed their families.
• More than 44% of SNAP recipients in Kansas are working families; more than 65% of SNAP participants are in families with children.
How will Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas be affected?
The delay and reduction of SNAP benefits places immense hardship on organizations like Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas who offer supplemental food assistance through our eight food pantries. Last fiscal year alone, Catholic Charities served over 74,000 people, with 16,000 of those coming for assistance for the very first time. The agency distributed over $11.2 million worth of food to hungry individuals and families through food assistance programs.
As SNAP benefits are delayed and reduced, Catholic Charities is prepared to act and offer affected families an additional visit to one of our food pantries. Traditionally, families can only visit once every 30 days.
“Our food pantries rely heavily on donations and are designed to supplement food assistance. Realistically, we can only provide about one meal for every nine meals provided through a safety-net program such as SNAP,” said Lauren Solidum, president and CEO of Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas. “Our concern is how we are going to meet and sustain this increased demand to feed the hungry in our communities.”
How the community can help
• Write or call your local elected officials asking them to continue to support families in need through SNAP.
• Catholic Charities relies on consistent volunteers to assist shoppers in our food pantries throughout our eight locations. Come volunteer with us!
• Donate shelf-stable food items and/or monetary donations for the purchasing of food items for our food pantries.
• Start a food drive in your neighborhood with a friend or work group. Rallying a group for a little food drive competition among parishes, schools or community organizations is also a great option for those that really want to roll up their sleeves.
• Help share our needs via social media posts.
Go online to: www.catholiccharitiesks.org for more information or give us a call at (913) 433-2100.
