The U.S. Department of Agriculture posted a notice to its website saying it would not draw on contingency funds to extend Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits as the now month-long government shutdown continues.
Macon County Department of Social Services Director Patrick Betancourt said approximately 1,950 households and 3,800 individuals in Macon County use Food and Nutritional Supplements, some of which heavily rely on those benefits.
“The largest group of individuals receiving FNS in Macon are children under the age of 18,” Betancourt said. “This is a critical age range, as these are young individuals who depend on these benefits for proper nutrition to support their growth and development. Ensuring children and teens have access to nutritious food is a priority, as food insecurity during childhood can have long-lasting effects on health and educational outcomes.”
He said of those 1,275 children receiving assistance, almost 950 are between 5 and 17 years old and often face additional challenges to food security during school breaks and on weekends.
Nearly 675 seniors rely on benefits, belonging to a demographic more susceptible to inflation and rising costs of living. Betancourt said the supplements become “an essential resource” for some seniors trying to access nutritious food and stay healthy.
Betancourt said the state has given no guidance on whether it would be able to pick up the cost of funding SNAP temporarily for N.C. residents, and an October USDA memo said, “There is no provision or allowance under current law for states to cover the cost of benefits and be reimbursed.”
“We strongly encourage FNS recipients to reach out to other local food security programs in the county,” Betancourt said, “such as food pantries, food closets, local churches, places for warm meals and other community initiatives like MANNA. Macon County Dept. of Social Services is deeply concerned about the loss of benefits for our FNS recipients and strongly encourages our citizens to access all available resources.”
CareNet Executive Director Tim Hogsed said the nonprofit expects to see an uptick in usage from the lapse as those relying on SNAP benefits need to seek help from other places, an increase that adds on to the bigger community accompanying the holidays from November through January.
“We anticipate having more people visiting,” Hogsed said. “We have already seen some people that have not been here in a while … We will use everything necessary to ensure a steady supply of food.”
He said CareNet might have to increase the amount of food it orders but said the community “is great about helping us out and making sure people have whatever they need.” Since the nonprofit is no longer affiliated with MANNA, Hogsed said he cannot speak on any increases in need that would be faced by other nonprofits.
For those looking to help SNAP users brace for the deficit, he suggested making monetary donations to local nonprofits or shopping at their thrift stores. CareNet’s store is located at 106 W. Palmer St. Hogsed also encouraged people to visit the local nonprofits to learn more about the programs they run, how those programs work and who they help to get a better idea of what labor or resources will make those organizations better able to meet community needs.
“Anyone who wants to see, tell them to come by,” Hogsed said. “They don’t really know until they see. People get a better understanding of what’s needed.”
For canned goods, donors should check their pantry to see if there’s anything they aren’t using. If the goods are less than one year expired, CareNet can still put them to use, but any more than that and they’re better tossed. Hogsed also suggested making boxes of holiday items – nonperishable goods like canned corn, sweet potatoes and cranberry sauce – to give out.
CareNet will host a “Fill the Freezer Pickleball Social” to collect donations and turkeys for Thanksgiving on Saturday, Nov. 15.