EVEN THOUGH THE PARTIAL
GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN IS NOW IN
ITS 20TH DAY, THOSE
WHO RECEIVE THE SUPPLEMENTAL
NUTRITION ASSISTANCE
PROGRAM, OR SNAP, CAN BREATHE A
SIGH OF RELIEF.
THE U-S-D-A ANNOUNCED THIS PAST
WEEK THE FOOD STAMPS PROGRAM
WILL BE FUNDED THROUGH FEBRUARY
IF THE SHUT DOWN CONTINUES.
BUT, ANY TIME PAST THAT -- IS UP
IN THE AIR.
WANE 15'S SIERRA TUFTS SPOKE TO
THE COMMUNITY HARVEST FOOD BANK
ON HOW
THEY'RE PREPARING.
SIERRA?
DIRK AND TERRA, IF THE
GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN
CONTINUES INTO MARCH, FOLKS MAY
BE SCRAMBLING TO PUT FOOD ON THE
TABLE.
IF THAT'S THE CASE, THE
COMMUNITY HARVEST FOOD BANK IS
READY TO STEP IN.
FORTY MILLION AMERICAN RELY ON
THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION
ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, OTHERWISE
KNOWN AS FOOD STAMPS.
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
ANNOUNCED THIS PAST WEEK, THE
PROGRAM WILL BE FUNDED THROUGH
FEBRUARY, EVEN IF THE SHUTDOWN
CONTINUES.
BUT IF IT GOES ON BEYOND THAT,
THE
PRGRAM WILL HAVE TO DIP INTO
THEIR RESERVE FUND, AND THAT
DOESN'T
COVER ALL THE FUNDS FOR A FULL
MONTH OF BENEFITS.
THAT'S WHERE THE COMMUNITY
HARVEST FOOD BANK STEPS IN.
"WE ARE FIRST RESPONDERS IN
DISTASTERS, IN ANY DISASTER THAT
HAPPENS.
WE ARE ACCLIMATED TO HANDLE
THESE TYPES OF
SITUATIONS." A VERY SMALL
PORTION OF THE
FOOD BANK'S FUNDS COME FROM THE
GOVERNMENT.
"LESS THAN 8% OF OUR FUNDING
COMES FROM THE GOVERNMENT, AND
THAT'S BY DESIGN.
THE REST OF OUR FUNDING COMES
FROM THIS AREA,
OUR COMMUNITY.
IT'S ALWAYS NEIGHBORS HELPING
NEIGHBORS."
SO IF THE SHUTDOWN CONTINUES,
THEY WON'T NEED TO
RELY ON GOVERNMENT FUNDING TO
FEED THOSE IN NEED,
PLUS THE 21-THOUSAND THEY
ALREADY SERVE IN 9 COUNTIES.
"IF WE WERE TO GO LOW ON FOOD, I
KNOW WE COULD PUT A CALL OUT,
AND
PEOPLE WOULD BE THERE TO HELP IN
ANYWAY THEY COULD...IS THIS A
HORRIBLE THING? YEAH, IT IS A
HORRIBLE THING FOR MANY PEOPLE.
BUT THE FOOD BANK DOES FOOD, AND
WE DO FOOD WELL."
THE U-S-D-A ALSO SAYS OTHER
PROGRAMS WILL BE FUNDED THROUGH
FEBRUARY, TOO.
LIKE SCHOOL LUNCHES, FOOD
DISTRIBUTION ON INDIANA
RESERVES,
PLUS WOMEN INFANTS AND CHILDREN,
OR WIC.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE FOOD
BANKS SERVICES, WE'LL HAVE LINK
INSIDE THIS STORY ON WANE DOT
COM. SIERRA TUFTS WANE 15 NEWS.
