Uncertainty remains for food assistance programs as the federal government shutdown stretches into a third week.
That includes the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. About 150,000 people in the 10-county region around Rochester rely on SNAP benefits, according to Foodink.
Julia Tedesco, CEO of Foodlink, the Rochester-based non-profit that provides emergency food and assistance, said U.S. Department of Agriculture food distribution could also be affected in the coming months if the shutdown continues.
“Any USDA food ... orders that were already placed will continue to come in,” Tedesco said. “But we no longer have the ability to place new orders until the government reopens.”
Foodlink supplements USDA shipments with other sources of food, Tedesco said, but uncertainty around food assistance programs like SNAP, and whether the government will continue to serve as a source of food, makes it difficult to plan. Food procurement, she added, requires a great deal of planning, logistics, and coordination.
"We're doing everything we can to supplement what we may not be getting from the government," Tedesco said, "and to make sure that we are placing food orders far in advance and raising dollars to cover the cost of those so that there is enough food on our shopping list for food pantries, and soup kitchens, and meal programs across the region to order from. Because they will see more people at their doors.”
People who receive other forms of public assistance, may also see their benefits delayed starting November first, according to the New York state office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA).
“If the (federal government) shutdown continues into November, benefits for (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) SNAP and the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) could be delayed,” the OTDA website states.
The Women, Infants and Children Program, or WIC, was at risk of running out of funding before the end of October, but received $300 million from the Trump administration in unspent tariff revenue, according to the Associated Press. The future of funding that program as well remains uncertain as the government shutdown continues.
Valerie Figueroa, an OTDA deputy commissioner, sent a message through the department's notification system on Friday.
“On October 10th, USDA FNS directed states to hold their November issuance (payment) files and delay transmission to State EBT vendors until further notice,” Figuroa said in the notice, adding that the state office is in communication with USDA Food and Nutrition Services and “will issue updated guidance as it becomes available."
Hunger Free America, an anti-hunger nonprofit, said in a statement over the weekend that a nationwide hunger crisis is imminent next month if the federal shutdown continues. Nearly 42 million people receive SNAP benefits — more than 3 million of them reside in New York state.
“If SNAP payments are significantly delayed, not only could we have the most severe hunger crisis since the Great Depression, but many food retailers might also be forced into enacting layoffs or worse,” Joel Berg, Hunger Free America's CEO, said in a statement. “This would be truly catastrophic for the nation.”
