Hope Gospel Rescue Mission ministry team member Brandi Lutt eats dinner with the mission’s residents, who receive three meals a day from community donations – photo by Parker Garlough, York News-Times
York News-Times Press Release
Written by Parker Garlough
The pause in SNAP benefits is a frightening situation for many in York County, where about 370 households receive the food aid.
Jennifer Harre, Family and Community Services coordinator at Blue Valley Community Action, recounted having several people tell her they were scared that they would be unable to feed their families if SNAP benefits were paused.
In the meantime, local organizations like Blue Valley Community Action and Hope Gospel Rescue Mission are working to fill the gap.
Blue Valley “absolutely” expects an uptick in demand for their services, Harre said. They’ve been concerned about increased hunger since the beginning of the government shutdown.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which helps low-income families get food, did not distribute payments yet for November. Partial payments, or even full payments if a federal judge’s ruling Thursday is carried out, will be made later in the month.
One in 8 Americans receives SNAP benefits, and the status of the benefits has been in a state of turmoil for weeks. The Trump administration initially announced that SNAP benefits would not be distributed at all until the federal government shutdown was over.
This past Friday, two federal judges ordered the administration to use SNAP’s contingency fund to make benefit payments but allowed for those payments to be reduced. Despite the ruling, President Trump made a social media post threatening to hold back the payments entirely — but later walked back that threat.
As of Thursday, the most current statement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (which is responsible for SNAP) is that SNAP recipients will receive up to 65% of their typical benefits.
To meet the increased demand in Blue Valley’s service area, they’ve been soliciting food donations from community members and organizations. For example, Dollar Fresh is encouraging customers to purchase a $5 or $10 bag of food for donation to Blue Valley.
Blue Valley is also using social media to celebrate especially large donations.
“Our cries for help are being heard and honored!” the agency wrote in a Facebook post. “York County is always so giving, and today is no different.”
Food donations are especially important right now, because there are a limited number of places the organization can buy food in bulk at low prices, Harre said. They often source their food from Lincoln Food Bank, but their resources are also limited right now.
Hope Gospel Rescue Mission has also been collecting more donations than usual, Executive Director Lonnie Berger said. However, their efforts are not a direct result of the SNAP benefit lapse. Rather, they are centered around encouraging generosity during the holiday season.
They are concerned the pause in payments will lead to increased hunger but have not made special plans to accommodate that. Their preparation has consisted of “just being available. We’re always available,” Berger said.
It’s a common misconception that SNAP benefit recipients are all “lazy,” unemployed and likely to not be looking for work, Harre said. She disputed this perception. Besides, Harre continued, she does not believe any child should go hungry regardless of their parents’ employment decisions.
Data from the U.S. Census Bureau reveal that in nearly 80% of SNAP households, at least one family member is employed.
Berger agreed that many employed people need to seek financial help.
“Even if you have a job, it’s hard to afford housing,” he said.
Despite the uncertainty, Blue Valley staff have hope.
“Joy and happiness fills my heart as the community steps up to fill our pantry,” the organization wrote in a Facebook post.
