The Brief
- SNAP benefits could end soon, putting 42 million Americans at risk.
- Over 275,000 people in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia rely on SNAP each month.
- Local food banks are bracing for a surge and asking for help.
WASHINGTON – Food banks across the D.C. region are preparing for a surge in demand as millions of Americans face the possible loss of SNAP benefits by the end of the week.
The federal shutdown, now in its fifth week, has left the Department of Agriculture unable to fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program into November.
SNAP aid in jeopardy
FOX 5’s Maureen Umeh says that although officials have access to $5 billion in emergency reserves, they will not release the funds and are putting food aid for 42 million people at risk, including 16 million children and 8 million seniors.
More than 275,000 residents across Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia rely on SNAP each month as communities brace for the worst.…