With federal SNAP benefits expired as of Nov. 1, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan announced emergency measures Monday to prevent food insecurity from overwhelming the city’s most vulnerable residents.
The mayor authorized $1.75 million in emergency contracts to stock local food pantries, bypassing the usual approval process to respond quickly to the crisis. The funding breaks down as follows:
- Forgotten Harvest: $770,892 for boxed and canned food.
- Gleaners Food Bank: $770,892 for boxed and canned food.
- Metro Food Rescue: $250,000 for fresh produce.
The SNAP shutdown affects approximately 42 million Americans nationwide. As writer and Detroit resident Cherise Morris detailed in a personal essay, the program’s suspension comes after a monthlong government shutdown that has already left 730,000 federal workers without pay.
“We are hopeful that Congress will act to restore SNAP funding so our government is not using food access for families in need as a weapon in political disagreements,” Duggan said in a statement Friday…