The state of Wisconsin currently faces the end of SNAP benefits in the midst of the government shutdown. Approximately 42 million individuals across the United States will not receive the program’s benefits in the month of November, according to the US Department of Agriculture.
People have turned to Dane County’s food pantries in the days leading up to SNAP’s departure, and long time institutions are starting to feel its effects. In a statement, Neighborhood House, Madison’s oldest community center and an organization that has weathered the Great Depression and the Spanish flu epidemic, said that they are feeling the growing numbers of families requiring their services.
And according to Francesca Frisque, the Director of Community Food Resources at Goodman Community Center, her pantry saw a 40% uptick in usage last week. Likewise, Helen-Osborn-Senatus, director of operations at The River Food Pantry, has seen a 14% increase in the number of visitors compared to September of last year…