As the government shutdown stretches on, thousands of families across Northeast Florida are feeling the strain, especially those relying on food assistance programs like SNAP.
Feeding Northeast Florida, the region’s largest food bank, says $22 million in SNAP benefits go to Duval County residents each month. With those benefits paused, the nonprofit is now bracing for an even greater demand heading into the holidays.
“We’ve been seeing this for a while, and especially now with the SNAP benefits paused, people are desperate for food assistance,” said Susan King, President and CEO of Feeding Northeast Florida. “So, we created this event which gives volunteers a chance to really get their hands dirty and help pack thousands and thousands of boxes that will be distributed over the next couple of weeks.”…