Nearly 13,000 Benton County residents are navigating uncertainty over their food assistance as a federal government shutdown disrupts the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
Benton County officials released information this week about where residents can find food help as the shutdown interferes with the distribution of SNAP funds, which they said provide food benefits to about 13% of the county’s population, including more than 2,600 children and 1,100 older adults.
While a federal judge ruled Oct. 31 that SNAP funds must be reinstated, it remains unclear how quickly that will happen, prompting county officials to share resources for those in need…