STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. –When Westerleigh resident Patricia Brooks, 70, found mounds of groceries on her doorstep after a story in the Advance/SILive.com detailed her struggle to buy food during the U.S. government shutdown, she was overcome with emotion.
Brooks is one of 42 million Americans who receive benefits from the federal government’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. For her, that’s just a little over $200 per month. And with the government shutdown, payments have been cut and delayed, making it nearly impossible to feed both herself and her 9-year-old rescue feline, Sampson.
“I was overwhelmed, to say the least! I feel so blessed,” said Brooks. “So many friends have reached out. It’s incredible. My refrigerator is full.”
Community reaches out
Immediately following the story’s posting on Nov. 4, Brooks said people dropped off goods on her doorstep, reached out to her via Facebook, and she even received Amazon Fresh deliveries with a bevy of goods, from pasta and rice, to fish and fruit, including her favorite — oranges…