Jewish food pantries in Phoenix are seeking to be a bulwark against hunger in the Valley now that funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, hangs in the balance amid the federal government shutdown.
The East Valley Jewish Community Center, Jewish Family & Children’s Service (JFCS) and the Arizona Kosher Food Pantry report an increase in food insecurity.
After initially claiming that a contingency fund could not be used to pay SNAP benefits during the shutdown, the U.S. Department of Agriculture was ordered by two federal judges to use the fund to pay at least a portion of benefits to the 42 million people who receive assistance through the program…