WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI – Food assistance programs are being stretched to their limit after suspended benefits created one of the worst situations one county leader said he has ever seen.
Food pantries run by Community Action Network in Washtenaw County have had to double their distribution in recent months as the county recovers from the impact of a federal government shutdown, said Derrick Miller, executive director of the nonprofit.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, which help roughly 13% of Michigan households buy food, were temporarily suspended in November during a 43-day shutdown of the federal government. That suspension, along with missed paychecks for federal workers, strained county support systems…