Bridget Cullen, contributing writer
A month into the government shutdown, Rutherford County faces a new level of uncertainty. On November 1, funding for the federal food assistance program, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), ran dry. District Court Judge John J. McConnell Jr. ruled late last week that the USDA’s deadline to distribute SNAP benefits for November is Monday, November 3. The USDA argued that it does not have the legal authority to release the funds amid the shutdown, leaving states to scramble for solutions.
One of these solutions was proposed by Tennessee Gov. Lee. FeedTN.org is a new resource meant to connect the more than 690,000 Tennesseans who face food shortages with food banks, food kitchens, community fridges and donation boxes that provide resources for those in need. Middle Tennessee is home to numerous organizations that work to combat hunger in the area…