By Sara Beth Williams– — Sunrise Christian Food Ministry in Citrus Heights has already seen an increase in the number of families seeking help to keep food on the table amid a potential disruption in food assistance benefits.
Director April Jacek said last week the organization has been preparing for a surge in requests. Already during the week of Oct. 27-31, she has seen 30 new families per day arriving at the closet. Jacek said most families come in the beginning of the month, and she expects an even higher rise in clients this coming week.
Over a week ago, the federally funded Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program known as SNAP, which helps low-income families afford food by providing monthly benefits on an electronic benefits transfer card, reported that necessary funding to continue the program had been depleted, according to multiple national news outlets. Friday, Oct. 31, a federal judge ordered the U.S. Department of Agriculture to fund the SNAP program using contingency funds…