SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – The MSPCA-Angell is urgently requesting pet food donations to meet unprecedented demand in its Community Outreach programs, as funding for SNAP benefits remains uncertain due to a prolonged government shutdown.
To address the increased need, the MSPCA-Angell’s Community Outreach team plans to expand the number of food pantries it operates throughout November. Alyssa Krieger, director of MSPCA-Angell Community Outreach, noted that the organization distributes an average of 275,000 pet meals monthly but needs to increase this by at least 22,000 meals per week, which incurs a cost of approximately $6,000 weekly.
“Funding ran out on November 1st. No one knows when it will come back or how much of it will come back, and people need help immediately,” said Krieger. “We want to make sure that people can feed their pets while they’re making impossible choices on incomes that were already limited before this shutdown.”…