Thousands of Minnesotans in limbo as government shutdown threatens food and family aid
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Thousands of Minnesotans might not receive federal food aid benefits if the government shutdown continues into November, as federal officials have told states that funding for SNAP benefits is running out.
All 87 counties and tribal leaders in Minnesota received an email from the state Department of Children, Youth and Families Wednesday saying that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has notified states that if the congressional stalemate drags into next month, there will not be enough money to pay for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits.
More than 440,000 individuals in Minnesota rely on these benefits to help them pay for meals, and more than 42 million people across the country use them to meet their nutritional needs.
MPR News contacted the Department of Children, Youth and Families, but the agency declined to comment.
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The Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) — a program that gives families cash to pay for basic needs, such as food, rent, clothing, child care and employment services — will also likely be affected if the shutdown continues.
Nicole Worlds, financial assistance manager for Health and Human Services for Faribault and Martin Counties in southern Minnesota, says the prolonged federal government shutdown, with no end in sight, is causing a lot of uncertainty and fear among those who rely on these benefits to feed their families.
“They’re frightened. We’re talking about people feeding their children. And grown-ups, they’ll do what they need to take care of themselves; but for kids, when parents can’t feed their children, they panic,” Worlds said. “And they’re just at a loss. They’re not sure what they’re going to do … if the food shelves are going to be overrun and their benefits don’t happen, they’re just worried. They’re very scared.”
She said the average family in Faribault County receives about $281 each month in food support.
“If they don’t have that, then their whole food budget is going to just be gone,” Worlds said. “It’s just going to result in probably double the [number of] people hitting those food shelves every week or every month.”
In Martin County, there are 1,865 people who rely on federally funded SNAP benefits — 667 of which are children — and in Faribault County, 1,352 use SNAP, with 479 being children.
Worlds said local businesses where recipients spend their SNAP benefits, including grocery stores, food marts and even farmers markets, will likely suffer from the loss in funding as well.
Food shelves are already feeling the strain.
Cindy Favre, manager of the St. Peter Area Food Shelf in Nicollet County, says completely removing SNAP benefits would add indescribable pressure on the food aid system. She added some Twin Cities food shelves have waiting periods of up to “five weeks” for clients to receive assistance.
“Food shelves are not going to be able to fill the gap of SNAP, we’re just not big enough,” Favre said. “SNAP is so much bigger than what food shelves are. If they don’t get SNAP, I can’t just visualize … I just can’t see how food shelves can completely fill that.”
St. Peter Area Food Shelf had already seen a 31 percent increase in the number of people visiting since this time last year. The surge in demand has caused the food shelf to limit the number of times each household can visit.
With federal employees now receiving significantly smaller paychecks this week because of the government shutdown, some of them could end up in need, potentially increasing demand for food assistance.
Sarah Moberg, CEO of Second Harvest Heartland, told MPR’s Minnesota Now Wednesday that one in five Minnesotan households struggle to afford food.
“That is a significant and important and dire number,” Moberg said. “We need everyone to come together, whether it’s policy makers or business and community leaders, to ensure that we are able to bring people the support that they need today as well as through the upcoming holiday months.”
