Photo: James Rojas/WBZ NewsRadio
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Local food pantries are stepping up to fill the void as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits expired.
Jim Brett, board president for the Mary Ann Brett Food Pantry in Dorchester, told WBZ NewsRadio that they’ve had a 30% increase in new clients since the announcement.
“It’s going to be challenging for us, because at the end of the day, the need is great,” he said.
Brett added that people are scared and worried about not knowing where to get their next meal.
“[There’s] so much uncertainty,” he continued. “People are hurting.”
On Friday, two federal judges in New England ruled that the Trump administration must use contingency funds to continue to fund SNAP programs.
The Trump administration has until Monday to tell Boston federal judge Indira Talwani if the administration will partially fund the program through the USDA contingency fund, or find other ways to fully fund November assistance.
Read more: Dedham School District Collects Donations Amidst Threat To SNAP Funding
Last month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the SNAP program, announced November benefits would not be distributed due to the ongoing government shutdown.
In Boston, more than 140,000 residents are expected to be impacted by the funding freeze.
On Friday, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu announced a new partnership between the city and The Boston Foundation. She says the collaboration has raised more than $1 million to fund resources to improve food accessibility for impacted families.
“Boston is determined to protect our residents with every possible resource, and stand with every community fighting back against these illegal and immoral actions,” Mayor Wu said.
This effort is designed to provide emergency support, and not to be a long-term solution to fill the gap left by the SNAP cutoff.
In Dorchester, Brett said food pantries like his are always there for the community, especially for families who can’t get by with just SNAP.
“If we weren’t here, I don’t know where they would go,” he said. “We don’t turn anyone away.”
WBZ NewsRadio’s Mike Macklin (@mikemacklinwbz) reports.