UPDATE: The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has ordered the state’s SNAP EBT vendor to begin issuing SNAP benefits on Friday, November 7, as soon as federal money comes through.
This comes on the heels of a ruling by a Federal Judge ordering the Trump Administration to fully fund SNAP for November.
LANSING — Northern Michigan food banks are continuing to see increased demand due to delays in federal SNAP payments — but some relief may come soon.
The state announced Wednesday that 50% of normal SNAP benefits would be available on Saturday, November 8th, following recent federal rulings against the trump administration.
Charities say they’re grateful to see increased community support during the pause resulting from the government shutdown — but they warn that the government must reopen to get people the food they need.
“There’s no way that we can scale the food, the funds, the people, that it would take in order to scale up to a level that SNAP does every month,” said Dr. Phil Knight, executive director of the Food Bank Council of Michigan.
The council is part of Feeding America, which collectively helps get food aid to every county in the nation.
Feeding America is the country’s largest charity and has a truck fleet larger than Walmart’s. But Knight says that their work is no substitute for the federal government.
“For every meal that food banks nationally, and here in Michigan, distribute, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — SNAP — distributes up to nine meals,” he said.
Knight says that no amount of support for food banks could bridge the gaps that are left by delayed SNAP payments.
The federal program provides benefits for nearly 42 million Americans and more than 1.4 million Michigan residents.
“It is impossible for charity to be scaled to that level,” Knight said.
Nationally, the SNAP program costs around $9 billion a month, with the Michigan portion costing more than a quarter billion.
Last week, the state awarded $4.5 million to the council to help provide more meals to those in need.
“That money has arrived. It has gone out, food has been ordered,” Knight said. “It is being distributed and the impact of that will be approximately 6 million meals.”
Some of those resources will go to Northern Michigan charities like the Manna Food Project.
“On a normal Tuesday, for example, we were seeing about 80 to 90 households,” said executive director Carrie Klingelsmith. “In the last two weeks, we’re seeing upwards to about 130-35 households.”
Klingelsmith says their food pantry has seen higher demand throughout this year, especially in the last two weeks.
“We’ve seen a pretty major increase in households that are hard-working, two hard-working folks that just aren’t making enough to make ends meet,” she said.
Klingelsmith encouraged anyone in need of help to look into resources in their area.
“We just encourage people to seek assistance, and that’s what we’re here for,” she said. “There’s no shame in it, and everybody needs help at some point in their life. So that’s what we’re here for.”
More information on local food pantries can be found with 9&10 News here.
Those looking for resources can also visit MDHHS’s resource page, call the 211 help-line or check the Food Bank Council of Michigan for other nearby offerings.