Kentuckians face losing SNAP benefits
LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) – Food banks across Kentucky are preparing for a surge in need as federal SNAP benefits are set to expire Saturday if Congress fails to reach an agreement to extend funding.
Once benefits expire, more than 600,000 Kentuckians are expected to be affected — many left wondering how they will afford food for their families.
Officials with God’s Pantry Food Bank say they are already seeing a major increase in demand. Danielle Bozarth with God’s Pantry says their partner agencies across the Commonwealth have seen an 85% increase in the number of people seeking help.
“I can’t imagine being a parent and waking up tomorrow morning and not knowing how to feed my family,” Bozarth said. “As a food bank, we’re doing the best that we can to provide assistance to our partner agencies and the many communities that we serve.”
Bozarth says the organization has been preparing disaster food boxes to distribute across the 50 counties it serves and is also asking for monetary donations that can be directed to agencies in need so they can purchase food.
Lieutenant Governor Jacqueline Coleman, speaking in Lexington Friday, said the loss of SNAP benefits is not just a policy issue — it’s a direct hit to families and communities across Kentucky.
“This is not something that is a million miles away,” Coleman said. “This affects the people we love, that we go to school with, that we go to church with, that are our neighbors. It is incumbent upon all of us to come together to help these groups that know how to do this work most efficiently.”
Coleman urged Kentuckians to step up and help however they can — by donating food, money, or time to local food banks.
