TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Two Federal Court rulings have told the Administration to continue payments to people who get SNAP benefits—The Federal program that helps low income families pay for food. But there may still be delays putting money into people’s accounts while the program gears up.
With Government food benefits in jeopardy, a lot of people are taking matters into their own hands to help supplement the food available to people who need it.
Ward Two Tucson Councilmember Paul Cunningham is collecting the results of a Food Drive at Palo Verde High School and combining them with donations from Tucson Police, Tucson Firefighters, Saguaro Christian Church and U-Haul to create food boxes they’ll have ready in a few days.
He says there was a growing need for food even before the Federal shutdown interfered with SNAP benefits.
“It looks like we’ve got a hundred to one hundred fifty Federal workers living in Ward 2 that haven’t received a paycheck in a month, then we have another three or four hundred families in different elementary schools who rely on SNAP benefits that they’re not going to receive.”
Latest figures from the Arizona Department of Economic Security say in September more than 855 thousand people were depending on SNAP benefits across Arizona. More than 168 thousand of those are in Pima, Cochise and Santa Cruz Counties.
The Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona and the smaller food banks it supplies were already feeling the strain of increased demand, and reductions or outright cutoffs of food aid from the Federal Government.
After we listed food resources on kgun9.com one small church food bank asked us to remove their listing. They say they’re serving so many people already they’d have to turn away more people the listing might attract.
At the Ward 2 people like Debbie Yoder say donating food was the least they could do.
“I just think people not being able to have food for a month is something we can’t tolerate.”
