Latest news with #GreaterChicagoFoodDepository
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Chicago area food pantries brace for SNAP funding cuts
CHICAGO (WGN) — With the passing of President Donald Trump's major budget bill, which includes an estimated $300 million cut to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as 'SNAP,' local food pantries told WGN News that they are bracing for the impact. The U.S. House of Representatives' passing of the bill dubbed 'big' and 'beautiful' means the need for resources will rise, said John Dumas, administrative director with the Share Food, Share Love food pantry in Brookfield. 'We are facing a situation where we believe there is going to be a significant rise in demand, but there isn't going to be food made available to us,' Dumas said. House Republicans pass Trump's big bill of tax breaks and program cuts after all-night session For the last 10 years, the Brookfield-area food pantry has helped people in the neighborhood and its 14 surrounding communities. 'Right now we're helping about 600 families a month,' Dumas said. 'Some are individuals but primarily, it's families—75% of those 600 work. I know there's a lot of perception that these are folks that are just sitting around, are lazy, and don't want to work, so they come and get free food, and that is not all of what we experience. These are folks that work but don't make enough money to cover the expenses that they incur.' It's a call for help that Dumas predicts will rise if the bill passes the Senate following its House of Representatives passage. The bill would extend tax cuts and cut other social programs, like SNAP. As of February, data obtained by WGN News shows 42 million Americans received SNAP benefits. 'We have folks that are facing challenges with sobriety and things. Are they going to lose benefits for their counseling?' Dumas asked. 'We know that some folks are in the midst of recovery, and now, are they going to lose those benefits? We just don't know the answers to that yet.' The bill cuts roughly $300 billion from the program over the next ten years, directly impacting funding for the Greater Chicago Food Depository, which helps fill the shelves of local food banks. US is ending penny production: How will you be impacted? 'About 80% of what you see on these shelves comes from them,' Dumas said. In a statement, the Greater Chicago Food Depository said: This bill is a giant step backwards in efforts to create healthy, hunger-free communities. We implore the Senate to reject these devastating recommendations and vote NO on any bill that contains cuts to SNAP.' Statement provided by the Greater Chicago Food Depository 'This shouldn't be a political or partisan issue,' Dumas added. The Share Food, Share Love food pantry says it will continue its mission to the best of its ability. Food donations and monetary donations are accepted and encouraged. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Chicago Tribune
24-04-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Kate Maehr and Julie Yurko: We need to strengthen — not cut — SNAP benefits
Veronica Cox had a plan, and receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to help feed her three kids wasn't part of it. She got a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and worked in security for 10 years before debilitating pain in her hips — caused by a health issue she's likely had since birth — forced her to stop working. While the 37-year-old mom prays her disability application is finally accepted, she searches for a job that doesn't require sitting or standing for long periods. In the meantime, Cox relies on child support and SNAP benefits to keep food on the table for her children ages 15, 9 and 7. 'Honestly, I don't know what I'd do,' Cox said of a potential cut in benefits. 'SNAP plays a huge role in me being able to feed my children. (A reduction) would be a true struggle. It would cause damage.' We hear stories like this often from guests at the hundreds of food pantries and other programs in our partner networks throughout Cook County and northern Illinois. For neighbors such as Cox dealing with a health issue, older adults with fixed incomes and ever-increasing expenses, working individuals struggling to make ends meet and countless others, SNAP is a vital resource. All of us at the Greater Chicago Food Depository and Northern Illinois Food Bank are deeply concerned about the impact of potential cuts to SNAP that will likely result from the budget resolution being discussed in Congress, which includes a potential $1.1 trillion in reduction to SNAP and Medicaid. A vote to determine the specifics of these cuts is expected this month. Guests who visit our partner pantries share our concerns, expressing anxiety about what they will do if their SNAP benefit is reduced. With elevated food prices and a high cost of living, many are already struggling to keep food on the table throughout the month. As our nation's front-line defense against hunger, SNAP currently supports nearly 2 million families in Illinois. The program is essential for the 1 in 4 families with children in the Chicago metro area experiencing food insecurity. By assisting neighbors in affording groceries, SNAP helps lift families out of poverty, improves long-term educational and economic outcomes, and reduces risks of diet-related diseases. In addition to harming our neighbors, cuts to SNAP would be detrimental to the emergency food system, including food pantries and food banks such as ours. To put it in perspective, for every meal we provide through a partner pantry, SNAP provides nine. Without this large-scale support, food insecurity would skyrocket. Neighbors have told us that if SNAP is cut, they will visit our pantries more often. While we are grateful they see our network as a trusted resource, we know we wouldn't be equipped to handle the spike in demand. Our partner network has already experienced an exponential rise in demand in recent years. The Greater Chicago Food Depository served a record 2.4 million household visits from neighbors in 2024, surpassing demand at the height of the pandemic. Last year, the Northern Illinois Food Bank served an average of 570,000 neighbors every month, an increase of 16% over 2023 service and double the pre-pandemic level. It is sobering to think about the potential increase if SNAP benefits are reduced. Recipients aren't the only ones who benefit from SNAP. Every $1 spent on SNAP creates $1.50 in economic opportunity for local retailers, food producers and farmers. In 2024 alone, SNAP brought more than $4 billion to Illinois. A reduction in benefits would negatively impact local businesses right as our country is facing a potential recession. During the pandemic, expanded SNAP benefits lifted millions of families out of poverty. Given its proven efficacy and the rise in food needs, if anything we should expand the program, not reduce it. Make no mistake, our neighbors and our community will experience great financial hardship if SNAP is reduced. We implore Congress to protect this essential program, for the health and well-being of our neighbors and the good of us all.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
IL Senator increasing SNAP benefits for college students
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — One State Senator is pushing an initiative to reduce hunger for college students in Illinois. Senator Graciela Guzmán is expanding the eligibility for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits in Illinois. According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, almost two thirds of students that are eligible for SNAP are not receiving benefits. UPDATE: Illinois homeschool bill passes; hundreds gather at State Capitol in protest Many students are steered away from applying because they assume, or are advised incorrectly, that they are not eligible. On the other hand, others that do apply are rejected in error because the rules for students are complex. 'It is hard to succeed in school when you're hungry,' Guzman said. 'Helping students, especially low-income scholars, who are disproportionately affected by food insecurity, succeed academically and economically is not only smart, but also the right thing to do for the next generation.' Students are not eligible for SNAP unless they meet certain conditions without this initiative, including working at least 20 hours a week at a paid job in addition to going to school. Senate Bill 1298 would expand and streamline eligibility for SNAP benefits, allowing all students at public universities in Illinois to benefit from the program if they meet income and other eligibility requirements. 'With nearly one in four undergraduate students (approximately 3.8 million) experiencing food insecurity in the United States, student hunger is a growing crisis,' Kate Maehr, executive director and CEO of the Greater Chicago Food Depository, said. 'It is essential that we modernize and expand the eligibility criteria for SNAP, as the nation's largest nutrition assistance program, to meet the needs of today's college students as they pursue their academic and career dreams.' Senate Bill 1298 passed the Senate Health & Services Committee on Tuesday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
