Hundreds of people flocked to a food pantry in Richton Park, Illinois, on Thursday as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit cutoff looms. The Rich Township Food Pantry typically serves 80-100 people during its twice-weekly distribution days, but on this particular day, around 600 people showed up.
The surge in demand was largely due to concerns that SNAP recipients would lose their benefits in November as a result of the ongoing federal government shutdown. Volunteers and staff worked tirelessly to prepare extra food bags for the increased number of attendees.
SNAP beneficiaries like Jason Webb, who receives about $300 per month and splits it between his family and elderly mother, are worried about how they will afford food if they lose benefits. Rich Township Supervisor Calvin Jordan acknowledged that feeding people is a "serious" issue and emphasized the need to find alternative solutions.
Cook County Commissioner Kisha McCaskill joined Jordan at the pantry and stressed the importance of addressing food insecurity in the county. She appealed to President Donald Trump and lawmakers to work together to resolve the crisis, calling it a matter of the president's authority to say yes or no.
The situation highlights the vulnerability of low-income households relying on SNAP benefits. With Congress unlikely to reach a legislative solution before Saturday, the Trump administration is locked in a legal battle with Democratic-led states over contingency funding for SNAP during the shutdown.
The surge in demand was largely due to concerns that SNAP recipients would lose their benefits in November as a result of the ongoing federal government shutdown. Volunteers and staff worked tirelessly to prepare extra food bags for the increased number of attendees.
SNAP beneficiaries like Jason Webb, who receives about $300 per month and splits it between his family and elderly mother, are worried about how they will afford food if they lose benefits. Rich Township Supervisor Calvin Jordan acknowledged that feeding people is a "serious" issue and emphasized the need to find alternative solutions.
Cook County Commissioner Kisha McCaskill joined Jordan at the pantry and stressed the importance of addressing food insecurity in the county. She appealed to President Donald Trump and lawmakers to work together to resolve the crisis, calling it a matter of the president's authority to say yes or no.
The situation highlights the vulnerability of low-income households relying on SNAP benefits. With Congress unlikely to reach a legislative solution before Saturday, the Trump administration is locked in a legal battle with Democratic-led states over contingency funding for SNAP during the shutdown.