CHAMBERSBURG – Experts say budget impasses within both the Pennsylvania General Assembly and U.S. Congress have created unprecedented issues for social services, particularly in the realm of food distributions. Megan Shreve has been CEO of South Central Community Action Programs for 20 years. She recently remarked that there has never been a time like this.
A nonprofit organization, SCCAP provides a number of services to address food insecurity, homelessness, early learning, home weatherization and more. It maintains offices in Gettysburg and Chambersburg. The Pennsylvania-based organization not only feels the pressures from the federal shutdown, but also had much of its funding cut off when Pennsylvania’s legislature did not pass a state budget by its July 1 deadline.
The people served by SCCAP are stunned, scared and trying to figure it out, Shreve said.
“These are not individuals and families with resources. There are no credit cards to use, no savings. There was no time to plan. What I hear from parents is, ‘I just need enough to feed my children,’” she said early this week.
Shreve said SCCAP’s food pantries saw a 24% increase in use in two months. Still, the use numbers are all but guaranteed to increase. Roughly 19,100 Franklin County residents receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits that dried up Nov. 1 due to the federal government shutdown.
Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity and Gov. Josh Shapiro floated competing proposals to provide SNAP funding for November. They did so as the Commonwealth flew by the 100-day mark without its own budget.
“The charitable food system is already under tremendous strain, struggling to meet the growing demand. Our state funding allocation remains uncertain due to the ongoing budget impasse,” Shreve said. “Last year, our total allocation was under $250,000, which spread across the number of families we serve amounts to only $10.31 per family per month available to purchase food. Without donations and the ability to buy from the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, meeting even the most basic needs would be impossible.”
Shreve encourages people with available means to consider donating money, contributing food or volunteering time.
“Every dollar and every hour helps ensure that families have food on their tables and a community that cares. We simply can’t meet the growing need without your support,” she said.
Another program with its funding stream cut off is the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) to help families pay their heating bills in the winter. The federal program assists an estimated 5.9 million households nationwide.
The Associated Press quoted Mark Wolfe, executive director of the National Energy Assistance Directors Association, as saying that important income supports are all potentially heading toward a cliff at the same time.
“And I can’t point to a similar time in recent history where we’ve had this,” he told the AP.
Shreve said many people don’t realize the average person receiving SNAP benefits is getting $5.60 per day. Some 43% of those who receive SNAP benefits are working families, and 44% are families with older adults or individuals who are disabled.
“No one is getting rich on SNAP,” she said. “These are our friends and neighbors. People who are doing their best and need help with the most basic needs.”
Shreve said even after the SNAP issue is resolved, “food pantries will still be on the front line trying to keep our friends and neighbors fed with very little resources.”
“Food pantries across our region are struggling to keep up as food and housing costs continue to rise while incomes simply aren’t keeping pace,” she said.
Learn more about SCCAP’s work and donation options at sccap.org.
