FIND FOOD PANTRIES IN ELLIS COUNTY HERE
By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
In October, the USDA announced a pause in benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps, due to the government shutdown.
Both SNAP recipients and community food pantries have been preparing for a pause in benefits.
Theresa Hill, executive director of the Community Assistance Center in Hays, said the pantry is well-stocked at this time. The annual Trick-or-Treat So Others Can Eat in October is one of the pantry's largest donation drives of the year.
Hill said the center also receives more food donations during the holidays.
However, Hill and others said that pressure on local pantries has already been on the rise due to the increasing cost of food.
Macey Pfeifer, First Call for Help director, said she saw an increase in food, rent and utility requests in October ahead of the benefit lapse.
"I think there had been talk about pausing SNAP in early to mid-October, and I think that really scared people," Pfeifer said. "Our food was flying off the shelves at the beginning of he month and mid-month."
She said First Call restocked its food pantry three times in October.
"It's been a huge expense," she said. "Thankfully, we have had great donors and people bringing stuff in to us, too."
Pfeifer said First Call for Help has also received a couple of grants this year that have helped keep the pantry full.
As of last week, Pfeifer said the pantry was well-stocked, but the agency always welcomes donations. She said the pantry has had a high demand for canned vegetables, canned beans, soup and boxes of cereal.
The Hays Post asked Pfeifer what it means for a family to miss a month's worth of food assistance.
"I think they probably won't be eating unless they come to a food bank," she said. "We have a lot of families here who rely on SNAP benefits, and I think it's a very scary time for them because they really do count on that money.
"It's not that they don't work. There are a lot of people who receive SNAP who are employed. Maybe they are minimum wage [earners] or are single moms or single dads.
"It probably means that they are going to eat less or they'll have to miss a meal here or there," she said.
Pfeifer said a family came in a couple of weeks ago seeking rental assistance. She said the parents were missing meals to feed their kids. That family had discussed moving one of their children to live with a different family member because they couldn't afford to feed them.
To access resources through First Call for Help, you must live in Ellis County. You must present an ID on your first visit. You can use a driver's license or a government-issued ID card. No proof of income is required for assistance with food or hygiene items. You can access resources every 30 days.
Pfeifer said she thought the community as a whole would see more evictions and people needing more help with other bills, in addition to food, because people will be using that money for food.
Renee Michaud, director of the St. Joseph's Food Pantry in Hays, said she was unsure how the delays in SNAP benefits would affect the food pantry.
"It is hard to know how that impact will come, even if it will come at all," she said, "but we will do the best we can to meet the need that comes. Hopefully, the government shutdown won't last that much longer."
Michaud said she has seen a slight increase—about 10%—in food needs due to other factors, including inflation.
"We made it through COVID. I'm sure we'll find a way to make it through this, too," she said.
St. Joseph's Food Pantry is open from 9 a.m. to noon on the first and third Saturdays of the month. To qualify for assistance, you need to be a resident of Ellis County, but you do not need to show proof of income.