Many are bracing for Nov. 1, when all FoodShare benefits in Wisconsin will halt while the U.S. government shutdown continues.
Area food pantries are already preparing for a surge in visitors as a result of the missed payments in November.
The Green Bay Press-Gazette put together a guide with food pantries in the area, what you need to bring to each pantry, and where you can find other community meals in the Green Bay area.
What is happening to FoodShare benefits and why?
It has now been a month since the government shut down. and the U.S. Senate won’t again until Nov. 3. That comes after funding for the federal food assistance program expires on Nov. 1 and stops Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program payments from going out.
About 700,000 Wisconsinites get benefits through FoodShare, the state’s SNAP program. The state Department of Health Services doesn’t have the money to cover the program and the U.S. Department of Agriculture said it would not use contingency funds to pay for SNAP in November.
How many people in Brown County rely on FoodShare?
In Brown County, over 26,600 people rely on FoodShare benefits this year, according to data from the state Department of Health Services.
Regional food banks worry about the impact on local food pantries, which are already stretched wide.
“This is not a program that the emergency food network was set up to replace,” said Matt Stienstra, director of advocacy and community engagement of Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin.
Where can I find food pantries in Brown County?
Green Bay
Greenleaf
Students
Oneida
Denmark
De Pere
Pulaski
Where can I find community meal programs?
I still have money from October. What happens to those funds?
Recipients who have an outstanding balance on their QUEST cards can still spend that money in November.
Follow updates to the FoodShare program at https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/foodshare/news.htm.
Are we missing a pantry on this list? Contact Benita Mathew at bmathew@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: As FoodShare benefits pause, here’s where to find a food pantry, community meal in Brown County
Reporting by Benita Mathew, Green Bay Press-Gazette / Green Bay Press-Gazette
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