MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WAFF) - Governor Kay Ivey announced on Tuesday that she will be releasing $2 million of the state’s emergency funds to go towards eight food banks across the state.
This announcement comes as we are on the first day that SNAP benefit recipients are missing an issuance of those funds.
Ivey says the Department of Human Resources is also assisting throughout the shutdown period by redirecting an additional $3 million to the Feeding Alabama food banks network.
The following food banks are included in Gov. Kay Ivey’s $2 million assistance:
- Community Food Bank of Central Alabama
- Food Bank of East Alabama
- Food Bank of North Alabama
- Feeding the Gulf Coast
- Heart of Alabama Food Bank
- Selma Area Food Bank
- West Alabama Food Bank
- Wiregrass Area Food Bank
There are real Alabama families who rely on SNAP to put food on their tables, and that includes more than 300,000 children, more than 102,000 seniors and those who are disabled. That is why I am directing $2 million in emergency funding to go towards food banks serving the people of our state.
We are now in the longest federal government shutdown in history, and it is absolutely ridiculous that families all across our country are suffering – whether that is the school children who rely on SNAP, the air traffic controller not receiving a paycheck or even our military and high number of federal government worker families in Alabama.
Hear me loud and clear when I say Alabama cannot be both the state and federal government. And like states all across the country, Alabama is stepping up to help, but this is not sustainable by any means. U.S. Senate Democrats must vote to reopen the federal government now.
— Gov. Kay Ivey
“We’re really appreciative of the state stepping up and helping us with this,” said Shirley Schofield, CEO of the Food Bank of North Alabama. “It’s going to mean that we can continue to do the work that the community needs us to do.”
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The Trump administration has only partially funded SNAP food benefits during the shutdown. Schofield said the food bank is receiving around $910,000 from the state allocation.
The past month has brought increased demand to food banks across the state. Schofield said truckloads of food across north Alabama cost nearly $50,000 each.
“Food is expensive. Especially when you need to get food that’s already packaged up in boxes for emergency situations,” Schofield said.
The food bank is seeing first-time visitors join lines for help.
“It’s not sustainable for us to do this for months upon months,” Schofield said.
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In the meantime, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, serving under the Trump Administration, announced that guidance has been sent to states to help partially fund the SNAP program during the ongoing federal government shutdown.
Alabama DHR is “closely reviewing those details today to act as quickly as possible.” This timeframe is unknown.
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