WASHINGTON — God’s Pantry Food Bank in Lexington serves 280,000 Kentuckians across 50 counties and helps to fill gaps not covered by the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, said president and CEO Michael Halligan.
SNAP provides food benefits for low-income families.
This week, the nonprofit is sounding the alarm about potential changes to SNAP under the massive tax and spending bill Republicans are pushing through Congress to carry out President Donald Trump’s agenda.
“We're going to see more people that are hungry, seeking more food from a food bank than we've ever seen before,” Halligan told Spectrum News Friday. “The risk is that it will be more households, more individuals, more seniors, more veterans, more kids that we simply will not be able to accommodate.”
The proposed legislation would reduce the federal government’s share of the program’s administrative costs by shifting them to the states, and require able-bodied parents of children 10 and older to work to receive benefits.
“That provision is an absolutely unconscionable piece of the legislation,” said Halligan. “Kids should not be caught up in a budget conversation. Kids need food to thrive so they can grow during their formative years, and having work requirements on families … with school-aged kids is just not the right thing.”
Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., is the chair of the Senate committee behind the changes.
“This bill takes a commonsense approach to reforming SNAP—cutting waste, increasing state accountability, and helping recipients transition to self-sufficiency through work and training,” he said in a news release.
A spokesperson for Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who sits on the committee, told Spectrum News in a statement that the senator “has met with many Kentuckians, including God’s Pantry, to discuss the importance of nutrition programs to the people of Kentucky.”
“These nutrition programs help to bridge the gap, helping Kentucky families to put food on the table when times get tough. Working with Senate Agriculture Chairman Boozman, it’s imperative these programs remain sustainable, promote fiscal responsibility, and benefit those truly in need of assistance.”
