Sylvie Rowand, a food pantry volunteer, unloads boxes of fresh food to be distributed to shoppers in the pantry. (Photo/Ireland Hayes)
The Rappahannock County Food Pantry is stepping up to meet the needs of the community and put food on the table in the wake of national uncertainty surrounding the federal food stamp program called SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
Amid the ongoing federal government shutdown, SNAP funding is in limbo, leaving millions uncertain about when — or if — their next benefits will arrive. Food banks and pantries across the United States, including Rappahannock’s, braced for a surge in demand last weekend and the possibility that millions of people would not receive assistance this month.
“This past Saturday was the first of the month, and is when those changes kind of hit … We’ve definitely seen an uptick in use,” Food Pantry Executive Director Georgina Griffith-Yates said Tuesday.
A box of fresh fruits and vegetables packed in the food pantry’s warehouse. (Photo/Ireland Hayes)
To prepare for the loss of benefits and bigger crowds, the pantry increased food allowances for shoppers and extended its weekday hours to 6 p.m. Griffith-Yates said she has also been in contact with local farmers to secure more meat and protein items to stock the pantry.
“We do a really good job with our inventory and stocking and our relationships with grocery stores and farmers, [so] that when crises arrive, we’re able to quickly adapt,” she said. “The clients won’t know anything different, except that they’re getting more food.”
Since last weekend, some progress has been made in restoring food assistance. The Trump administration said Monday it will partially fund SNAP for November after two judges issued rulings requiring the government to keep the program running. It is not yet clear how quickly people will see the money appear on the debit cards they use to buy groceries.
Additionally, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced the launch of the Virginia Emergency Nutrition Assistance (VENA) program, available to all Virginians receiving SNAP benefits.
But despite the state’s safety net, the food pantry and many of its clients remain concerned about the future of the program and the continued effects of the shutdown.
A Rappahannock Food Pantry volunteer wheels a cart of donated food into the pantry’s warehouse Tuesday. (Photo/Ireland Hayes)
Griffith-Yates said that while helpful, VENA assistance is distributed weekly, not monthly, which makes food shopping harder for families with transportation or mobility issues who usually shop once a month.
“Virginia came in and has a relief program in place for the month, but it still feels uncertain about what’s next,” she said. “People are stockpiling more. And so we’re trying to kind of provide that psychological ease and increase allowances.”
Beyond those with SNAP benefits — about 450 Rappahannock residents, according to Virginia Department of Social Services data – the pantry has seen more furloughed government workers and an increase in out-of-county shoppers. Still, Griffith-Yates said the pantry is well prepared.
“We have the funds and the human power to rise to the occasion,” she said. “If grocery stores don’t run empty, we won’t run empty.”
In a Facebook post Saturday, pantry President Penny Kardis thanked the many volunteers who helped over the busy weekend and the community members who made donations. Griffith-Yates encouraged others to get involved or make donations of their favorite grocery items.
“With the increase of people and clients coming, really the biggest need is more volunteers,” Griffith-Yates said.
Shelves marked “USDA” in the panty’s back warehouse. Amid the ongoing federal government shutdown, funding for “SNAP,” housed in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is in limbo, leaving millions uncertain about when — or if — their next benefits will arrive, and putting pressure on food banks across the country. (Photo/Ireland Hayes)
