Minnesota food pantries are sharing concerns for people who use SNAP benefits

MOORHEAD, Minn. (KVRR) — Minnesota food pantries are sharing their concerns as people who use SNAP benefits may now turn to them for food.

The program helps more than 42 million Americans get groceries and essentials for their family.

In Minnesota, approximately 440,000 people receive SNAP benefits monthly.

But food pantries like Dorothy Day say they are already struggling with providing food for their current families.

And they are not sure if they will be able to handle more people.

“People still need to eat, we still need to take care of our own, we still need to put food on our tables. And regardless if that’s coming through SNAP benefits because they can purchase their own food or if that’s coming from a food pantry, it’s still our obligation as a community to still meet that need,” said Devlyn Brooks, Churches United.

Brooks says that the pantry has been averaging around 350 families they serve a week.

“For every one meal that food shelves provide, SNAP provides nine. And there’s really just no way for food shelves to be the resource that steps into the gap, as much as they are doing an incredible job in serving their communities,” said Rachel Martin Asproth, The Food Group.

Currently, the state of Minnesota is recommending that people with SNAP continue using their October funds into November.