Food banks are indispensable, but can't replace SNAP
By Rachel Jacoby / Chicago Tribune
As the government shutdown drags into its fifth week, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, has become just another casualty of the Donald Trump administration’s cruelty. Without congressional action, 42 million Americans will see their SNAP benefits at best halved this month. When the federal government fails to fulfill its responsibility to feed our neighbors, it leaves townships, churches and volunteers scrambling to fill a gap that no amount of goodwill can close.
I am a local government official who helps oversee a community food pantry, which means I interact with a small sample of the millions of Americans who depend on SNAP to buy groceries for their families. Our local government-run food pantry in suburban Chicago serves hundreds of families each month, including many who rely on SNAP, and we expect demand for pantries like ours to soar as this benefit and others are ripped away.
So many members of our community have already sprung into action to donate food and funds to area food pantries in the face of this looming crisis; but should we have to? As Americans, the desire to help our community has repeatedly led us into the same trap; beguiled into believing effort and good intentions are substitutes for government action on the most urgent of crises.
We ask too much of our community organizations, including our food pantries. And time and time again, they rise to the occasion to do the impossible: Perform the services the government should provide, but without the resources, infrastructure or funding to do so.
https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/comment-food-banks-are-indispensable-but-cant-replace-snap/