Food pantry braces for surge after SNAP benefits run out

Workers at the Christian Helping Hands’ Dow Pannell Food Pantry in Comanche are expecting a flood of new clients when the pantry opens on Friday.

Food pantry director Summer Ennis said they are expecting at least a 50% increase in foot traffic this Friday. It is the first time the pantry will be open since the federal government shutdown caused payments for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to run out.

The official definition of SNAP is “a federal program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that provides food benefits to low-income individuals and families to supplement their food budget and help them purchase a healthy, nutritionally adequate diet.”

With the benefits not available, many SNAP recipients are expected to turn their attention to local food pantries for additional meals.

“The food (delivery) trucks have already been impacted,” Ennis said. “We had already been getting less, but we are expecting the same amount of food.”

The pantry will be encouraging clients to focus on fresh produce.

“We are limited to meats and we want to be able to help as many as we can to get meat,” Ennis said.”

Pantry volunteers have been busy this week preparing for the surge by making extra to-go boxes.

“With the high demand, we are going to urge people to take the to-go boxes a little more so that there won’t be a long line for people wanting to shop,” Ennis said.

This will be Ennis’s first experience of anything like this since she’s been with the food pantry.

“I know during COVID they had a high demand, but they had a drive-through for people to pick up,” Ennis said.

The food pantry is at 608 W. Oak Main. It will be open this Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.