Local food assistance agencies are standing up eight new food donation sites and bracing for a surge in demand as federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits are set to be paused Nov. 1 due to the ongoing federal government shutdown.
People seeking food assistance are already visiting local food pantries and stocking up before federal food assistance benefits stop. That’s according to Berrien Community Foundation (BCF) President Lisa Cripps-Downey, who said the organization is working with area partners to shore up the food pantries that are already seeing increased requests for food assistance.
To help meet the growing need, the BCF has launched eight new donation drop-off sites. Bins are now located at the sites and items will be redistributed among Berrien County’s food pantries.
How You Can Help
Eight donation sites are set up throughout Berrien County. Donation bins are now available at:
- Berrien Community Foundation office
- Chikaming Township Hall
- Coloma Public Library
- Corewell Health Center for Wellness, Benton Harbor
- Hardings Market, Berrien Springs
- Watervliet District Library
- YMCA – Niles/Buchanan
- YMCA – St. Joseph/Benton Harbor
Cripps Downey asked donors to provide unexpired goods, particularly high-demand items such as canned meats, vegetables, pasta, sauces, and hearty soups. The foundation will collect and distribute donations to its pantry network at no cost to the pantries, she said.
Financial contributions and volunteers are also needed. The foundation has already purchased $20,000 in fresh food for distribution and expects more grants and bulk orders to follow.
“This is a crisis of fear and it’s a real crisis of need,” Cripps Downey said. “We don’t want our people to be hungry.”
Cripps Downey said more than 23,000 Berrien County residents rely on SNAP — formerly known as food stamps — to buy groceries. She said the pause also affects local businesses because SNAP delivers more than $3 million per month in food aid in Berrien County, typically spent at neighborhood grocery stores.
“It’s estimated for every dollar in SNAP benefits, it generates up to $1.80 in economic benefit to our community,” she said.
Residents seeking food assistance can find a list of local food pantries at Help4Berrien.org or by calling 211.