State steps in on SNAP; pantries still brace
The state’s plan to cover for the loss of food assistance when a federal program shuts down was welcome news for local food pantries, but their leaders say the need for contributions will still be significant.
Gov. Matt Meyer issued a state of emergency Oct. 29, allowing the state to cover Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits when the federal government stops payments Saturday, Nov. 1, due to the ongoing federal government shutdown.
The payments will be provided on a week-to-week basis, beginning next week.
Additional state aid will be provided to food banks and pantries struggling with increased demand during the shutdown, Meyer said.
Delaware also joined a multi-state lawsuit challenging the temporary closure of SNAP. About 42 million Americans receive those funds.
Meyers encouraged people to donate food and funds to their local food pantries, which have prepared for an anticipated increase in need when a federal food assistance program closes.
Several organizations operate food pantries in Sussex County. Some of their leaders said this week they have been seeing increases in recent weeks, and they were expecting a surge in need next week.
Kim Turner, vice president of communications for the Food Bank of Delaware, was seeing signs of what was coming in the analytics of the organization’s website.
Comparing the week of Oct. 12-18 to the week of Oct. 21-27, the number of people viewing the Food Bank’s website page on community food pantries jumped from 615 to 2,824.
There were also 143% more views of the “get help” page and 119% more on the mobile pantry page.
“It’s definitely uncharted territory for us,” Turner said before the state’s announcement to cover SNAP payments. “We are preparing now. We expect that demand may double, but we have nothing to go back on. It may triple.”
The Food Bank of Delaware operates food pantries in Milford and Newark, and it contributes to 200 food pantries across the state. Donations can be made at the Milford food bank.
“We are projecting a big increase until things get settled,” said Lawrence Bivens, president of the Milton Community Food Pantry, the day before Meyer’s announcement. The number of people seeking help had already begun to increase.
In a typical week, the pantry provides food to 90 families, but that rose to 114 in October, Bivens said.
Nancy Alexander, executive director of Community Resource Center in Rehoboth Beach, which operates Cape Henlopen Food Basket, said Oct. 30 that her group was anxiously waiting to find out the need for food.
While the state will provide aid, there is still a significant need in the community for assistance, Alexander said.
“I think people are still facing uncertainty,” she said. “When you’re facing uncertainty, you’re going to make sure your family is fed.”
The state funding is appreciated, but Alexander encourages people to continue to donate to her operation.
The food rescue program alone has 6,000 visits annually. The center also helps homeless people, provides emergency financial assistance for utility payments, and distributes free diapers and baby wipes to mothers.
Milton Community Food Pantry volunteers have been asking for additional donations when they collected food from stores as the deadline for the SNAP program to halt operations was approaching.
“We’re trying to get more food when we go to each store,” Bivens said.
He said Oct. 30 that he had not yet heard of the state’s plans to pick up SNAP payments, but that would not affect plans at the food pantry, which had already been seeing a 20% increase in the number of people it helps.
The organization is asking the public for donations of canned foods; boxed food, such as macaroni and cheese; tuna; various kinds of beans; hearty soups; fresh fruits and vegetables; canned fruit; frozen meats; dairy products and bread.
Alexander said volunteers and donors are stepping up to help her organization.
“We have donors who are calling and asking how they can help,” she said.
The group helps about 6,000 households each year. It distributed 54,000 bags of food in 2024, and is on track to surpass that figure, she said.
There was also a 52% increase in views of the volunteer page of the Food Bank of Delaware’s website, a hopeful sign that the community is looking to help out, Turner said.
Kevin Conlon came to the Cape Gazette with nearly 40 years of newspaper experience since graduating from St. Bonaventure University in New York with a bachelor's degree in mass communication. He reports on Sussex County government and other assignments as needed.
His career spans working as a reporter and editor at daily newspapers in upstate New York, including The Daily Gazette in Schenectady. He comes to the Cape Gazette from the Cortland Standard, where he was an editor for more than 25 years, and in recent years also contributed as a columnist and opinion page writer. He and his staff won regional and state writing awards.
Conlon was relocating to Lewes when he came across an advertisement for a reporter job at the Cape Gazette, and the decision to pursue it paid off. His new position gives him an opportunity to stay in a career that he loves, covering local news for an independently owned newspaper.
Conlon is the father of seven children and grandfather to two young boys. In his spare time, he trains for and competes in triathlons and other races. Now settling into the Cape Region, he is searching out hilly trails and roads with wide shoulders. He is a fan of St. Bonaventure sports, especially rugby and basketball, as well as following the Mets, Steelers and Celtics.
