Food pantries in Central Illinois are bracing for an uncertain future because of changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program [SNAP].
According to the Illinois Department of Human Services, 120,000 people could lose their benefits. Non-disabled people up to age 64 now have to work or volunteer 80 hours a month to keep their SNAP benefits.
The changes took effect May 1.
Congress also changed these work requirements to include parents whose youngest child is 14 years old, down from 18 years old.
For those who lose their SNAP benefits, food pantries become a vital resource, which is what happened during the government shutdown in November.
Many pantries were already struggling to meet an increasing need.
Hilda Grismore of Bloomington is a SNAP recipient. She was in line for a food basket at St. Vincent de Paul pantry in Bloomington because she is currently unable to work—and fears she will lose benefits.
“SNAP really helps everyone. When you're hungry, you get hangry. When you're in line, people get angry. Just try to keep everybody ... humbled as you go through this program,” Grismore said.
Martha Miles, also a resident of Bloomington, said the reason she is coming to the food pantry is because she did not receive her food stamps [one of the SNAP benefits] last month and her rent makes it hard to purchase food.
"I have no food stamps, that is why I come to the food pantry." Miles said.
St. Vincent de Paul pantry provides food on Mondays and Saturdays, but she only gets food at the pantry on Mondays.
Judy Adelman, volunteer coordinator at St. Vincent de Paul, said food pantries can help families save money for other necessities, but that help only goes so far.
“They may only come once a month or once every six or eight weeks, but it's enough to supplement them to get them through that so that then the money that they do earn, can go to utilities and go to rent,” Adelman said.
Adelman said there was an increase in people coming to the pantry during the November government shutdown, but has since dropped back to pre-shutdown levels. She said it remains to be seen how the expanded work requirements will impact need.
“For anyone else who is younger and able-bodied, they expect that people are going to put in, I think it's 20 hours of [weekly] community service or work, and I don't know how. We don't know exactly what to expect,” Adelman said.
Adelman said SNAP and food pantries can take some of the cost of food from the equation of paying for other necessities like rent and utilities.
“A lot of the people that come through here are—they are already working. They're not all on SNAP benefits. A lot of them are working, but they're working in underpaying jobs, or they're working only part time jobs, because that's all they can get,” Adelman said.
Food pantries like St. Vincent de Paul rely on donations from the community to buy food for those in need. Adelman said rising meat prices have limited how much they can buy.
Other food banks and pantries
Craig Stimpert, director of Oasis Community Outreach in Bloomington, said Oasis could not provide as much food without Midwest Food Bank and they also rely on donations from the community so they can bulk purchase food.
Stimpert said Oasis currently has a good supply of meat they can distribute because of the donations, even as the price of meat rises.
“Meat prices are very high right now, and so that is a challenge for us, but we're fortunate to live in a generous community in which people do truly meet that need for us,” Stimpert said.
Stimpert said he does not know what to expect with the changes in SNAP requirements, but did mention there was an increase of people coming to the pantry during the government shutdown when SNAP benefits were interrupted.
“We did see a lot of increase in numbers then, and I think a lot of it did have to do more with fear or just the uncertainty that brought a lot of people in,” Stimpert said.
Stimpert said if Oasis is not able to serve someone at a given time, the nonprofit will point people to another pantry. He said all the Bloomington-Normal pantries work together to make sure people can get food.
“I think a big issue is is getting the word out and connecting people with those resources, and I think we're doing a better job of that in the last year, as our food pantry directors group have come together to learn of what those are and to learn where we can work together in referral networking,” Stimpert said.
Food pantries receive some of their supplies from organizations like the Midwest Food Bank, which helps supply Oasis and St. Vincent de Paul.
Mike Swartz is the executive director of the Midwest Food Bank's Normal division, which supplies pantries throughout Central and Eastern Illinois.
Swartz said there could be an increase in food insecurity in the coming months but he is unsure how much the SNAP changes will affect the needs of the pantries they serve.
Swartz said if Midwest Food Bank is going to meet the needs of the pantries, it will be up to their donors to step in.
“It's only based upon the fact of our donors, the wonderful group of volunteers who distribute the food for us, that we be able to keep moving forward and to grow and meet the need of the pantries that we currently serve,” Swartz said.
Swartz said they rely on donations from farmers and grocery stores, as well as volunteers. He added they do not purchase any food supplies.
Swartz said the food bank supplies pantries that serve thousands of families and demand is only increasing.
"Since I've been here less than two years, we hear on a regular basis that there's an increase of 10%-20% demand from residents in any community,” Swartz said.
Changing age requirements
The age when someone can get an exemption from SNAP's work requirement increased from 55 to 65 years old.
Advocates for seniors worry this will force more older Americans to find a job or volunteer work—or seek other exemptions, such as disability.
Tessa Mahoney, executive director of the Central Illinois Agency on Aging [CIAA] based in Peoria, said her organization does not want people to miss out on the benefits they are entitled to.
“We're happy to help them navigate those benefits, navigate volunteer opportunities, and help connect them with resources where they could volunteer,” Mahoney said.
Mahoney said the agency does not help with filling out SNAP forms, but can provide resources such as transportation and can direct people to organizations that can help before they miss meals.
Mahoney said the organization is neutral on the changes to SNAP, but wants to support people so they do not lose their SNAP benefits.
“We're concerned that the changes is going to make it harder for these specific age groups, 60 to 64, which are caregivers, people with disabilities and people with limited transportation or technology access,” Mahoney said.
Mahoney said pantries can not give the same support as SNAP, and losing SNAP can mean an older person now has to pay for months worth of food, along with other expenses.
“It's not going to be enough to substitute for what that monthly food assistance needs,” Mahoney said. “If they lose those benefits because there is a technology issue or volunteering issue that could put them at risk of being placed into a long term care institution.”
The Illinois Department of Human Services [DHS] is one of the places that can help fill out SNAP forms.
Danielle Perry, vice president of policy and advocacy at the Great Chicago Food Depository, said they are also helping people filling out SNAP forms.
“It's important to know, for every meal that we can provide in the emergency food system, SNAP provides nine,” Perry said. “It just tells you the breadth of how much SNAP can do for a family that we could not do for you at a pantry.”
Perry said just like families, food banks and pantries have seen an increase in prices due to inflation.
“The increase in price means we can buy less food now, or have to get creative about our mixes so that we can keep buying food in the numbers that we do,” Perry said.
Perry said she wants to continue working with Illinois lawmakers to find ways to keep funding SNAP, but understands that Illinois cannot easily fund every program the federal government has cut.
Illinois lawmakers have introduced bills to give more money for people receiving SNAP, ensure refugees can continue receiving SNAP and create a task force to research the effects of the changing SNAP requirements.
None of these bills have been called for a vote.
