On Monday, following orders from two federal judges, the deputy under secretary of Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services stated his intention to use up all contingency funds for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
SNAP costs the federal government about $8 billion a month, so the current balance of approximately $4.6 billion won’t last long.
Forsyth County Health and Human Services Director Denise Price says she and her team are preparing for worst-case scenarios, and they’re hyper-focused on working with providers to find solutions.
"Purchasing additional food resources so that they're available for distribution," says Price. "They're also increasing food drives. We're seeing lots of retailers that are allowing rounding up options so that there are more dollars. We have also focused a lot of energy around our specialty formulas for infants."
Price encourages community members wanting to help to contact local food pantries to inquire about their needs for volunteers, cash donations, specific food items or hygiene products.
Individuals seeking resources should visit Forsyth County’s federal shutdown webpage. And for more up-to-date information, Price recommends the Forsyth County HHS Facebook page.
