RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — It’s been four months since the emergency SNAP benefits that have been helping many families across central Virginia ended, leaving some recipients struggling to get by.
SNAP benefits — also known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — are administered by the federal government and can only be used to purchase food.
Since the start of emergency SNAP allotments in March 2020, SNAP recipient Jennifer Benjamin used the extra money to keep groceries in her home.
Now, Benjamin says it is challenging between loss of benefits and rising food costs, but local food pantries have helped. Benjamin goes to the Richmond Belmont Food Pantry every Friday.
“Tough is not the word,” she said. “It’s hard. I’m faithfully here every week.”
For three years, up until this past February, qualified households received the maximum number of snap benefits each month based on household size, rather than income.
La’Mont Arren and his wife went from receiving an extra $200 a month to only $23 a month.
“It hurts, hurts our pockets, you know, but we got other expenses to take care of and stuff like that, you know.” Arren said.
However, with the help of local food assistance programs like Feed More, food pantries like the Richmond Belmont Food Pantry are helping those who need it most.
SNAP recipient Laura Graham, who is also a part-time employee at the Belmont Food Pantry, relies on both donated food and her peers.
“If we have community, we can share our resources,” Graham said. “Belmont does an amazing job of distributing things that wouldn’t be utilized by anyone.”
Richmond’s Belmont Food Pantry serves over 1,500 families monthly and is one of many food pantries in the area working t fight food insecurity.
For more information, visit them online.
