MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) – Relief is on the way for millions of Americans worried about how they’ll afford food.
President Donald Trump’s administration agreed to partially fund Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits using $4.6 billion in contingency funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. But with no timeline for when that money will be sent out, local organizations are stepping up to help now.
“We like to think SNAP is only from the person’s perspective. It’s a devastation to our entire economy, and I don’t think we’re talking about that enough,” said United Way of the Mid-South’s Managing Director Shayla Kolheim.
Shayla Kolheim, managing director for United Way of the Mid-South(Action News 5)
November 1 was a day many Americans dreaded. It was the day SNAP benefits were no more.
“Access to food, a vital support that is needed every single day of our lives,” Kolheim said.
She says her organization joined the Community Foundation of a Greater Memphis to step up to help the people of Memphis and Shelby County. According to City of Memphis leaders, Memphis Cares is the name for a new, united effort to expand food distribution capacity for Memphis residents.
The purpose of the fund is to address the emergency that the lack of new SNAP benefits has caused, according to Kolheim.
Nearly 170,000 people in Memphis and Shelby County are worried about where their next meal will come from, a situation Kolheim knows well.
“My sister is sending money to my family members. My family is figuring out what it is that we have to share,” she said.
So far, the partnership has raised more than $1.3 million. The money is focused on helping people in need and supporting the organizations that provide resources to families.
“We’re a backbone organization, we’re uniquely positioned in this community to provide this type of support at this level and this response rate,” said Kolheim.
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