Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has announced $5 million in state funds to support the state’s charitable food network amid the ongoing federal government shutdown affecting the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
According to a release from the Pennsylvania government website, the funds will be directed to Feeding Pennsylvania, which will distribute the resources among its network of food banks to assist residents impacted by the federal funding suspension. The action follows the decision by the Trump Administration to withhold SNAP benefits for November, leaving nearly two million Pennsylvanians uncertain about food access.
To speed up aid delivery, Gov. Shapiro signed a declaration of disaster emergency, allowing for faster fund distribution, simplified contracting, and greater flexibility in addressing hunger-related needs.
“Nearly two million Pennsylvanians rely on SNAP every month - and they shouldn't have to wonder where their next meal will come from because of the dysfunction in Washington,” Shapiro stated in the same release. He emphasized that the state will use all available tools, including public and private resources, to ensure food banks remain stocked and families receive assistance.
