Local charities are bracing for a boost in requests for help now that almost half a million households in the Bay State that rely on government assistance to feed their families are getting less money thanks to the end of a federal stimulus program.
"Demand will go up," said Jarrett Barrios, CEO of the American Red Cross of Massachusetts, which runs food pantries in Boston and New Bedford. "There's no two ways about it."
About 480,000 Massachusetts households — and 47 million around the country — that receive food stamps via EBT cards saw their benefits cut by about 5 percent after a temporary boost in the federal SNAP program's funding that was part of a 2009 economic stimulus package expired Friday. Even as the unemployment rate has dropped and the economy seems to be slowly rebounding, the number of SNAP recipients has continued to rise, including in Massachusetts.
"We are not in a better place yet," said Barrios. "Lines are already really long."
Melissa Sanchez, 32, of Dorchester, was at the Red Cross' Boston food pantry yesterday, and said the food she gets there helps stretch her monthly benefits. She said her benefits were cut before, and the new cuts only add to her worries.
"It's going to affect a lot of people," said Sanchez. "It's going to affect the economy. There's going to be less jobs, less customers because families can't afford to buy as much."
Benefits, which are distributed throughout the first two weeks of the month, dropped by $36 a month for a family of four.
Barrios said the cut may not seem like much, but it matters a great deal to the families that rely on the benefits. For families, "taking those $40 away means 'do I go without breakfast a couple days a week?'" Barrios said.
Lucinda Rodrigues, 43, of Dorchester, said she just started coming to the food pantry last month.
"I have two kids and what I was receiving before wasn't enough to support my family on a monthly basis," said Rodrigues. "Now the cuts are going to be worse, so I have to come to the charities to put more food on the table."
Anti-poverty agency ABCD also is worried about the cuts' effect on the families it serves.
"They're taking away from people who really can't afford to be taken away from," said John Drew, president and CEO of ABCD.
To make matters worse, winter is fast approaching, and with it comes the need for heat, holiday presents and new coats or boots.
"These cuts going into effect right before Thanksgiving couldn't come at a worse time," Barrios said.
There are continued talks in Congress about additional cuts to the food stamp program, which has more than doubled in cost since 2008 to almost $80 billion a year. Both the House and Senate have passed different versions of a farm bill that includes cuts — $4 billion in the GOP-controlled House bill and a tenth of that in the Democratic Senate's bill.
Colneth Smiley Jr. contributed to this report.
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