SPOKANE, Wash. – This weekend, 250,000 households in Washington received their November benefits, which are typically distributed at the beginning of the month.
In a November 7 press release, Governor Bob Ferguson released a statement, saying in part, “At this time, the remaining beneficiaries are expected to receive the entirety of their November food assistance on the date when those funds are typically issued.” But also saying, ” the future of these benefits remains uncertain.”
Sunday evening, the First Circuit Court of Appeals denied the Trump administration’s appeal, setting a 48-hour deadline for the Supreme Court’s hold on SNAP funding.
On the same day, the Trump administration filed a brief to keep the stay in place.
In a statement to NonStop Local, Governor Ferguson said, “In Washington state, people receive their benefits on the same date each month, which can fall between the 1st and the 20th. Due to the federal government shutdown, some Washingtonians were waiting for days to receive their benefits. Thanks to the quick work and dedication of our team, we are caught up on the delayed benefits and back on schedule, delivering full benefits. So far, we have delivered nearly $115 million in SNAP benefits, which is where we should be for this point in the month. We have approximately $48.5 million to send out between tomorrow and November 20. The situation remains fluid, but our plan is to stay on schedule from here on out. People who receive SNAP benefits should check their cards. If there are funds available, they should use their cards as they normally would. It is breathtaking that the Trump Administration has fought so hard to keep food from hungry families.”
Several community organizations have added additional measures to address food insecurity in Spokane County.
Tonya Gibson, the newly titled Food Czarina for Spokane Neighborhood Action Partners, also known by the acronym SNAP but not affiliated with the federal food stamps program, noted an increased demand for their services.
“We noticed there’s a lot of desperation,” Gibson said. “The calls are very frequent, people are deciding whether they’re paying their rent, if they’re paying their heating bill, if they are buying food.”
To address the gap, Spokane Neighborhood Action Partners have reintroduced a COVID-era program called “Cuisine for Clients,” where individuals can donate and SNAP will buy meals from SNAP restaurants and grocers to distribute to those who need additional assistance.
“People can donate to that cause, we will spend that money purchasing full price meals at our local snap supported restaurants,” Gibson explained. “And then we will donate those meals to our neighbors who need a little extra care. So the businesses are winning because its a hard time for them right now. And we get to also help out our neighbors.”
