On October 21, the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) announced that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will not issue payments for November, leaving many Mainers without essential food assistance. This comes as the federal government enters its second month of shutdown.

According to DHHS, 169,812 citizens of Maine receive SNAP benefits each month, which is approximately twelve percent of the state’s population, with an average monthly benefit for a family of four being $ 572. Nearly seventy-five percent of families on SNAP have one working adult, and over one-third of recipients report having dependent children within the household.

Food pantries and food banks across the state are preparing for the influx of need due to the shutdown, in a statement given to WGME on october 22 Advocacy Director, Terrence Miller for the Portland-based Nonprofit Prebble Street, that runs a food pantry as well as other assistance to low income mainers said “”We’re not gonna get out of this without just doing charity alone No one can be prepared for this.”

Maine Politicians Respond to the SNAP Crisis

In a statement published to maine.gov Maine Govornor Janet Mills (D-ME) responded saying “Thousands of low-income working Maine families rely on this basic food assistance, but now these benefits are at risk because the Trump Administration and Republicans in Congress have shut down the government instead of agreeing to extend the health care tax credits on which so many families depend to pay for their health insurance They should listen to the people of this country and stop cutting health care, stop hurting working families, and end this needless shutdown.”

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME-1), who represents Maine’s first congressional district in the House of Representatives, said in a statement to Fox 23, “There is money in reserve, so unless they’ve stolen that away to do something else with it that we don’t know about, there is a reserve fund and they could tap that.”

Funding is expected to lapse on November 1 if the government shutdown continues.

How to Help the Hungry

To find a food pantry or food bank near you, click here. Here on campus, the captains’ cupboard provides food assistance to students here on campus. In Portland, Prebble Street provides food to low-income individuals in the Portland area