End of SNAP benefits will put pressure on Quad

DAVENPORT, Iowa (KWQC) - When SNAP benefits stop Nov. 1, it ends a major federal program that helps feed millions of Americans.

More than 259,000 people in Iowa rely on SNAP to put food on the table, including over 20,000 in Scott County alone, according to state data. About 1.9 million depend on the program in Illinois. (Illinois doesn’t break down numbers by county.)

With numbers like that, the sudden cutoff comes at a critical time, said Chris Ford, River Bend Food Bank president. It “certainly compounds the situation we’re already experiencing a four-year high in food insecurity rates,” he said.

Food banks face unprecedented pressure

Without SNAP, the burden on local food pantries will increase dramatically. For every one meal the food bank provides, SNAP provides nine.

“To take t