Adams County groups unite to pick up the slack of lost SNAP benefits

QUINCY (WGEM) - Roughly 7,200 households in Adams County are classified as ALICE — asset-limited, income-constrained and employed.

Families who are, as United Way Executive Director Jenna Hull puts it, “one disaster away from losing their home, their car, and their way.”

It seems November may be that disaster.

The government shutdown is dragging on, and the USDA recently revealed SNAP benefits, also known as food stamps, won’t go out on Nov. 1. A press release from the USDA also stated there is no provision for states to cover the cost of SNAP and receive reimbursement from the federal government.

Lawmakers have argued whether or not contingency funds set aside for SNAP can be used to supplement November’s benefits, forcing local organizations to take matters into their own hands.

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