MIDCOAST—People are scared. That is the general message that directors and volunteers of local food pantries have been hearing since October 21, when the USDA notified states that November SNAP benefits would not be issued if the federal government shutdown continued.

With that deadline a few days away and no resolution in sight, more than 170,000 people enrolled in the SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) in Maine will not receive monthly benefits to buy food. That affects mmore than 50 percent of Maine SNAP recipients who are families with children.

Impact on Midcoast Communities

AIO Food & Energy Assistance, which serves all of Knox County, including Vinalhaven and Matinicus islands, with a variety of programs, including an AIO Food Pantry Market, has seen a surge in both the need for supplemental food and an uptick in community giving since the federal government's announcement.

"About a year ago, some 350 households came to the Market," said Alan Kearl, Executive Director of AIO. "Today, I'd say we're seeing about 600 households using the Market. This halt to the program is very personal, very specific to people, and we're hearing a lot of people talking about it, worried about what they're going to do, worried about what will be available for Thanksgiving."

He estimated that SNAP recipients get 50 to 70 percent of their monthly food budget from AIO to make up the difference.

"We're telling people, come as often as you need to, he said. "The last thing we want is to see hoarding due to food insecurity." 

Kearl said he has reassured people that AIO's annual Thanksgiving Box Distribution is still on for Nov. 25.

"Ever since that October 21 announcement, we've also had numerous people reaching out, wanting to volunteer, wanting to donate food," he said. "It's amazing."

Debra Milliken, President of the Camden Area Christian Food Pantry, said: "One of our volunteers spoke with one mom who has two small children who expressed concern because her rent also just went up. She wonders how she will be able to cover everything. We are fortunate to be open twice a week, and on average, serve about 80-plus families a week. However, we have been seeing an increase in the number of families visiting our pantry and anticipate helping more as this situation continues."

Mary Guindon, Co-Director/Secretary of the No Greater Love Food Pantry in Belfast, also had insight into how the shutdown is affecting local families.

"The halt in SNAP benefits statewide is not only unsettling but inhumane," she said. "People want to point fingers and place blame, but now is not the time for that. Our families are being held hostage by politics, and it's from both sides of the aisle, not just one, as everyone would like to believe. In any case, for Waldo County alone, it's going to create a hardship for approximately 6,000 households. They will have to rely heavily on local food pantries. Not just one, because one food pantry cannot feed a family all month."

For Guindon, this halt of benefits is personal.

"Families are not going to be able to sustain their lifestyle without SNAP being a part of their budgets," she said. "They will have to forfeit their rent and medicine to buy food. Our patrons are scared and beyond worried at this point. They feel hopeless and forgotten about. They are disgusted that, because of political gain, they are footing the pain. It's heartbreaking."

Community Steps Up

Nishant Patel, owner of Megunticook Market in Camden, organized a food bag giveaway this week.

"There are people scared right now," he said. "I had an interaction with one customer who said he had a family with two kids who relied on SNAP and didn't know what he was going to do."

As of October 27, the store had given away 50 bags of food, with another giveaway planned the following day.

"And if we run out of bags, we may offer free pizza," he said. "We just wanted to do something to support our community because basically our store is a community place."

Melanie Daigle, owner of Fresh Off The Farm in Rockport, also organized a food bag giveaway this week.

"It's a really hard month because it's a holiday month with Thanksgiving, so we decided to offset some of the costs for people now by bagging up 40 bags of fresh food to take away to stretch those dollars," she said.

The bags contained five pounds of potatoes, onions, greens, radishes, and more and were given away on a first-come, first-served basis.

"All you have to do is flash your EBT card; we don't check for your name; we don't run it to check for balances," said Daigle. "I've coordinated with some of my local vendors and had a great response from customers who have given a monetary donation. I'm coordinating with my organic co-ops, where I get a lot of my winter produce. We'll be able to make even more bags, and they'll be even bigger, full of protein, eggs, chicken, beef, bananas, onions, and even homemade cookies from a local baker."

Since the intial reporting of this story, even more local restaurants and stores have stepped up, offering discounts and food to SNAP recipients.

"What I have noticed in just this past week is the number of people emailing the pantry wanting to volunteer—wanting to be able to help in some way," said Milliken. "People have been dropping off food. Donations have come in with the comment that they are donating to be able to help families who are being affected by the cuts in the SNAP benefits."

"In just the last week, I probably had 60 cash donations, which in a normal week, might be 10," said Kearl. "On a normal week, we might get three volunteers; this past week, we've had 10 volunteers. This is on top of 10 to 15 organizations that have reached out and said, 'What can we do and how can we help?' It tells me we have an amazing community."

Added Guindon, "As a community, we will do what we can collectively to keep the food flowing throughout the month. We are all open on different days and times throughout the month and also offer emergency pickups if needed. I think if we all open our hearts and give a little more in the upcoming months, we will make it through as we did during the pandemic. The community is already kicking it into high gear. Support your local pantries in any way possible. Whether it be food donations or monetary donations, which are extremely important. With extra funds, we can purchase far more nutritious foods to help feed our neighbors."

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com