Before federal benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program are set to end Saturday, Nov. 1 volunteers, including U.S. Rep. April McClain Delaney (D-Md.) and County Council President Kate Stewart packed snack bags in Germantown students who may be experiencing food insecurity.
Two federal judges said Friday — the 31st day of the government shutdown— that the Trump administration must use contingency funds to pay for SNAP during the government shutdown.
Delaney and other leaders gathered at The Upcounty Hub, a center for food assistance and other essentials, Friday morning to discuss the SNAP cuts happening the next day.
“It is terrifying and scary to look ahead at tomorrow,” Delaney said Friday, noting the date coincides with Halloween.
Delaney said President Donald Trump and his administration have an agenda to “make America break.”
Nearly 700,000 Marylanders rely on SNAP, including 270,000 children.
“They want to break us, but we can’t. We’re not going to do it,” Delaney said.
The county’s Chief Administrative Officer Rich Madaleno said this week that the county does not have the funds to backfill what the federal government will not pay out during the shutdown. He also said that the county does not have the capability to add money to SNAP cards.
But places like The Upcounty Hub will do its part to try to fill some of the need. The hub operates Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. There are also food distributions every week at multiple locations. And, there will be special hours for federal workers on Mondays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore has declared a state of emergency in an effort to help residents who have lost funding or employment due to the federal shutdown. He also issued an executive order for $10 million in emergency funding.
Also this week, Montgomery County council members announced $7.75 million in funding for local organizations to offset some of the financial impact of the shutdown and help with resources like food and LGBTQIA services.
