Food

Staff and volunteers at The Pantry in Kalihi create more food assistance options for furloughed federal workers; Kauaʻi writer Jonathon Medieros shares the intention behind his poem "To the People on the Cruise Ships"

Uncertainty surrounding the distribution of SNAP benefits and ongoing furloughs during the government shutdown is causing multiple challenges for federal employees. HPR’s DW Gibson started his week with a visit to an Oʻahu food pantry.

Each library will be accepting donations of canned goods and other non-perishable items during its normal operating hours.

The Conversation heard from a number of listeners about their SNAP concerns, including one caller who asked to remain anonymous.

On Friday, about 400 cars lined up to get canned food, bread, fruits and vegetables from a pop-up distribution event in Waipiʻo. Passengers in dozens of cars had to be put on waitlists because they didn’t register online.

There tend to be many misconceptions about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program food benefits, formerly and colloquially known as food stamps. Here are a few, and what that means for Hawaiʻi residents.

About 160,000 residents are on the verge of losing $60 million in federal food benefits, and local food banks and other nonprofits are gearing up for a spike in demand for their services.

The Maui Hub connects residents with farmers to directly distribute produce through an online marketplace. A lot of their Maui customers use SNAP benefits, and they’re already reporting a drop in sales.

The ongoing government shutdown and imminent suspension of SNAP benefits are driving people to call the 211 hotline for help, said Jennifer Pecher, vice president of AUW's 211 Community Response Programs.

Two federal judges ordered the Trump administration to use emergency funding to provide SNAP benefits. But it's unclear how much, or when, those funds would be provided before the funding runs dry.