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SNAP is a federally-funded program managed by the states. Meanwhile, Ohio Jobs and Family Services said that it is coordinating with counties across the state to prepare for the rollback of emergency SNAP benefits to ensure residents in need have the resources if and when that happens. The Greater Cleveland Food Bank, as well as all of the other food banks and programs across Northeast Ohio, are planning for the order to expire just in case it is not renewed. "After all we know, food is a nourishment for our soul." It’s so important that we do whatever is needed and what we can to support each other and our food banks," Brown said. “Many of our families are in desperate need of food.the benefits are being lowered and we might be at risk of losing some of our food. Ohio residents, like Louise Brown in Euclid, said they are grateful for the programs that the Greater Cleveland Food Bank offers.
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“We just want to make sure that we have enough food to meet the continued need and that we work closely with our pantries, our hot meal programs, the various programs that we have…to make sure they have enough food as well." "We have adjusted our budget and our expenses to be able to purchase more food so that we can make sure we get that food out," Pozna said. To prepare for that, the Greater Cleveland Food Bank said it has been working out a budget, keeping in mind the impact inflation has had on both food and fuel costs as it aims to increase the amount of food in its supply.
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"If that’s the case, there are thousands of families and seniors and individuals who could see a reduction in their monthly snap benefits," Pozna said. Pozna said that the food bank expects more people would require their assistance as they saw assistance from the SNAP increase repealed. "Now in addition to that, there's the potential of the public health emergency order not being extended." You’ve got kids who are out of school for the summer who would not be receiving the school lunches that they would typically receive, so many people are dealing with rising food and fuel costs," said Karen Pozna, Director of Communications at Greater Cleveland Food Bank. “It really is the perfect storm that could happen this summer. If the order is not renewed and SNAP benefits in turn decrease in Ohio, local food banks are expecting to see an increase in people requiring their services, adding to the already high demand for their assistance.
SNAP BENEFITS OHIO UPDATE
But with President Joe Biden and his administration stating that it will provide 60 days notice of intention to end the declaration or let it expire, an update is expected in the coming days. The emergency order was most recently renewed for 90 days in April. Ohio saw about $120 million a month in increased food assistance dollars as part of the emergency funding that boosted SNAP benefit dollars for around 700,000 Ohioans in need. When the order does expire, hundreds of thousands of Ohioans will see a decrease in their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funds each month. CLEVELAND - A federal COVID-19 emergency declaration issued at the start of the pandemic that has been renewed multiple times in the past two years is set to expire in mid-July if not renewed again in the coming days.
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