Pennsylvania
Families in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, brace for SNAP benefits to pause as food pantries step up
Families across Delaware County are bracing for financial strain as a pause in SNAP benefits looms amid the ongoing federal government shutdown. Food pantries are preparing for a surge in demand as residents struggle to put food on the table.
Momilani Miller, a school bus driver and single mother of three from Darby Township, said she typically receives about $500 a month in SNAP benefits. But with federal payments halted, she said November will be difficult.
Resources for SNAP recipients in Philadelphia, New Jersey, Delaware as benefits deadline nears
“It’s a big strain because that’s one thing that I didn’t really have to deal with,” Miller said. “I could pay this bill or pay that bill, but now it’s going to come down to: Will I pay this bill or buy groceries for my family?”
She’s not alone. Thousands of Delaware County residents rely on SNAP to cover their grocery bills. Zahira Bowman, a 17-year-old from Sharon Hill, said her mom’s holiday table will look different this year.
“I think we’re still going to have Thanksgiving, but like, she’s probably going to look for cheaper stuff, like on a budget,” Bowman said. “My mom pays the mortgage and has a car, so she doesn’t have a lot of money to spare.”
Food pantries are feeling the pressure. At Mount Zion C.M.E. Church in Sharon Hill, pantry director Clarisse Smith said shelves are thinning as the need rises.
“We have four volunteers,” Smith said. “We lost eight of our volunteers. They went out and had to get other jobs because their jobs with the government were taken away, so they’re not able to volunteer anymore. So hopefully we’ll get some of the church members to come out and help us out, but it’s really hard.”
Delaware declares state of emergency to allow state funding for SNAP recipients on weekly basis
Smith said her pantry usually feeds around 70 families a week. Now, she’s preparing to serve up to 100.
“I’m not going to stop,” she said. “The government shutdown isn’t going to stop me from feeding anybody.”
For Miller, this week marked the first time she’s had to visit a food pantry, something she never thought she’d have to do.
“It’s going to be helpful,” Miller said. “My kids will eat it. It will get us by until the government can make a decision on what they’re doing.”
As the shutdown continues, families like Miller’s are relying on faith, neighbors and community resources to get through.
A crash involving several vehicles and a motorcycle has left one person dead in Warminster Township, Pennsylvania, Wednesday, police said.
The crash happened in the area of West County Line Road and Greene Avenue, according to police.
Police are asking people to avoid the area as the investigation into the crash continues.
Anyone with information about the crash is asked to contact Warminster Township Police.
DOYLESTOWN BOROUGH, PA — A major downtown street will be repaved under a resurfacing contract awarded this week by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT).
Borough officials, who have lobbied for years to have East and West State Street resurfaced, announced the news on Wednesday via its Facebook page.
When the project happens later this year, the work will be fully paid for under a major $8.3 million project bid award by PennDOT to repave 16 miles of state highways in Bucks County.
This marks the first time that State Street will be resurfaced since the 1990s, said borough officials, who credited an organized lobbying effort by local leadership and the community for pushing the project forward.
In its Facebook posting, the borough thanked State Sen. Steve Santarsiero, State Rep. Tim Brennan, Borough Council, Mayor Noni West, residents and business owners who brought the street’s condition to PennDOT’s attention.
State Street runs through the heart of the borough and serves as a heavily used business, tourism, and residential corridor for the town. It is home to the County Theater, a popular local and regional tourist attraction, the historic Doylestown Inn, and many other businesses.
More detailed timing and work plans are expected once the state finalizes its construction schedule.
One person is dead, and two others were taken to the hospital after a crash involving multiple vehicles in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, Tuesday afternoon, police said.
The crash happened around 4:45 p.m. at East Bristol Road and Brownsville roads, police said.
Police said a person driving a Toyota RAV4 was involved in a domestic-related incident in Lower Southampton Township before the crash.
The person driving the Toyota RAV4 was traveling eastbound at a high rate of speed, crossed into oncoming traffic and struck another vehicle while attempting to pass a Hyundai Kona, according to police.
The Toyota then became airborne, struck a Honda SUV and a Ford pickup truck and rolled over. The driver of the Toyota died in the crash, police said.
The driver of the Hyundai Kona left the road and came to a rest after striking a fence on Bristol Road, according to police.
It’s unclear if any drugs or alcohol were factors in the crash, police said.
Anyone with information about the crash is asked to contact Bensalem police.
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