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.

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“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.”

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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.