ATLANTA — The government shutdown enters another week. Now, federal officials say money for food assistance programs could run out if a budget isn’t agreed upon and passed.
Najee Kinard, a mother who depends on that assistance, told Channel 2’s Eryn Rogers that if she doesn’t get her SNAP benefits, buying healthy food will get a lot harder, and she might be dependent on fast food because of the price.
“I’m just honestly bracing for impact,” she said.
The US Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke Rollins, said on Thursday that money for food stamps will be gone next month if a budget isn’t passed.
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“We’re going to run out of money in two weeks, so you’re talking about millions and millions of vulnerable families of hungry families that are not going to have access to these programs because of this shutdown,” Rollins said.
Kinard is one of the more than 40 million Americans who could be affected. Recipients get about $188 per month in benefits.
“No one had time to prepare, and with groceries going up, day by day, we definitely need all the help that we can,” Kinard said.
She said she’s considering using food banks, especially as the holidays approach.
“It just makes me have to balance what should be a priority, and it shouldn’t have to be that way,” she said.
Channel 2 has also reported on Georgia’s problem with hackers stealing SNAP benefits.
The state money to replace those dried up over the summer. Between March and July, there were around 30,000 claims made about stolen benefits.
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