Gregory Petty - SNAP benefits will be frozen this Friday, October 31. Individuals receiving “food stamps” will have to find some way of feeding themselves and their families.
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Dear Editor,
SNAP benefits will be frozen this Friday, October 31. Individuals receiving “food stamps” will have to find some way of feeding themselves and their families. President Trump cut $500 million from the food pantry network nationwide months ago. Additionally, furloughed federal workers are leading to increased demands at the food pantries.
Some counties in Colorado are seeing local grocers refusing to accept the EBT card from SNAP recipients over concern of not being reimbursed by the federal government. The grants that provided meat and fresh produce to the food pantries are also coming to an end. The perfect storm of food insecurity has been created in a way that hurts the most vulnerable of our neighbors.
In Gilpin County 369 families, or 604 people, will have to survive without SNAP. Their only hope is help from the food pantry. The Gilpin County Democratic Party has decided to donate $2000 to the food pantry to meet our mission of helping our community. We ask that anyone who can, to join us in making cash and/or food donations to your local food pantry now and in the future.
The need will be greater toward the end of the month. You can go online at the Gilpin County Website (gilpincounty.colorado.gov) and make a cash donation or go to the Gilpin Food Pantry or the Human Services building (15193 Highway 119, Black Hawk, CO) to drop off food items or cash donations.
Protein is most needed so please consider giving canned meats and fish, peanut butter, eggs, chili, macaroni and cheese, spaghetti, and block cheese. Thanksgiving is just around the corner for these families and help is needed now.
You can also vote for Proposition LL and MM to make sure that all students can get healthy meals at school. As a retired school principal I know that the only meal that some of my students received was at school.
Simply put, it is very difficult to learn when basic needs are unmet. It is difficult to hear your teacher talking over the sound of your stomach growling,
Gregory Petty
Vice Chair Gilpin County Democratic Committee
