While millions of Americans are poised to lose access to a crucial food assistance program in the coming days amid the ongoing federal government shutdown, Virginia SNAP recipients will be covered for the time being, following the declaration of a state of emergency by Gov. Glenn Youngkin last Thursday.
SNAP, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly known as food stamps) is funded by the federal government, but administered by the states.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture had previously notified the Commonwealth of Virginia that SNAP benefits for November could not be issued, nor appealed as it is a nationwide issue impacting all SNAP households.
However, last Thursday, Youngkin sent out a press release, declaring the state of emergency, under which he planned to expend emergency funds through sum sufficient authority to cover SNAP benefits for the commonwealth.
On Tuesday, Youngkin held a press conference to address the VENA, or Virginia Emergency Nutrition Assistance initiative, a food assistance system that will parallel SNAP benefits.
If the shutdown has not ended by Saturday, VENA will go into effect on Monday, utilizing the existing SNAP EBT cards and will be given to the same beneficiaries that received SNAP benefits in October.
Rather than monthly, benefits will be received on a weekly basis, dividing the total amount recipients received from SNAP in October into four smaller increments.
The funds will be moved weekly from the state surplus, totaling roughly $37.5 million, which the governor credited to the tremendous job growth and business investment in Virginia.
Under the current SNAP structure, benefits are deposited to one third of recipients on the first of each month, a third on the fourth of each month, and a final third on the seventh of each month. Through VENA, the first third of recipients will receive their benefits weekly on Mondays, the second third weekly on Wednesdays, and the last third weekly on Fridays.
While SNAP recipients would have received benefits on Saturday, under VENA benefits will not be deposited until two days later, on Monday. Youngkin acknowledged that many families would likely face hardship from the two-day delay of benefits, and announced that he directed that incremental funds be distributed into the food bank network for Virginia before the weekend.
VENA assistance will continue until federal funds are authorized and released and SNAP benefits fully restored.
In Gloucester County, based on data from September, 3,867 individuals in 2,122 households were estimated to receive SNAP benefits for the month of November, said Gloucester County Social Services Director Lisa Kersey.
Kersey stated that Gloucester County offices would be working together as a community to offer resource counseling services and that the county resources page had already been updated.
Based on the data from September, in Mathews County 770 individuals within 441 households were estimated to receive SNAP benefits in November, according to Social Service Director Tiffany Gordon.
Both counties began coordinating with local food banks when SNAP benefits were first announced to run out.
Jan Mohr, President of Hands Across Mathews had already seen an influx of cars coming through the food pick-up line on Wednesday, Oct. 22. “I think that was partially due to the fear that SNAP was going to end and the fact that the groceries are so expensive,” she said.
Currently the nonprofit is averaging about 80 households weekly and has adjusted their hours to open earlier, at 9:30 a.m., to accommodate for the increase of cars coming through for food.
Jan Towne, who set up Good News Free Food Pantries at several churches in Mathews during the 2020 pandemic, has also seen an increase in activity and expects to see more in the coming weeks.