With the ongoing federal government shutdown, there are rising concerns about funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Perry Food Pantry Manager Lou Hoger pinpoints how they’re preparing for a potential increase in food production.

Hoger tells Raccoon Valley Radio that the food pantry is focusing on maintaining inventory by ordering commodities from area retailers. He reveals that there were 203 households that used the food pantry during the month of October, and only 46 of those are on SNAP benefits. 

Hoger says that having less than a quarter of the households on SNAP suggests that the potential increase may be lower than the organization anticipates. However, he notes that the attention the federal government shutdown is getting, it’s helping people realize the resources available to them within Perry.

“The SNAP issue has raised the awareness of people in our community that there’s a food pantry that’s available to them. And I think that we have many other families who are struggling, who have maybe never used the food pantry.”

Hoger mentions that it’s hard to determine how much of an increase there may be, but encourages people to bring donations of one pound bags of rice, hamburger and tuna helper, as well as personal hygiene, or other miscellaneous items. He adds that the Perry Food Pantry, which is located at 3112 Willis Avenue, is open on Tuesdays from 10am-12:30pm, and Thursdays from 3-6pm.