Charleston, South Carolina — As the deadline for the potential loss of SNAP benefits for over 500,000 South Carolinians approaches, food banks around the Lowcountry are bracing for a surge in demand.
A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to spend emergency money, but local distribution centers are already facing donation shortages.
Tammy Jennings, a SNAP participant, voiced her shock.
“I just can’t believe that they’re taking food for people’s survival away from us and then asking us to hold on and there’s nothing to hold on to,” she told me.
With the threat of losing benefits in November, wait times at food banks and churches are increasing.
Jennings pointed out: “It’s a 45-minute to an hour wait because there are so many people that are doing without.”
Summerville’s neighborhood food bank has relocated to Morningstar Storage to meet greater demand. Abraham Belanger, president of the Summerville Food Bank, recalled, “We were functioning out of the rear of a church, in the warehouse portion. And so, with that location change, we were looking for something new, and we determined that Morningstar Storage would be an excellent place for the Somerville Food Bank.”
Belanger stressed the emotional impact on individuals seeking assistance.
“We’ve seen people in tears, wondering how they’re going to be able to take care of their family,” he informed us. “We’re a full ministry, and I suppose a whole food bank. We aim to focus on the person’s overall needs.”
Many people, including Jennings, rely heavily on these resources.
“You can only rely on where to go to church and people’s generosity to donate meals. “That is the only thing you can do,” she explained.
Those interested in giving or volunteering with the Summerville Food Bank should contact the president at summervillefoodbank.com.
