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Local Food Pantries Increase Outreach During Government Shutdown

Several Triad nonprofits expect the need for food assistance to increase over the next several weeks. (AP Photo/Michael Rubinkam)

The Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina is working closely with its partner agencies to let people know how to find help if needed. The move comes after the federal agency that offers Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits (SNAP), also known as food stamps, released the funds early. That's because there may not be enough money to keep the program going if the shutdown continues. 

And that concerns Second Harvest Food Bank's CEO Eric Aft.  He says overall, they're not seeing a massive influx of people right now, but they're preparing to help as many people as possible.

“They very well may run out of those benefits by mid-February, leaving a significant challenge for our pantry partners to make sure that we have the right food that's available for those who may have run out of those benefits earlier than normal.”

Aft encourages anyone who needs food assistance to contact the Second Harvest Food Bank at (336) 784-5770 or go to their website.

“We have a lot of low income people who don't make much and are living paycheck to paycheck,” he says. "We see this as an emergency, not only for federal workers and contract employees, but businesses and individuals who rely on the relationships with the government."

As for any potential impact the shutdown could have on federally funded programs at the Second Harvest Food Bank, Aft says there isn't an immediate concern. The organization receives around 8 to 10 percent of food from federal commodities. He says those items, which include canned vegetables, frozen fruit, and chicken, will be received through March.

*Follow WFDD's Keri Brown on Twitter @kerib_news

Keri Brown is a multi-award winning reporter and host at 88.5 WFDD. She has been honored with two regional Edward R. Murrow awards for her stories about coal ash, and was named the 2015 radio reporter of the year by the Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolinas (RTDNAC).Although she covers a variety of topics, her beats are environmental and education reporting.Keri comes to the Triad from West Virginia Public Broadcasting, where she served as the Chief Bureau Reporter for the Northern Panhandle. She produced stories for the state's Public Television and Radio programs and was honored by the West Virginia Associated Press Broadcasters Association for her feature and enterprise reporting.She also served as an adjunct instructor at Wheeling Jesuit University and Bethany College in West Virginia. She worked with the Center for Educational Technologies in Wheeling, WV, and other NASA centers across the country to develop several stories about the use of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts in the classroom.Keri's journalism career began at WTRF-TV 7 in Wheeling. She worked in several roles at the station, including the head assignment editor. She also was a field producer and assignment manager at WPGH-TV Fox 53 in Pittsburgh.Keri is a graduate of Ohio University. When she's not in the studio or working on a story, she enjoys watching college football with her family, cooking, and traveling.Keri is always looking for another great story idea, so please share them with her. You can follow her on Twitter @kerib_news.

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