When the U.S. government shut down on Oct 1, the Trump Administration said that SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits would not be available to families starting in November. Since then, Utah families have not received their full benefits due to the lack of funding.
To help families affected by this, Skyline and Granite School District have put together many supplies, including emergency food boxes, grab-and-go food, and a list of food pantries in the area. Chris Baker, one of Skyline’s Assistant Principals, said that since early November Skyline has started finding and making resources for students.
Although the government shutdown officially ended on November 12, delayed SNAP benefits were not rolled out until mid-November. Although, according to The Hill, the people who qualify for SNAP benefits are going to be diminished, and spending will be cut by an estimated $186 billion dollars in the next decade.
Another thing that Skyline is doing to help students is that the RISE Ambassadors are starting to create a food pantry. Jody Lynn Tolley, the RISE teacher, said, “We’re just getting started, and it takes time for it to build.”
Many other people are also getting involved for those whose SNAP benefits are not yet backpaid. Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) is doing a canned food drive and many people on Instagram have shared lists of restaurants in Utah who will accept EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer) or give out free food to those in need.
“Thankfully, we have a lovely group of people in our state who has made sure that no child’s gonna be hungry,” said Tolley.
Since the food pantry is a fairly new idea, there is not a lot of information available. However, there is more information about the grab-and-go food and emergency food boxes.
The grab-and-go food is available in the Career Center, and snack packs are available throughout the day in the media center. According to Skyline’s social worker, Taylor Hull, these include things like apple sauce and dry shelf stable items. According to Tolley, the grab-and-go food will be available everyday right next to the door in the Career Center. For families with a greater need, emergency food boxes are available. These include ten to twelve meals and can be delivered to houses.
These emergency food boxes are provided by Granite Education Foundation, who have partnered with United Way 211 Last Mile Delivery Program. United Way 211 is a website available to Utahns that provides information and services for things like disaster help and food resources. 211 is confidential and aims to help everyone they can.
According to Baker, Granite Education Foundation also supplies snack boxes for every classroom. These snack boxes are always available and are accessible to every student.
At the beginning of December, posters were put up by the Career Center to more publicly advertise the food pantry. Additionally, there are more Skyline groups that are doing charity and things like food drives.
According to Tolley, Skyline Administration and RISE Ambassadors are trying to determine the need for supplies so that they can grow the program to potentially include things like diapers, baby wipes, and formula.
“Be involved and know your friends and support each other, because that’s how we make a difference,” said Tolley.
