End of pandemic benefits concerns food providers

By Tanya Connor | The Catholic Free Press

WORCESTER - With federal pandemic-era benefits scheduled to be cut next month, Massachusetts legislators should be urged to pass a supplemental budget and continue free school meals for all students. That was a key message presented Monday at the third annual food pantry summit at the St. Francis Xavier Center at St. John Church. About 30 people involved with efforts to feed those in need gathered for presentations, questions, comments and a free lunch.
Kevin Kieler, founder of Partners for Feeding the People, organized the meeting that was called “Food Equity for Food Pantries.” Bishop McManus opened the meeting with a prayer and Father John F. Madden, St. John’s pastor, talked about operating a food pantry during the pandemic.
Jean McMurray, chief executive officer of Worcester County Food Bank in Shrewsbury, urged attendees to advocate for their clients.
There is great concern about federal benefits ending, she said. Since April 2020, eligible Massachusetts households that received help from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program have been getting extra emergency allotments, she said. Because of congressional action last December, the last payment will be issued March 2. As a result, 640,000 households in Massachusetts will lose a total of about $90 million per month, she said.
In response to the pandemic, the U.S. Department of Agriculture approved free breakfast and lunch for all public school students in the country for the 2021-2022 school year. When the USDA did not approve that program for the 2022-2023 school year, Massachusetts extended it by funding it through the state budget, Ms. McMurray said.
She noted that those people attending the meeting can give their clients information about available resources. She pointed them to the website
mass.gov/extracovidsnap, for fliers in multiple languages and information about expenses people can claim to increase their SNAP benefits.
She also asked listeners to urge their state senators and representatives to quickly pass Gov. Maura Healey’s fiscal 2023 supplemental budget. She suggested pantry workers use stories about their clients to demonstrate the need and that they explain that pantries cannot fill the gap created by the loss of benefits.
The supplemental budget includes $130 million which would give families three months of extra state-funded SNAP benefits at 40% of the emergency allotments’ benefit level, after the federal payments end, Ms. McMurray explained.
The supplemental budget would also provide $65 million to ensure free school meals for all public school students for the rest of the 2022-2023 academic year, Ms. McMurray noted.
She suggested that people urge their legislators to support permanent free school meals for all students.
In Massachusetts, 400,000 students benefitted from the 2021-2022 meals, Ms. McMurray said. Continuing to serve meals could save families up to $1,200 per student per year.
“Things are worse now than they were at the height of the pandemic,” she said. She told The Catholic Free Press that the Worcester County Food Bank and its network of food pantries help more people now, and that food costs more than it has in the last 40 years.
Before the pandemic, 25 percent of students were ineligible for free or reduced-price meals despite living in households without consistent access to enough food, Ms. McMurray said. For this reason, and to remove the stigma attached to free meals, meals should be free for everyone, she said.
Mr. Kieler told a story about why free meals would be a good idea. He said his wife, Bonnie, has worked in various school districts. In one, she saw the embarrassment of students who were ineligible for free meals and who came without lunch money and were told they could get only milk and an apple.
He said she is now kitchen manager at Auburn High School where all students have had access to free meals since the pandemic started.
Timothy J. McMahon, executive director of Catholic Charities Worcester County, said more people, some of them different people than in the past, are now seeking food.
“Although the need has really increased, the support has increased too,” he said.
“God always provides, but it is a challenge,” said Maritza Cedeno, Catholic Charities area administrator, who spoke about the agency’s efforts to help people with a variety of needs, with food being a big concern now.
The Auburn schools have an effective food sharing program among themselves, Mr. Kieler said. The school personnel email each other daily with their needs and what extra foods they have to share.
Mr. Kieler suggested that area food pantries do the same by using the partnersforfeedingpeople.com website to share their needs and surpluses with each other. Also, if one pantry needs help with transporting food or equipment from another pantry, they can contact St. John’s which has trucks. Mr. Kieler said drivers are needed and anyone wishing to volunteer can contact St. John’s Parish at stjohnsworc@gmail.com or 508-756-7165.