By NATE SMITH and MANDY LOEHR
EXAMINER STAFF WRITERS
Thousands of families in Logan County now have less money to spend on daily meals this month as additional allotments to those receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) have officially expired.
Ohio is among the 31 remaining states with additional SNAP allocations that ended with February issuances.
SNAP benefits are used to purchase food for households that qualify. Statewide, food assistance benefits are allocated electronically each month through the Ohio Direction Card, which is similar to a debit card.
Since March 2020, families receiving SNAP benefits were distributed about an extra $100-$200 per month depending on income and family size as part of emergency COVID-19 relief packages approved by Congress. Federal legislation passed in September 2022 directs those benefits to expire no later than Feb. 28, 2023.
In Logan County, a total of 2,454 households — more than 5,000 people — receive SNAP benefits, according to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. In all, 2,980 adults and 2,037 children are beneficiaries of the food and nutrition assistance program.
A variety of local community partners can assist those who are feeling the loss of the additional SNAP allocations. The United Way of Logan County helps to provide a connection point for these agencies, and the organization also is investing $152,000 in county food programs this year, Executive Director Dave Bezusko said.
“The good news is that no one should starve in Logan County. There are plenty of resources to go around. But if you haven’t had to supplement your food with help from local pantries or distributions, you may not know when and where to turn. We maintain a directory and schedule of all the monthly food distributions on our website.
“Not so coincidentally, this is the most viewed page on our United Way website every month,” he said, referencing www.uwlogan.org.
The Second Harvest Food Bank of Clark, Champaign & Logan Counties is the largest charitable food provider in Logan County, serving 876,252 meals via their Mobile Pantry Distributions, Emergency Box Deliveries and Senior programs, the United Way executive director noted.
By comparison, LifeCare Alliance Meals-on-Wheels was next at 46,763 meals, then Lutheran Community Services (Our Daily Bread) at 30,485.
This month, Second Harvest Food Bank has added new and more distribution sites to their March schedule. They will be in Bellefontaine twice, and also Belle Center, DeGraff, Rushsylvania, Russells Point, Quincy and West Liberty, Bezusko noted.
Second Harvest Food Bank Executive Director Tyra L. Jackson said in the agency’s recent newsletter that the food bank is bracing for an influx of neighbors seeking support.
“Estimations show that the number of households/individuals needing food may increase as high as they were during the height of the pandemic.
“One of our neighbors shared, ‘what losing these benefits means for me is losing access to nutrient- and vitamin-rich foods. We will have to go back to cheap, unhealthy, over-processed foods.’”
At the same time, the Second Harvest Food Bank is experiencing supply issues, with a 34 percent decrease in donated foods and 56 percent decrease in USDA foods.
“To combat the increased need, we reduced the amount of food we provide each neighbor from five to six meals a week to two to three meals a week,” representatives said.
Second Harvest Food Bank is requesting testimonials from anyone who is receiving SNAP benefits and may be affected by this recent change. Contact (937) 325-8715 ext.102.
To qualify for SNAP benefits, a household’s gross monthly income has to be at or under 130 percent of the federal poverty guidelines. Some other households may qualify if they have incomes over the limit if someone in the household is elderly or disabled.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service reports the, “SNAP emergency allotments were a temporary strategy authorized by Congress to help low-income individuals and families deal with the hardships of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
In January 2022, the average monthly SNAP payment per recipient was $246, DJFS reports.
For more information and updates regarding Second Harvest Food Bank, visit https://www.theshfb.org/ or search for “Second Harvest Food Bank of Clark, Champaign & Logan Counties” on Facebook.
Second Harvest Food Bank’s Logan County distribution schedule
• Thursday, March 9 — 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., Richland Township Park, 615 N. Center St., Belle Center, drive-thru location.
• Saturday, March 11 — 11 a.m. to noon, Buckeye Gospel Barn, 206 Liberty St., Quincy; drive-thru location.
• Monday, March 13 — 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. DeGraff Park, 101 Pleasant St., DeGraff, walk-up distribution, take own carts, bags or boxes to collect food.
• Wednesday, March 15 — Noon to 1 p.m., Lions Club Ballpark, 576 Township Road 174, West Liberty, drive-thru location.
• Thursday, March 16 — 11 a.m. to noon, Rushsylvania Church of Christ, 170 E. Mill St., Rushsylvania, drive-thru location.
• Monday, March 27 — 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Union Station, 613 Hamilton St, Bellefontaine, walk-up distribution, take own carts, bags or boxes to collect food.
• Tuesday, March 28 — 11 a.m. to noon, St. Vincent de Paul, 463 Madison Ave., Russells Point, drive-thru location.