Kansas City food bank warns of deep impact of proposed SNAP counts

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Kansas City’s largest food bank is sounding the alarm over a sweeping tax and spending bill ed by the U.S. House of Representatives that would slash funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by hundreds of billions of dollars.

As the legislation heads to the Senate, Harvesters – The Community Food Network – says the proposed cuts could have devastating consequences for families and individuals across the region who rely on SNAP, commonly known as food stamps.

Stephen Davis, President and CEO of Harvesters, says the program s a broad cross-section of vulnerable Americans.

“A lot of children benefit from the SNAP program,” Davis said. “It’s our seniors that are living on a fixed income but living at the poverty level that qualify for SNAP. It’s veterans that are living on a fixed income that qualify for SNAP. It is individuals living with disabilities that may be unable to work but qualify for SNAP because of their low income level. And it’s working families that are at the defined poverty level that then qualify for the SNAP assistance. And the average assistance is about $6 a day.”

Harvesters, which serves more than 700 partner agencies in 26 counties, is already working to meet high levels of food insecurity. If the federal cuts are enacted, the nonprofit warns that demand for food assistance could outpace its capacity.

“The charitable food system cannot make up for that reduction,” Davis said. “And so that’s our concern, is that our neighbors that are experiencing food insecurity, that are receiving benefits through this program will receive less.”

Davis is urging the public to act before the bill reaches a vote in the Senate.

“Make your voice known to your senator,” he said. “If this is something that you care about, and you want to make sure that those that qualify for SNAP can continue to have the benefits of this program.”

More than 324,000 Missouri households are on SNAP. In Kansas more than 180,000 people participate in SNAP.

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