VIDEO TRANSCRIPT : The Samaritan Center helps bridge the gap for underprivileged communities during the government shutdown
Griffin Fellows: You won’t hear the sounds of hymns or bells coming from this church anytime soon. Instead you can come in to the Samaritian Center and find a hot meal for yourself, and during what has become the longest government shutdown in history its become more important than ever.
Fellows: As a result of the shutdown all non essential federal programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or more commonly know as SNAP have been put on pause. The SNAP program helps over 180,000 people in central New York alone and many people like Nathaniel Gregory have turned to the Samaritian Center to bridge the gap during these hard times.
Nathaniel Gregory: Every Meal here is my favorite here because all the food is good you know the milk the water, they give out juice. If you got a problem with food go in here and sometimes when they’re closed they’ll open up the doors and let you in to get some food.
Fellows: Its been quite the whirlwind week in politics as on Monday President Donald Trump approved partial funding for snap benefits, but for some families the amount they are going to receive just isn’t enough. The funding would only cover less than $100 a month per person and Joelle Harleston, chief development officer at the Samaritan Center says it leaves people with a tough decision.
Joelle Harleston: Our guests are dealing with razor thin margins right now to survive and any flex in their budget really means the choice between food or rent, or you know a safe warm place to stay or not so any way they can cut costs they will.
Fellows: With no time table as to when the SNAP benefits will come back, the Samaritina Center says it expects an increase of mouths to feed by almost 50%. But they will be ready to go as they continue to line up. Griffin Fellows NCC News
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC NEWS) — The usual sound of church bells and hymns has been long replaced by clinking dishes and the hum of conversation inside what was once a Syracuse church on North State Street. The building, now home to the Samaritan Center, has become a vital resource for many during the longest government shutdown in United States history.
With the shutdown halting funding for a majority of federal programs, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, was temporarily suspended. More than 180,000 people in Central New York rely on SNAP, and the pause has forced many to seek alternative sources for food.
Nathaniel Gregory, a frequent guest at the Samaritan Center, said the meals there have helped fill the gap.
“Every meal here is my favorite because all the food is good the milk, the water, the juice,” Gregory said. “If you’ve got a problem with food, go in here. And sometimes when they’re closed, they’ll open up the doors and let you in to get some food.”
Earlier last week, President Donald Trump approved partial funding for SNAP benefits, but many families say the limited aid won’t stretch far enough. The funding would provide less than $100 a month per person, leaving many struggling to cover basic needs.
Joelle Harleston, chief development officer at the Samaritan Center, said that leaves families facing difficult choices.
“Our guests are dealing with razor-thin margins right now to survive,” Harleston said. “Any flex in their budget really means the choice between food or rent, or a safe warm place to stay or not.”
On Friday the supreme court ruled in favor of President Trump to allow him to block the sending of full benefits to snap members. But late on Sunday night a 60-40 vote in the Senate successfully moved forward a bill to end the governemnt shutdown, but that could take some time to get through Congress and its unclear as to when the SNAP money would be available.
With no clear timetable for when full SNAP benefits will resume, the Samaritan Center expects the number of people seeking meals to rise by as much as 50% in the coming weeks. Despite the challenges, staff and volunteers say they’ll be ready to meet the need one hot meal at a time.