As Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits remain in limbo because of the federal government shutdown, local nonprofits like PROP and state legislators are grappling with how best to support those in need.

The Trump administration announced last week that SNAP benefits would not be disbursed in November, affecting about 41.7 million people.

Though a court order ruled the Trump administration cannot withhold benefits, President Donald Trump suggested in a social media post that SNAP payments would not resume until the federal government shutdown ends.

More than 110,000 people use SNAP benefits in Hennepin County, including in Eden Prairie.

State Rep. Carlie Kotyza-Witthuhn (DFL-49B, Eden Prairie) said that in previous government shutdowns, SNAP was not rendered insolvent. The government set aside contingency funds to keep the program running during shutdowns under both Democratic and Republican administrations, including under Trump in 2018.

“This is kind of a manufactured crisis at this point, because there are contingency funds available,” Kotyza-Witthuhn said. 

Nationwide, one in three kindergarten students rely on SNAP benefits, she said.

“It’s hard to think nationwide about the millions of folks who rely on this funding, but you think about it and how it’s going to impact the students in your kid’s classroom,” Kotyza-Witthuhn said. “I think it helps bring home just how necessary this funding is.”

Kotyza-Witthuhn attended a press conference last week at a food shelf in Eagan with Gov. Tim Walz, where the governor announced $4 million in additional emergency funding for the state’s food shelves.

“That is truly a drop in the bucket,” she said. “This past year, the Legislature allocated $13 million in funding already. So when you think about $4 million toward a $13 million allocation already, it’s almost 30%, even though we know, in comparison to what SNAP does, it’s a drop in the bucket.”

According to the Minnesota Grocers Association, every dollar appropriated by SNAP can generate between $1.50 and $1.80 in economic activity. When SNAP dollars disappear, people using the benefits don’t go to grocery stores as often, so those stores see less business.

PROP expands to meet growing need

Jenifer Loon, executive director of PROP, said the organization — which provides food and financial assistance to Eden Prairie and Chanhassen residents — has expanded appointment capacity at its food shelf to 200 appointments a week to meet rising demand.

Families can come to PROP for pre-made emergency and essential food boxes, but appointments for its Food Mart are booking two weeks in advance.

PROP’s Food Mart allows families to shop for exactly what they need, Loon said. It also offers an Instacart-style service where a volunteer shops over the phone for clients with young children or mobility issues.

“We’ve been increasing our number of appointments, honestly, for the last two years, and so at a certain point we reach capacity,” Loon said. “That’s why we’re also creating some new avenues for distributing a little quicker, so pre-packed boxes of food and having produce or eggs and milk to those orders just to try to get people a little food more immediately.”

Increased food insecurity has been a developing problem for PROP since the pandemic, compounded by inflation and higher food costs, she said.

“This has been kind of on a trajectory that we’ve been on, and the SNAP crisis is just kind of the latest and something that is adding to that need,” Loon said.

PROP limits the amount of food a family can receive to 26 pounds per person, but that fluctuates depending on need, Loon said. Before the pandemic, families could take up to 40 pounds per person.

“Still, when you see a client coming out with a food order, if it’s a household of four, that’s about 100 pounds of food,” Loon said. “That’s a lot of food.”

Loon said she and her team have explored other ways to get food to more people without the constraints of appointments. PROP partnered with Second Harvest Heartland, one of the nation’s largest food banks, to launch a mobile food shelf and expand access.

Second Harvest has a trailer with refrigerated bays to store food and distribute it to community members, Loon said. The first mobile food shelf will be held Nov. 19 in the Eden Prairie Center parking lot near the former JCPenney store.

“It’s coming the week before Thanksgiving, so we think it’s a good time,” Loon said. “We tend to see more people coming to us then.”

Loon said that in other situations where food insecurity increased, like the recession in 2008, the greater community has stepped up to keep PROP going and able to support clients. 

“The community has always stepped up to help us, so we haven’t had to ever shut down a program,” Loon said. 

PROP also participates in Give to the Max, a statewide fundraiser for Minnesota nonprofits running from Nov. 1 to Nov. 20. Donations during the holiday season are critical to PROP’s success, Loon said.

“Donations increase in the November-to-December period, which is very critical in a lot of nonprofits,” Loon said. “For PROP, about a third of our entire year’s budget is usually raised in November and December.”

Community action and neighbor-to-neighbor support

Kotyza-Witthuhn said she posted in Eden Prairie’s private Buy Nothing Facebook group — a forum where neighbors give away unwanted items for free — offering to support a household that relies on SNAP benefits. She said she was inspired after seeing someone do the same on social media.

The post took off. 

“Over 200 people liked it,” Kotyza-Witthuhn said. “There’s been multiple comments saying, ‘Oh, we’d also love to help.'”

Kotyza-Witthuhn and the group’s administrators organized a grocery store gift card collection to make coordination easier than taking someone shopping or asking for a specific order. Those in need can send a private message to the Buy Nothing Eden Prairie group to request a card.

The group has already collected and distributed $500 in gift cards, Kotyza-Witthuhn said.

She added that Minnesota’s community-minded culture will likely help the movement continue to grow.

“In Eden Prairie and in Minnesota in general, we are such good neighbors,” she said. “We want to help people and make sure that no one is going hungry. So I think the response we’re already seeing is going to grow.”

Kotyza-Witthuhn said those wanting to help can donate to or volunteer at a food shelf like PROP. She added that contacting federal lawmakers is another way to show support for SNAP.

If you need food assistance, Kotyza-Witthuhn recommended using Hunger Solutions Minnesota’s “Find Help” tab to locate resources in your ZIP code.