North Texas food banks brace for possible sharp spike in demand
FORT WORTH (CBSNewsTexas.com) - North Texas food banks are bracing for a possible sharp rise in demand in March as additional federal food benefits paid out during the pandemic, disappear.
Major food banks serving 25 counties across North Texas estimate more than 360,000 families may see their monthly Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits reduced.
The Tarrant Area Food Bank projects the average household could lose $212 a month in SNAP funds, adding up to $48 million less in available money for food across the region.
The CEO of TAFB, Julie Butner, said she expected seniors to see the most impact, since they usually receive the lowest benefit available.
The reduction also comes at a time when food banks and partner agencies are distributing less food due to higher costs from inflation, while still seeing demand that equals or surpasses pandemic highs.
"I think we're bracing for a significant impact, but we don't fully realize how it's going to hit us," Butner said.
Smaller organizations in neighborhoods are expecting to see new families in March, once SNAP recipients realize their benefit has been reduced.
In North Fort Worth, on the edge of several large, middle-class neighborhoods, the Cindy Ramsey Center has doubled the size of its distributions this year, up to more than 500 families in a weekend event.
The organization is putting up a new building so families can shop as needed during the week, and expects the number of families served could grow to 750 or even higher depending on the impact of the reduced benefits.
"None of the other costs of electric bills and rent and things like that are going down," said Kory Bomar, the executive director of the organization. "They're going up as well, and so we expect to see more people in need in our area."
Butner said with food banks facing the same financial constraints from inflation, they will likely look to the public, and traditional donors to help fill any gaps in need this spring.