Residents in Peekskill facing uncertainty due to the government shutdown’s effect on a federal food assistance program used by millions of Americans will be able to get free meals for the next two weeks.
The city pledged to support Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients with donated meals that can be found at the
Neighborhood Center located at 4 Nelson Ave.
Organizers say that those in need must show proof of being a SNAP recipient and live in the City of Peekskill. They are prepared to hand out about 500 meals.
More than 68 meals were given out on Saturday.
The SNAP program serves about 1 in 8 Americans and costs $8 billion per month.
The impacts on basic needs — food and medical care — underscored how the impasse is hitting homes across the United States. Plans by the Trump administration to freeze payments to SNAP on Saturday were halted by federal judges, but the delay in payouts will still likely leave millions of people short on their grocery bills.
This shutdown is the second largest in history and entered its second month on Saturday.
AP Wire Services were used in this report.