With SNAP Benefits Halted, Bucks Co. Nonprofit Steps In To Help

DOYLESTOWN, PA ? With the federal government shutdown halting SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits for more than 46,000 Bucks County residents, a Bucks County nonprofit is stepping up to help.

The Bucks County Opportunity Council, the lead food agency for Bucks County, has announced its commitment of $75,000 in emergency funds from reserves as thousands of families are being left without a vital source of food.

?We can?t fill the entire gap left by the loss of SNAP,? said Erin Lukoss, CEO of BCOC, ?but we can take meaningful steps to support families and strengthen our pantry network during this time of uncertainty.?

According to Lukoss, the emergency funds will provide direct food and emergency assistance, bulk purchase food for pantries, and coordinate with community partners. The organization recently met with more than 50 pantry leaders across the county to discuss rising demand and identify critical needs, including more food and volunteers.

The Bucks County Opportunity Council is also urging residents to take action by donating to their local food pantry, organizing a food drive to collect self-stable items, volunteering at a local pantry or Fresh Connect site, offering temporary storage space to help with the bulk purchasing of food and advocating by contacting elected officials to restore funding for SNAP and LIHEAP.

?Food is a basic human need,? Lukoss added. ?With rising costs of housing, utilities, and childcare, many families are being forced to make impossible choices. Our community can step up to make sure no one goes hungry in Bucks County.?

To support BCOC?s efforts, visit www.bcoc.org .

BCOC is the lead anti-poverty, non-profit organization in Bucks County dedicated to ending poverty by connecting people with the resources they need to thrive.

BCOC has five major program areas: Housing, Food, Weatherization, Volunteer Income Tax Preparation (VITA) and its Economic Self-Sufficiency (ES) Program. Housing includes emergency services, rental and move-in aid, and utility shut-off prevention.

Its food program supplies food directly to families through a network of 75 food pantries and distribution sites. Weatherization services help families reduce their energy costs. VITA provides free income tax preparation assistance. The ES Program assists individuals and families to leave poverty permanently through case management, education, and employment.

For 60 years, the Opportunity Council has served low-income families in Bucks County by helping them to stabilize when in crisis, garner resources to achieve a livable wage, gain additional education and training, and work towards economic self-sufficiency.