The federal government shutdown means Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will dry up and EBT cards will not be loaded for participants on Nov. 1.
Though much of the recent focus has been on the roughly 42 million Americans on food assistance, there is another half of the equation set to be affected: grocery stores.
Food retailers stand to suffer a blow, as customers who use SNAP benefits will likely spend less money and buy less food. Managers and owners in Franklin County are bracing for the impact, though they think there is little they can do.
“It’s all up to the government to get their act together. Both sides need to work it out,” said Matthew Deane, president and co-owner of Foster’s Supermarket in Greenfield. “They’re hurting a lot of people for no reason.”
He said about 10% of the supermarket’s sales come from SNAP benefits.
“[The cuts] definitely will hurt, for sure,” Deane said. “Nobody wants to lose 10% of their business, but we’ll plug along and do what we can.”
On Wednesday, Greenfield Mayor Ginny Desorgher joined a meeting with more than 30 members of the community, including members of the state delegation, grocery store owners and food pantry representatives to discuss ways in which the city can help cover for the loss of SNAP benefits.
Discussing the meeting Friday afternoon inside Green Fields Market, Desorgher said donating cash and food items, such as cereal, peanut butter, tuna or chicken, will go a long way toward feeding the more than 4,000 Greenfield residents who receive SNAP benefits.
“That is a huge loss to those people, to the families. There’s 837 seniors who receive SNAP and 2,577 families. One month of those folks in our community not receiving this benefit is a $1 million loss — to those people, but also to our local grocery stores, one of which we’re sitting in right now,” Desorgher said. “It can’t be fixed with a can drive. … We want to have a very united approach.”
The mayor added that while city officials have not yet drafted a long-term plan in the event the government shutdown persists and SNAP benefits are cut permanently, she is meeting weekly with a team of officials to brainstorm solutions.
Desorgher said local food pantries and service centers, facing a higher volume of people to serve, are also in need of volunteers.
“There’s just only so much that people have to give. … We talked to most of [the local food pantries], and all of them had seen an increase in recipients. I stopped yesterday at Blessed Trinity. Normally they see 40 people — they saw 80,” she said. “People are so worried about tomorrow.”
Ben Stockwell, night manager at Food City in Turners Falls, estimates that 35% of the employee-owned store’s sales come from SNAP recipients.
“I feel for these people, though,” he said. “And that it’s happening the month of Thanksgiving, it’s just tragic.”
The political left has framed the cut as a cruel assault on the poor, while conservatives blame Democrats for the government shutdown and argue that assistance should instead come from food banks and churches. But Food City manager Brian Cocco said he predicts these organizations will also feel a significant pinch.
The average SNAP benefit is reportedly $180 per month per person, or about $6 per day. Benefits already loaded onto EBT cards and into accounts are safe from the cuts. According to the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, every dollar of SNAP benefits generates $1.54 in economic activity.
Nathan Pederzini, manager at Keystone Market in Shelburne Falls, estimated 30% to 40% of sales come from SNAP benefits, which he said he and his family of five also receive.
“It’s going to be a huge loss for us,” he warned. “It’s going to be a big thing.”
Pederzini also said not much can be done by stores or customers once the cuts take effect. But he added that people can use the Shelburne Falls Community Fridge next to Buckland Town Hall.
The Leverett Village Co-op announced Thursday that it will be offering a 10% discount to any SNAP users, despite the cuts to service.
“The decision was made quickly. It felt very much like a no-brainer. We’re a grocery store, but we also function in North Leverett and the Shutesbury and Wendell area as a community center. What’s behind almost all of our decisions is the well-being of the community,” General Manager Ken Washburn said. “If the 10% doesn’t feel like it’s enough for some people, there are resources throughout the region we can direct them to. I’m not worried about our business, because it seems like a small thing to be worried about when it comes to people going hungry.”
Tom Smith, who chairs the Orange Selectboard, mentioned at Wednesday’s meeting that local food banks are in particular need of laundry detergent, beans and hot dogs. He said donations can be dropped off anytime behind St. Mary’s Parish Center at 20 West Myrtle St.
“Every little thing helps,” he said.
Selectboard Vice Chair Julie Davis also encouraged people to donate cash to food pantries, which buy food wholesale at more favorable rates.
“They can make $20 stretch a long, long distance,” she said. “So just think about giving that way as well.”