A fundraising organization of the Archdiocese of Hartford will donate $500,000 to food banks throughout Hartford, Litchfield and New Haven counties to help ease food shortages due to the SNAP benefits pause, the archdiocese said Monday.
The emergency funding allocation will come from the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal at the direction of Archbishop Christopher J. Coyne in addition to the regular funding which is distributed to the food banks through the organization.
“The Catholic Church provides relief and hope for God’s children. It’s what we have done for over 2,000 years and what we continue to do today,” Coyne said in a release. “In the spirit of Jesus’ command to serve our brothers and sisters in need, I am pleased today to release $500,000 in funding from the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal to food banks throughout the Archdiocese of Hartford. These funds will help to ensure that those who rely on SNAP benefits for nourishment can still put food on the table for themselves and their families.”
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Funding for SNAP ran out Nov. 1, leaving 4.2 million Americans including 360,000 in Connecticut, without the funding — previously known as food stamps — they rely on to buy groceries. The funding is annually appropriated by Congress but the government shutdown delayed the allocation. Democrats have demanded that President Donald J. Trump use a $5.5 billion contingency fund to fund the food benefits but his administration has refused. Two judges last week ruled the administration must fund the benefits.
Families, food banks and officials have been scrambling to find alternate sources of food for Connecticut families affected by the loss of benefits, with some residents and businesses holding food drives or donating to local food pantries. Gov. Ned Lamont has allocated $3 million in funding to Foodshare to help ease the shortage, though some legislators have said that is insufficient. The total monthly allocation for Connecticut each month is $72 million. Lamont has said it is a stopgap measure and the state may take more action.
According to the archdiocese, the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal “is a yearly fundraising initiative spearheaded by the Archbishop of Hartford with the intention of raising and distributing funds to organizations and ministries that serve communities throughout Hartford, Litchfield, and New Haven counties.”
The Trump administration faces a Monday deadline to tell judges if it will fully fund SNAP
