Sanders directs another $500K to Arkansas food banks as SNAP whipsaw drags on

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders directed a second round of funds to Arkansas food banks on Saturday as drama continued over whether federal food assistance would be distributed.

On Oct. 31, the governor announced she was splitting $500,000 among six food banks and held open the option of distributing more money each week as the federal shutdown drags on.

Federal food assistance benefits have been delayed as the Trump administration fights federal court orders mandating that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program be fully funded.

On Friday, several states began filling SNAP recipients’ electronic accounts with November’s benefits. But the Supreme Court granted a delay in enforcing a lower court order, and Saturday the U.S. Department of Agriculture ordered states that paid full benefits to “undo” the action.

About 42 million Americans receive federal food aid, among them roughly 240,000 Arkansans.

Sanders said in a press release Saturday that the latest $500,000 will be distributed Monday to the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance, which will then distribute the funds to the six Feeding America member food banks around the state, serving the highest SNAP recipient regions first.

The funds come from the state’s Restricted Reserve account, which the chairs of the Arkansas Legislative Council approved on an emergency basis.

The food banks that will receive portions of the the funds are:

• Northwest Arkansas Food Bank at Springdale
• Food Bank of North Central Arkansas at Norfolk
• Food Bank of Northeast Arkansas at Jonesboro
• River Valley Regional Food Bank at Fort Smith
• Arkansas Foodbank at Little Rock
• Harvest Regional Food Bank at Texarkana

Sanders encouraged Arkansans affected by the delay in SNAP benefits to visit HelpArkansas.com to find a nearby food bank and monitor guidance updates from Arkansas’ Department of Human Services, which oversees the state’s SNAP program.