Extra SNAP benefits authorized during the pandemic coming to an end

WAMC Northeast Public Radio | By Paul Tuthill

Published January 17, 2023 at 9:34 AM EST

The emergency food pantry at Open Pantry Community Services in Springfield, Massachusetts

Emergency food providers in western Massachusetts preparing for higher demand

Extra benefits that have been available for three years to households through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will end soon.

In Massachusetts, the last extra payment will be on March 2^nd.

Emergency SNAP benefits began during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The emergency food network in western Massachusetts is preparing for the impact of the reduction in monthly SNAP payments to low- income households.

WAMC’s Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief Paul Tuthill spoke with Christina Maxwell, Director of Programs at the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts.

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Paul Tuthill

The record-setting tenure of Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno. The 2011 tornado and its recovery that remade the largest city in Western Massachusetts. The fallout from the deadly COVID outbreak at the Holyoke Soldiers Home. Those are just a few of the thousands and thousands of stories WAMC’s Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief Paul Tuthill has covered for WAMC in his nearly 17 years with the station.

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