The directors of the four largest food banks in Massachusetts are calling on Gov. Charlie Baker to develop an emergency backup plan if the federal government shut down continues into February.
Funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, could be in peril.
Baker said Monday his administration is looking into offering unemployment benefits to federal employees and contractors who are not being paid because of the government shutdown. He said another top concern is to make sure people receiving SNAP benefits are not left without help.
WAMC’s Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief Paul Tuthill spoke with Andrew Morehouse, director of the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts.