By Paul Tuthill
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Springfield, MA – The failure of the so-called super committee in Congress to strike a deal to reduce the federal government's debt was greeted with a sigh of relief at one of the larger social service agencies in western Massachusetts.. WAMC's Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief Paul Tuthill reports.
Federal nutrition programs, including SNAP benefits..what used to be known as food stamps..are among a handful of domestic programs exempt from the across the board spending cuts that are to be triggered beginning in 2013 by the super committee's failure to strike a deal. Andrew Morehouse, executive director of the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts says there was concern the super committee might make deep cuts.
With the economy still struggling and unemployment high, Morehouse says the food bank saw an increase in demand this year at the pantries and meal sites it services throughout western Massachusetts.
Massachusetts Congressman Richard Neal showed his support for nutrition programs with a visit Tuesday to a food distribution site. A senior center at a Springfield apartment complex where , once a month, elderly people on a fixed income are given a brown bag of groceries. The food, which includes canned vegetables, tuna, peanut butter, cereal, pasta and rice come from a USDA program.
The food bank says more than six thousand low income elders through out western Massachusetts receive the free groceries every month. About 2000 people in Springfield participate, according to Janet Rodriguez Denny, the city's Director of Elder Affairs.
Naomi Marin, who volunteers for the monthly food distribution at the senior center at the Riverview Apartments in Springfield said many of the elderly need to visit more than one food pantry, or free meal site a month..
The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts says more than 112 thousand people receive food assistance . 12 percent of these people are seniors. The food bank says ten percent of its funding comes from the government, 50 percent is from local donations. Congressman Neal said he donated 500 dollars from his campaign fund to the food bank.