Port Huron City Manager James Freed has announced an emergency response initiative to address the impact of SNAP cuts set to begin on November 1st as a result of the federal government shutdown.
Freed says that a coalition of private donors, community partners and nonprofit organizations have partnered with the city to assist Port Huron families impacted by the cuts. An initial deployment of five semi-trucks, each loaded with about 44,000 pounds of food–enough to feed between 300 and 500 families–will be distributed to residents across the Port Huron area beginning on Monday. The first truck is set to arrive at 9:00 a.m. at the Port Huron YMCA on Monday. Additionally, Freed says 5,000 meals valued at $15,000 have been fully funded to offer immediate assistance to area families in need. In St. Clair County, over 8,000 households and 22,000 residents are projected to lose SNAP benefits in the coming weeks.
