Matthew Burnette, Staff Writer

A potential delay in SNAP benefits is set to impact about 10% of the population of Coffee County. 

As of Nov. 3, the state Department of Human Services has listed on its website that “because of the federal government shutdown, the Tennessee Department of Human Services cannot send out Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or food stamp benefits for November.”

Two Federal judges have ruled for the Trump Administration to use contingency funds for SNAP benefits. No matter how the rulings came down, the benefits for millions of people will be delayed in November because the process of loading cards can take a week or more in many states.

Though the month of November is the first to see SNAP benefits not being distributed, food insecurity is an issue that has already affected residents of Coffee and surrounding counties.

Manchester City Schools Family Resource Center Director BJ Sylvia said she is most concerned about grandparents who raise grandchildren and on a fixed budget.

 “They barely get by as is,” she said.  “I also am concerned about single parent homes where they are working but struggling to make ends meet.”

 Sylvia said that while some families who might abuse the system, a lot of those who receive SNAP benefits either have mental issues or are very low functioning making it hard to find jobs.

 “My heart is heavy. With that said,  I feel that our community resources are in full swing serving and supporting our families and all families for that matter,” she said.

 Hopefully programs like Second Harvest that supplies food pantries will be able to continue to serve through this difficult time.

Sylvia asks the community to donate shelf stable foods to community food pantries across our county through the winter months. All donors can drop off food items to Store House and Community Table.

At a recent food distribution on Thursday Oct. 30, the Storehouse Food Pantry served 397 families, a record number that equates to 1,222 people for the organization.

“Communities sometimes don’t realize that there is a food insecurity, especially like we have in Coffee County and surrounding areas,” explained Storehouse Volunteer Coordinator Laurie Campbell. “We still have phone calls from people in Winchester, Shelbyville and wherever asking if there’s any requirements to come here to get a food box. We always tell them there is not except for how many people are in the household.”

Storehouse as founded in 2018 after Community Resource Coordinator Staria Davison had a vision from God, one that didn’t include qualifiers.

“When God gave me the vision, he didn’t tell me to ask for social security numbers, how much they make or where they live,” she said. “That is our motto, and its mine. If there’s a scripture in the Bible then show it to me, and I’ll be glad to ask. But otherwise, we’re supposed to help one another in good times and in bad times.”

Davison says that they’ve already served people who were furloughed from government positions in their food line.

While the full effect that the SNAP freeze will have has yet to materialize, Campbell says that the effect of high prices has.

“If you have a card or don’t have a card, you still have those high prices when you go into the grocery store that people just can’t afford,” she explained. “Or even say a family of four, are you even going to have enough if you have that card to feed your family for a week or a month? You don’t have it because of the prices at the grocery store.”

Campbell noted that it’s almost weekly that they get phone calls or people that come through the drive through process at Storehouse that will say times are hard.

“Some will tell us their stories, but they’ll just say that times are hard and that times are going to get worse, and we see that mainly with the elderly because most of our clients that come through the line are over 65,” she said. “They’re already struggling because they’re on a fixed income whether they get SNAP or any kind of assistance. They’re still struggling.”

Both Davison and Campbell explained that combatting food insecurity in the community is a group effort that they work towards alongside other organizations like Canvas Community Church and Good Samaritan, among others.

Davison explained that it’s not a race.

“We don’t want to be up there and say ‘Oh, we served the most’ or whatever,” she said. “We want to serve who we are supposed to serve, and when they come through this line we want them to feel that we’re giving them what we got. We’re not giving you a food box for a week; we wish we could every single week, but his is kind of supplemental. When we have donations, we give it. We can’t say what we’re going to have next week.”

The organization accepts donations from individuals as well as local businesses.

Campbell says that she always encourages people who are cleaning out their pantries to consider donating to Storehouse, particularly staples like canned vegetables, macaroni and cheese and peanut butter.

With the growing number of individuals needing assistance, Campbell, Davison and the other members of the Storehouse crew who all work on a volunteer basis spend a lot of time on the phone trying to make contacts with businesses to donate or increase what they are already contributing.

One local partner, Save-A-Lot, has a seasonal purchase bag program where customers pay $6 for a bag of goods to be donated to Storehouse.

Campbell also said that they would welcome the donations of turkeys for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.

Storehouse distributes their food on Thursdays from 10 until 12 at the food pantry located on Hickerson Street next to the Walgreens, but Davison and Campbell say they try to be available as possible by phone for anybody wanting to donate or needing assistance.

“Call us if you need us, and if we don’t have the resource, we’ll try to direct you to someone that can help you,” said Campbell. “We only do food. We don’t do rent assistance or help with utilities or anything like that, but we have a resource sheet of where you can go.”

Another one of Storehouse’s partners in the community is the Coffee County School System’s Family Resource Center led by Carrie Davis. The center receives referrals for students and families with specific needs that they then work to provide.

Davis explained that the delay of SNAP benefits may affect the county considerably.

“It has the potential to have a massive impact since there is insecurity already existing,” said Davis. “I think that our community is very generous and I’m very blessed to work in partnership with people like the Storehouse and Canvas Community Church and the Good Samaritan, so hopefully we can all work together and help meet these needs during the shutdown.”

Davis says that the Family Resource Center is always prepared and ready whenever referrals come into her office of students and families who are in need.

The FRC works off of monetary donations and sponsorships from the community that are invested 100% into the lives of students and families.

“The monetary donations and sponsorships from the community allow the FRC to immediately meet the basic needs and effectively combat barriers that hinder students in order to maximize their potential learning capacity,” said Davis. “It aims to improve attendance and academic performance in addition to assisting students in need the ability to thrive. It impacts each facet of their life from their physical wellbeing to their mental, emotional and social welfare.”

The center oversees programs that help provide school supplies, clothing, warm coats, shoes, food, glasses and hygiene products for students and families. It also facilitates a Weekend Food Backpack Program and helps connect families with emergency assistance.

Even though times are tough for many in the community, Davis says she believes that those who are able to help are more than willing to do so.

“We are in an era where the word uncertainty constantly comes to mind,” said Davis. “One thing that is certain is that our extraordinary community comes together for those in need despite the hardships we face individually and collectively. We are resilient and constantly have each other’s back. The ability to immediately meet referrals could not be achieved without the generous financial support of our extraordinary community.”

For information on the Family Resource Center, call central office at 931-723-5150 and ask for Davis or email her directly at daviscarrie@k12coffee.net.

Monetary donations can be mailed to: Coffee County Board of Education, C/O Family Resource Center, 1343 McArthur Street. Checks can be made payable to: Coffee County Schools: Memo: Family Resource Center.

To contact Storehouse to donate or if you are in need of assistance, call 931-409-6040.