Wake County fights to keep SNAP running amid ongoing government shutdown
AND POINTS WESTWARD, A BIGGER
COLD COLD SNAP IS ON THE WAY.
I'LL HIGHLIGHT THAT COMING UP
IN A FEW MINUTES. OK? THANK
YOU. MIKE. NEW TONIGHT, WAKE
COUNTY LEADERS TONIGHT ARE
WORKING TO KEEP FOOD ON THE
TABLE FOR TENS OF THOUSANDS
OF FAMILIES.
>> WHO RELY ON SNAP BENEFITS?
A FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERED THE
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TO USE
EMERGENCY FUNDS TO KEEP THIS
PROGRAM GOING WELL TONIGHT WHEN
THOSE EMERGENCY FUNDS WILL
ARRIVE IS ANYONE'S GUESS WRAL'S
ERIC MILLER JOINING US NOW LIVE
IN WAKE COUNTY. ERIC, WHY IS IT
TAKING SO LONG FOR THAT MONEY
TO BE DISPERSED?
>> ALINA OFFICIALS HERE IN WAKE
COUNTY ARE POINTING THE FINGER
BACK UP AT THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT. THEY SAY THEY'RE
WAITING NOT ONLY ON THE FUND'S
HERE, BUT GUIDANCE IS WELL FOR
HOW ALL OF THIS SHOULD BE
HANDLED. AND UNTIL THAT MONEY
IN GUIDANCE COMES DOWN, THERE
AREN'T A LOT OF OTHER OPTIONS
OTHER THAN TO WAIT.
>> AND A LOT OF CONDIMENT
INSIDE. SHE MICHELLE WILLIAMS
KITCHEN, INDIA COUNTS AND EMPTY
SHELVES. MY FREEZER. I THINK I
HAD LIGHT.
WE HAVE 2 PICKS AND ME THE
SINGLE MOM OF 3 DOING WHAT SHE
CAN TO STRETCH THIS PANTRY
WITHOUT HER LATEST SNAP
PAYMENT. THEY'RE LOOKING AT
ME AS A MOTHER. WHAT ARE YOU
GOING TO DO FOR US? MAMA, HOW
YOU DEFEAT IS AND SO AS WELL.
OKAY. I WANT TO PANIC MO, HOW
LONG THAT PANIC WILL LAST IS AN
OPEN QUESTION. MONDAY THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION CONFIRMS DO BE
USING EMERGENCY FUNDS TO
PROVIDE SNAP BENEFITS FOR THE
MONTH OF NOVEMBER.
>> AND 50% OF THE NORMAL RATE.
AND WHILE THAT MONEY MAY NOW
BE COMING, IT'S NOT CLEAR WHEN
IT WILL ARRIVE. THIS WON'T BE
A TYPICAL MONTH BECAUSE?
>> WOW.
>> THE FEDS HAVE SAID THEY WILL
MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PAYMENTS.
WE KNOW THAT THEY WERE WILL BE
SOME DELAYS HERE IN MONDAY'S
WAKE COUNTY BOARD OF
COMMISSIONERS MEETING STAFF
SAID THERE ARE NOW LEANING ON
PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS AND
SEARCHING FOR ANY SPARE FUNDS
THEY CAN FIND AND KEEP THE
80,000 WAKE COUNTY RESIDENTS
WHO DEPEND ON SNAP FED.
>> SO THE TIME THAT'S NOT GOING
TO PLACE 15 MILLION DOLLARS IN
SNAP BENEFITS. SOME OF THOSE
PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS WARNED
FEDERAL CUTS IN DELAYS PRESENTS
AND EXISTENTIAL THREAT. WE ARE
AT RISK OF LOSING COMMUNITY
ORGANIZATIONS.
>> HAVE SERVED THIS COMMUNITY
AND KEEPING RALLY IN WAKE
COUNTY.
>> STRONG FOR DECADES LIKE IT'S
AN ISSUE, WILLIAMS KITCHEN.
SHE SAYS LAWMAKERS NEED TO
FIGURE OUT HOW TO RESOLVE THEIR
DIFFERENCES, SAID KEEP SNAP
FUNDED.
>> WHILE SHE TRIES TO FIGURE
OUT HOW TO FILL THE SHELVES IN
THE WEEKS AHEAD. SO LIKE I SAY,
I'M I'M SPINNING MY BILL MONEY.
>> I'M SPENDING MY RIGHT,
LENNY, MY LIFE MONEY.
>> IN WILLIAM SAYS HER BUDGET
IS SO TIGHT DESPITE THE FACT
SHE'S GOT A JOB DOWN IN AMAZON
IN GARNER, SHE IS WAITING ON
THAT 50% OF THOSE STOPPED
BENEFITS MONEY TO ARRIVE.
BUT STILL, SHE SAYS JUGGLING
THAT EVEN AT THAT ONE IS GOING
TO BE VERY, VERY DIFFICULT FOR
HER. NOW, OFFICIALS HERE IN
WAKE COUNTY SAY THAT IF YOU
ARE TRYING TO FIND SOME WAY TO
GET FOOD TO HELP BRIDGE THE
GAP, THEY'VE GOT RESOURCES ON
THEIR WEBSITE. WE'VE GOT A LEAK
LINK AT THIS STORY ON WRAL DOT