Columbus, Franklin County team up to help SNAP recipients

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- People have been without their SNAP benefits for more than a week, making it harder for them to get basic food.

Because of the government shutdown, many families in central Ohio are trying to feed multiple people without the benefits they typically receive. For families with children, that burden may be even greater.

“Starting as a kid, it really affects your ability to grow and thrive,” Columbus Public Health Commissioner Dr. Mysheika Roberts said. “How can you pay attention in the classroom if you're hungry and if your stomach is growling?”

Roberts, the City of Columbus, and the Franklin County Public Health Department have teamed up for pop-up food distribution events for SNAP recipients. At Monday’s event in Linden, many parents and their children came through to pick up food.

“Food is fuel,” Roberts said. “It helps us. It nourishes our body. It nourishes our blood and things. All that good stuff that we need. It's the fuel we need to keep our bodies moving.”

SNAP recipients at the pop-up event took home enough non-perishable food items, produce and frozen meals for four people.

Events like these are helping single mom Briance McGee keep her five kids fed without her SNAP benefits.

“They didn’t ask to be in this world, but they’re here, so I got to provide for them,” McGee said.

She said she has been making sure her kids get all the nutrients they need, even without SNAP assistance.

“We eat a lot of fruits and vegetables,” McGee said. “We’re not pork eaters, so we eat turkey and sometimes a little bit of chicken, but mostly fruits and vegetables.”

Roberts said these are exactly the foods children should be eating. That’s why people attending the food distributions are supplied with proteins, carbohydrates, fruits and veggies.

Roberts said the most important thing parents can do for their children is keep them hydrated.

“Well first of all, they want to make sure they're hydrated, and you can do that with water; you don't have to have juice,” Roberts said.

Even though SNAP benefits are paused, WIC has not been affected by the government shutdown and is still accessible.

The City of Columbus and Franklin County Public Health had one more food distribution pop-up event scheduled, set for Wednesday from 2-6 p.m. at the Far East Recreation Center. It is open for SNAP recipients only.