'These decisions are life or death': Topeka food bank talks impact of SNAP cuts

TOPEKA (KSNT) - A Topeka non-profit and food pantry is revealing how recent cuts to a federal nutrition program will have an impact on the local community.

Johnathan Sublet with SENT Topeka talked about how recent funding cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will impact the community. SNAP, which is operated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), helps families purchase food like fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy products and more.

"These decisions are life or death," Sublet said.

The food pantry with SENT Topeka serves 600 local families each month in nearly 40 different ZIP codes. One aftereffect of the cuts is the loss of a Shawnee County SNAP education meal prep class, which was forced to shut down.

"So many people think that because you come to a food bank, you’re depending on the system, you’re not trying to better your life," Sublet said.

Sublet said many people served by SENT don't have any health insurance. He said it is cheaper to teach them how to eat healthy rather than try to fix their health problems caused by a bad diet.

"These are not numbers on a sheet…these are not just classrooms on a list…these are lives of families," Sublet said.

Sublet said volunteers are already responding to help with the new gap in services in light of the federal funding losses. People can help by donating their time, money or health food from their backyard gardens if they have them.

You can sign up to volunteer with SENT by using this link. You can make donations to SENT by clicking here.

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