MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, FLA. (WSVN) - Federal workers in South Florida are growing increasingly concerned on how they will continue to feed their families as SNAP benefits are expected to expire on Saturday as the government shutdown reaches one month.
“I haven’t had any income now, this will be my second missed check, so I’m definitely tightening up and if there’s free assistance, I’m going to take it,” said Stephen Dotoratos.
Dotoratos was one of the federal workers lining up early at the United Way in Fort Lauderdale waiting to receive supplies, including canned food and prepared meals.
He said the ongoing shutdown has been tough for his family.
“I’ve been off work for, is it 30 days now? So 30 days, just sitting at the edge of my seat at home, waiting, watching the news and hoping that I hear a resolution soon so I can go back to work,” he said.
Dotoratos is joined by millions of other federal workers across the country stuck in limbo, waiting for an end to the shutdown or working without pay.
On top of the layoffs, many Americans are now facing the increasing likelihood of those SNAP benefits not being funded for November, making it even harder for many families to buy groceries. Federal data reveals one in eight Americans rely on these benefits.
The United Way of Broward County has stepped up to meet those demands, supporting as many of these families as they can.
“A lot of families here in Broward County will be impacted for not being able to access basic meals for their children and part of this is to address those needs,” said United Way’s Maria Hernandez. “So we feel the need to do this every week.”
Overall, the federal government spends about $6 billion on SNAP benefits but has said that money will be reserved for emergencies, such as natural disasters.
In Broward County, 13% of residents receive SNAP benefits, with another 26% receiving those benefits in Miami-Dade County.
“Most Americans are only one or two paychecks away from a crisis,” said Sarah Katzenstein, the director of communications for Jewish Community Services of South Florida
At Miami International Airport, Transportation Security Administration and Customs and Border Patrol workers were also lined up to receive supplies from several nonprofit organizations offering meals, including The Salvation Army and Global Empowerment Mission.
The Jewish Community Services also distributed an additional 800 gas gift cards worth $20 to help those workers as they continue to wait to see what happens next with the federal government.
“We really deserve that everyone needs to have food on the table, gas in their cars and the ability to help their families even when they’re working without receiving pay,” said Katzenstein.
On Thursday, a federal judge suggested the Trump administration should partially fund SNAP benefits across the country as part of a ruling in a lawsuit attempting to keep the program operating.
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