LIFE LINE CAN BE REACHED BY
CALLING 988.
IN OTHER STATE NEWS, FEBRUARY
WILL BE THE LAST MONTH THAT
PEOPLE IN WISCONSIN WILL RECEIVE
EXPANDED FOODSHARE BENEFITS
UNDER A FEDERAL PROGRAM THAT
BEGAN DURING THE PANDEMIC.
SOME 400,000 HOUSEHOLDS IN THE
STATE STRUGGLE TO AFFORD FOOD
AND RECEIVE FOODSHARE.
UNDER THE FORMULA FOR
INCOME-ELIGIBLE PARTICIPANTS, A
HOUSEHOLD OF ONE PERSON, FOR
EXAMPLE, RECEIVES $281 PER MONTH
IN REGULAR FOODSHARE BENEFITS
PLUS THE EXTRA $95, UNTIL THAT
EXTRA AMOUNT ENDS MARCH 1ST.
THE FEED MY PEOPLE FOOD BANK IN
EAU CLAIRE HAS ALREADY SEEN
INCREASED DEMAND, WITH 2 1/2
TIMES THE NUMBER OF CARS COMING
TO A POP-UP DISTRIBUTION SITE
AFTER FAMILIES WERE NOTIFIED
THAT THE EXTRA BENEFITS ARE
ENDING.
WE GO NOW TO THEIR EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR, SUZANNE BECKER, FOR
MORE.
AND THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING
HERE.
>> I'M HAPPY TO BE HERE.
>> SO IN ADDITION TO PEOPLE
TRYING TO PREPARE FOR THE END OF
THIS EXTRA BENEFIT, DESCRIBE HOW
BUSY YOU'VE BEEN OVER THE PAST
SEVERAL YEARS.
>> I CAN TELL YOU THAT RIGHT NOW
AS WE'RE SPEAKING, WE HAVE --
WE'RE DOING A DISTRIBUTION AND
WE HAVE A LINE LONGER THAN WE
HAVE SEEN SINCE THE HEART OF THE
PANDEMIC.
A LOT OF FOLKS -- AND WE'VE
TALKED TO A LOT OF THESE FOLKS
AND THEY'RE CONCERNED, THEY'RE
AFRAID.
THE HIGHER FOODSHARE BENEFITS
HAVE BEEN A GAME CHANGER FOR
MANY PEOPLE, NOT ONLY THROUGH
THE PANDEMIC BUT ALSO THROUGH
INFLATION AND THE HIGH COST OF
LIVING RIGHT NOW, SO THIS IS
GOING TO BE VERY DIFFICULT, VERY
DIFFICULT TO MANY.
>> AND YET THAT EXPANDED BENEFIT
IS JUST A MAX OF $95, BUT STILL
YOU SAY A GAME CHANGER?
>> OH, YEAH.
YES.
IT HAS BEEN.
AND WE KNOW THAT, THAT SENIORS
AND FAMILIES, WORKING FAMILIES,
IT'S JUST BEEN WHAT THEY NEEDED
TO KEEP PAYING THE BILLS, TO
KEEP PROVIDING FOR THEIR
FAMILIES, AND THIS IS GOING TO
BE DIFFICULT.
>> BECAUSE WHAT KIND OF STRAIN
HAVE PRICES OF FOOD PUT ON YOUR
FOOD BANK?
>> YEAH, VERY TRUE.
YOU KNOW, THE FOOD SUPPLY, WHEN
YOU DON'T SEE FOOD ON YOUR
GROCERY SHELVES, IT'S CERTAINLY
NOT HITTING THE FOOD BANK.
SO WHAT IT'S CAUSED IS FOOD
BANKS ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO
SPEND A LOT MORE MONEY ON
PURCHASING FOOD TO MAKE SURE
THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH AS OPPOSED
TO THE DONATED FOOD.
AND OF COURSE THAT COSTS A LOT
OF MONEY.
AND THEN WHEN WE SEE HIGHER
COSTS, AND OF COURSE HIGHER GAS
PRICES AFFECT OUR TRUCKS, HIGHER
UTILITY COSTS, ALL OF THAT
AFFECTS THE FOOD BANK AS WELL,
BUT YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO DO
WHATEVER WE CAN TO FILL THE GAP
FOR FOLKS.
>> HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO KIND OF
KEEP PACE WITH THE DEMAND, WITH
ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT YOU
WERE JUST DESCRIBING?
>> WE HAVE.
WE HAVE.
YOU KNOW, WE WORK -- WE'RE STILL
FEEDING AMERICA, AND OUR
COMMUNITY STEPS UP AND THEY HAVE
DONE, YOU KNOW, TREMENDOUS
THINGS.
WE JUST HAVE TO DO WHAT WE CAN.
WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO DO IT
AND, YOU KNOW, WE JUST HOPE THAT
FOLKS WILL COME FOR HELP.
WE KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF
PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO HAVE NOT
HAD TO DO THIS BEFORE, COME TO
OUR DISTRIBUTION, OR COME TO A
DISTRIBUTION IN THEIR COMMUNITY,
AND WE REALLY HOPE, WE REALLY
ENCOURAGE THAT ANYBODY LISTENING
WILL ENCOURAGE THAT THEY DO
THAT.
THERE IS HELP THERE.
WE WILL DO WHAT IT TAKES UNTIL
THIS -- UNTIL THIS -- YOU KNOW,
UNTIL WE'RE ABLE TO COME BACK TO
A PLACE THAT FOLKS CAN DO WHAT
THEY CAN DO.
>> SO WE KNOW THAT PEOPLE ARE
KIND OF TRYING TO PREPARE FOR
THE END OF THAT EXTRA BENEFIT,
BUT WHAT HAVE FOLKS SAID TO YOU
ABOUT HOW THEY WILL WEATHER LESS
OF A FOOD BUDGET COME MARCH?
>> WE DID A SURVEY NOT THAT LONG
AGO, AND IT WAS BASED AROUND
INFLATION BUT IT'S THE SAME TYPE
OF THING, AND THERE WAS A LOT OF
DISCUSSION OF, YOU KNOW, WE'RE
KEEPING OUR EAT VERY, -- KEEPIT
VERY, VERY LOW, THAT PARENTS ARE
GOING WITHOUT SO THEIR KIDS CAN
HAVE WHAT THEY NEED.
WE'RE WORRIED ABOUT SENIORS.
SENIORS IS AN AREA OF FOLKS THAT
STRUGGLE TO GET TO A FOOD
PANTRY, STRUGGLE TO GET OUT
BECAUSE OF TRANSPORTATION, AND
ALSO THERE'S SUCH A PRIDE FACTOR
WITH SENIORS THAT WE FEEL LIKE
WE REALLY NEED TO BE PROACTIVE
IN TRYING TO REACH THEM.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF WAYS THAT
PEOPLE WILL, YOU KNOW, FIGURE IT
OUT.
IT JUST NOT -- YOU KNOW, IT
TRICKLES DOWN TO OUR KIDS.
I HAD A MOM TELL ME THAT THEY
WERE DOING EVERYTHING THEY COULD
TO HIDE IT FROM THEIR KIDS
BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T WANT THEIR
KIDS TO UNDERSTAND THAT THEY
WERE STRUGGLING, AND AS A MOM OF
2, THAT JUST HURTS MY HEART.
WE NEED TO -- WE NEED TO PROVIDE
THE SUPPORT THAT THEY NEED.
>> IN TERMS OF HELPING SENIORS
WHO MIGHT EVEN BE HOME-BOUND,
ARE THERE EXTRA STEPS BEING
TAKEN THERE?
>> WE DO WORK WITH
MEALS-ON-WHEELS, AND WE PROVIDE
SUPPLEMENTAL FOOD BAGS TO THEM,
AND THOSE ARE MEANT TO BE
SUPPLEMENTAL, JUST SO THEY HAVE
MORE, AND ALSO, YOU KNOW,
BECAUSE WE LIVE IN WISCONSIN AND
THERE'S WINTER, AND SO WHEN
MEALS-ON-WHEELS CAN'T DELIVER,
THAT PROVIDES FOOD FOR THEM.
WE HAVE JUST DONE A DISTRIBUTION
AND WE HOPE TO DO ANOTHER ONE
SOON.
WONDERFUL TO BE ABLE TO WORK
WITH MEALS-ON-WHEELS, WHO CAN
ALREADY IDENTIFY WHO THOSE FOLKS
ARE.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
WELL, SUZANNE BECKER, THANK YOU
FOR YOUR WORK.