Food pantries and food banks struggled to meet demand this Thanksgiving and officials are blaming the recent food stamp cuts, according to NBC News.
Earlier this month, recipients of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) saw a decrease in their benefits. a family of four received $36 less per month, after Congress let a 2009 funding program to expire.
"All of our food banks have really ratcheted up what they have had to serve," said Ross Fraser, media relations director at Feeding America.
The program includes 200 food banks, serving 61,000 food pantries across the nation. Feeding America has estimated that about 37 million Americans turn to food pantries each year.
According to NBC News, food pantries has seen an increase in need this year. This year people who would have never imagined going to a food pantry "need help more often because they have fewer food stamps," Fraser said.
Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia has seen a 40 percent increase in people seeking assistance compared with to last year. Marianne Smith Vargas, chief philanthropy officer at Foodbank said many customers are first timers.
"We are hearing story after story about how a family was just making ends meet on what they received in food stamps prior to the cut," Vargas said. "Now, even the smallest cut is forcing them to come to the Foodbank for help."
According to Executive Director Stephen Grimaldi said the pantry was able to provide for new people, but due to the recent cuts things may change in the future. In 2012, the U.S. government purchased $560 million worth of food for charities, but the amount was but to $495 million.
SNAP is currently serving more than 23 million households, or nearly 48 million people, according to the most recent government data through June. The USDA said the average monthly benefit is about $275 per household or about $1.40 per meal.
