The ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill’ could put more stress on an already strained food bank system

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – The “One Big Beautiful Bill” recently passed a Senate vote Tuesday and now heads back to the House for another vote on amendments made to the bill.

Many across the country are concerned this bill could affect some of the most vulnerable members of our community. One concern is how it affects SNAP benefits and organizations that provide food to those who need it.

One organization says it could add great stress to their efforts.

“It’s hard from a not only like a financial standpoint because that’s more, you know, more deliveries, more more trucking, etc. but also from a food standpoint, because, you know, we’ve had we’ve seen a decrease in our, our TIF app, which is the emergency Food assistance program through through the federal government. And so, at the same time, we’re seeing some of our food stock go down, so when we’re having an increase in demand, you know, there’s not the food that, that is there,” said Charles Dennis, the executive director of Feeding America, Kentucky’s Heartland.

Dennis says that the average SNAP recipient does not rely on the benefits for more than just a few months and that misconceptions about the benefits can be hurtful to those who need the benefits the most when life gets hard.

“Usually most people are only on the program less than six months. And so I think there’s this misconception that it’s just, you know, there’s the phrase it’s it’s become a hammock, not a safety net. That’s just not what we see. And so, I, that’s what I would hope they would understand, is that there’s so much that we do and there’s so many people that we help that just, just have that, you know, that tough time that tough stretch. And, you know, I’ve said this before, the beauty of our work is that we give people a break when life isn’t giving them a break. ” Dennis said.

Dennis says the community can play a huge role when it comes to helping those who rely on these benefits. Donating money, time, food and even your voice can make a huge difference in helping those who need it most.

“So for every dollar donated to Feeding America, Kentucky’s heartland, we can acquire food to provide eight meals,” Dennis added.

If you would like to donate you time, money, food or voice, you can click here to learn how to get involved.