Citizen Portal
Sign In

Meeker County HHS expands emergency assistance plan, coordinates food‑shelf drive amid risk of SNAP/MFIP interruption

5968153 · October 21, 2025

Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts

Subscribe
AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

Health and Human Services staff warned commissioners that federal SNAP and MFIP benefits could stop beginning Nov. 1 if a government shutdown continues. The board approved amending the county MFIP plan to expand emergency assistance uses of allocated state dollars and staff described coordination with UCAP, local food shelves and other partners.

Meeker County’s Health and Human Services director told the board the county is preparing for the possible interruption of SNAP and Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) benefit issuance starting Nov. 1 if a federal government shutdown persists.

Tina (Health and Human Services director) said her office has been planning steps to assist families and individuals who could be affected, including expanding the emergency‑assistance portion of the county’s MFIP budget for 2025. The amendment would allow the county to apply tools from its allocated state MFIP funds to assist residents impacted by a temporary stoppage in benefit issuance; county staff said they would notify the state (DCYF) of the amendment.

HHS staff and their community partners — including UCAP and the local food shelf — are coordinating to stock supplies and run a county‑wide food drive so food shelves have increased inventories if demand spikes. Tina said the food shelf director had placed a larger order (delivery expected the week after the meeting) and that local partners estimated they could manage increased demand for one to two weeks before reserves would be strained.

Tina emphasized that the county’s planning relies on grant and community resources and that no county levy funds have been committed for the immediate contingency actions discussed. The board approved a motion to amend the MFIP plan for 2025 to expand emergency assistance uses of those state‑allocated funds; the motion carried by voice vote.

Provenance: the HHS presentation and MFIP amendment discussion begin in the transcript at the HHS presentation and close with the motion and carrying of the amendment in the latter portion of the meeting.