Clermont County Department of Job and Family Services Director Dorothy (Dottie) Meyer told the Board of County Commissioners on Oct. 29 that October SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits were issued but funds for November had been depleted amid a federal government shutdown.

"We received notice that the November benefits that are due to be loaded on November 1 are not going to be loaded," Meyer said, noting the Department of Agriculture funds benefits and that administrative processing is handled by local staff.

Why it matters: Meyer said about 14,000–15,000 recipients in Clermont County will be affected — roughly 8,700 adults and 6,200 children — and the absence of benefit loads would remove about $2.7 million per month from the local economy. County leaders and agency staff described outreach and mitigation steps to reduce immediate harm and help residents find alternatives.

What the county is doing: Meyer said county public assistance offices remain open and will keep processing applications and recertifications so that, when federal funding resumes, there will be no break in eligibility for newly approved households. "We will continue to process applications. We will continue to take recertifications," she said. Staff have posted frequently asked questions and resources on the Clermont County website and are counseling recipients to conserve existing funds on their electronic SNAP cards.

Paige Sheridan, program administrator for OhioMeansJobs working with public assistance, said the county will run reports showing how many November approvals were processed so officials can quantify the backlog when funds resume. "If we approve you for $298, we'll be able to run a report and see how much money we should have given out in November," Sheridan said.

Resource coordination and donations: Officials urged residents to contact 2-1-1 for help finding immediate resources and said the county will accept food donations at the Department of Job and Family Services/OMJ site at 2400 Clermont Center Drive (Bauer Road) for triage and distribution to local pantries. Pam Haricos, director of Clermont County Emergency Management Agency, said the county will work with social-service and faith-based partners to ensure donated items reach agencies that can use them and to provide lists of acceptable contributions (nonperishable, pull-tab cans, boxed milk, canned chicken, shelf-stable protein and utensils where needed).

Guidance to residents: Meyer advised families that any SNAP funds already loaded on a recipient's EBT card remain available and will not be taken back. "The funds that are on the cards now that have not been spent, you can still spend them. They are the clients' to spend," she said. Staff recommended conserving existing balances where possible and encouraged anyone who has not previously applied to submit applications now so households are in the queue when funding resumes.

Local impact and next steps: Meyer and other staff said the county does not control federal funding decisions and cannot predict how long the interruption will last. County staff will continue to coordinate food drives, update the county website with local pantry listings and provide a central donation point if the commissioners approve. Officials urged residents affected by the interruption to contact their state and federal representatives and to use 2-1-1 or the county call lines for assistance.

Sources and evidence: Remarks and data were provided directly by Dorothy Meyer and Job and Family Services staff during the Oct. 29 meeting of the Board of County Commissioners. The county cited roughly 14,000–15,000 SNAP recipients and an estimated $2.7 million monthly SNAP spending figure for Clermont County.