Clermont County food pantries report surge after SNAP pause; county coordinates emergency distribution

Clermont County pantry leaders told the Board of Commissioners on Nov. 3 that a pause in federal SNAP benefits has driven a marked increase in demand at local food pantries and prompted the county to coordinate emergency distribution efforts.

"Last week alone, we served 743 families," said Nicole Jaquez, senior director of strategic initiatives at IPM Food Pantry. "A typical week for us is about 450 to 500 families." Melissa Meyer, IPM's president and CEO, said pantries had hit capacity twice and were forced to turn people away even while making other arrangements to provide food.

County Director of Job and Family Services Dottie Meyer told commissioners the pause affects roughly 14,962 SNAP recipients in Clermont County and is estimated to remove about $2.7 million in local spending that normally flows to grocers and other retailers. She said the county and pantry leaders formed a collaborative group to assess needs and coordinate distribution while the federal funding situation remains unsettled.

Why it matters: SNAP reductions can translate quickly into…