Gloucester resident urges recommitment to food‑system resiliency after SNAP withholding

Catherine Elkins, a Gloucester resident, used the meeting's public‑comment period on Nov. 17 to press the Carteret County Board of Commissioners to recommit to a January 2021 county resolution that supports food‑system resiliency.

Elkins told the board that during the recent federal shutdown SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) withholding affected "over 3,450 households"—"nearly 6,000 people"—and that recipients had been receiving an average of "$187 each month to buy staple foods." She said many recipients were children, students, people with disabilities, older adults and veterans and argued the county must strengthen its local food system to be ready for future interruptions.

"We ask you to recommit to your resolution," Elkins said, describing community efforts organized under the banner of Carteret Food and Health Council that included three well‑attended meetings to mobilize churches, food pantries, Meals on Wheels and volunteers. She warned the county's network would not be able to pick up the deficit if shipments to regional food banks were reduced or if programs such as WIC or school lunch were cut.

Elkins' figures and concerns were presented as public testimony; the board did not take a formal action on her request at the meeting. The transcript records Elkins' account and the board's acknowledgement but does not include a staff report or board directive in response during the same session.

Elkins referenced a county resolution adopted on Jan. 25, 2021, described in her remarks as "a Resolution in Support of the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners Presidential Initiative to promote food system resiliency," and asked that commissioners renew their commitment to the resolution's promises.