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Warrenton nonprofit Agape asks aldermen for $5,000 in emergency aid as SNAP cuts increase demand
Summary
Michelle Berndt, executive director of Agape, told the Board of Aldermen that national SNAP reductions and delays have produced a surge in local need; she asked for $5,000 in emergency food funds and the board agreed to try to identify funds and report back by the next meeting.
Michelle Berndt, executive director of Agape, told the Board of Aldermen on Nov. 4 that national reductions and administrative delays in SNAP benefits have driven an unprecedented surge of clients to the local food provider.
"We have almost 3,000 families in Warren County that depend on SNAP every single month," Berndt said. She told the board that Agape typically feeds about 1,500 people in a normal month, and that client counts had risen to about 1,776 in September and 1,946 in October; early November tallies were still being compiled. Berndt said federal food shipments that typically supplement local supply were reduced and that Agape's incoming shipments recently contained roughly one-third of the normal volume.
Berndt asked the board for an emergency appropriation of $5,000 to purchase food for county residents through the holiday season. Board members discussed logistics and timing; the chair asked whether the city could find the $5,000 by the next meeting and members agreed to pursue funding and provide an update at the next session.
Board direction: The board asked staff to explore potential funding sources and to report back by the next meeting; no formal appropriation was recorded during this meeting.
