Arizonans step up to fill the SNAP-gap by donating food to CASS shelter

As uncertainties surrounding SNAP benefits continue amid the government shutdown, Arizonans are stepping up to fill the gap, donating money, food, and time to help people who are on the verge of losing, at least for now, access to new food assistance payments. FOX 10's Brian Webb reports.

PHOENIX - Arizonans are stepping up to fill the SNAP-gap by donating money, food, and time to help people on the verge of losing food stamps, including Sunnyslope area, which is home to many low-income residents.

Phoenix Councilmember Debra Stark put out the word on October 27 and the donations started pouring in.

By Oct. 31, several truckloads of food were delivered to the Vista Colina Family Shelter near 11th Avenue and Mountain View Road. Anything left over will go to Saint Mary's Food Bank.

"But everything that I’m seeing that’s going around, you know, on the news, and people are not gonna be getting their benefits, they're gonna be hungry.. and for me to help, it just warms my heart," said Angel, a food donor.

Another donor, Brian, added, "But I’m gonna give them all the soup that I wanna eat, and I’m gonna give everybody the nice like pancake mix that I just bought. I feel like people should have nice things."

"All residents.. so they're from different block watches, especially in District 3, in the Sunnyslope area.. Jon Jacobs, Moon Valley.. they all came to the call of action to just say how can we support our neighbors, our friends, our community," said an event attendee.

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"It absolutely helps, but secondly, we need to be advocating to our legislators to say if we want to reform SNAP [Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program] so be it, but we can’t do it overnight," said Nate Smith, who sees the need first hand as CEO of CASS [Central Arizona Shelter Services], which runs several shelters across the Valley.

"They are choosing between: will I save my money so that I can get myself into a unit and get out of the emergency shelter here, or am I going to now go buy food."