PHOENIX (AZFamily)<\/b> \u2014 Long lines have been forming at food banks across the Valley.<\/p>\n
Two federal judges have ruled the Trump administration cannot suspend food assistance<\/a>, but millions of Americans could still face delays receiving their benefits. And that\u2019s already having a direct impact on Arizona families.<\/p>\n Even though the courts ruled that SNAP benefits can\u2019t be cut, money has yet to hit people\u2019s EBT cards. Many aren\u2019t sure when or how much will be released, sending food pantries into overdrive.<\/p>\n Saturday, amid the government shutdown, SNAP benefits were defunded, leaving almost a million Arizonans without the food they were expecting through government assistance. That led to long lines at food banks.<\/p>\n Danielle McMahon, COO with St. Vincent de Paul<\/a>, said they\u2019re seeing record-breaking numbers of families.<\/p>\n \u201cOur teams have been mobilizing and getting to work,\u201d McMahon said. \u201cWe know there\u2019s a lot of stress and anxiety right now not knowing what they are going to do.\u201d<\/p>\n At Mom\u2019s Pantry<\/a>, a similar scene of families scrambling. This week, two federal judges ruled the Trump administration cannot suspend food assistance, but on the first of the month, EBT cards were empty.<\/p>\n President Trump responded on social media, saying he has instructed government lawyers to ask courts how the administration could legally fund SNAP, saying, \u201cEven if we get immediate guidance, it will unfortunately be delayed.\u201d<\/p>\n So, in the meantime, pantries like these help fill the gaps left by the federal government. These food banks run entirely off donations, and they\u2019re asking, if you can, to donate your money, time, or resources to help feed these families.<\/p>\n See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it<\/a>.<\/p>\n