PHOENIX (AZFamily)<\/b> \u2014 As the government starts to reopen, questions are still swirling around November SNAP payments.<\/p>\n
Organizations like Saint Vincent de Paul<\/a> (SVdP) said the uncertainty is leading families to their dining rooms.<\/p>\n Throughout the longest government shutdown in history<\/a>, SVdP Evening Meal Program Manager Cindy Bernardo said a lot of new families came through their doors and is expecting it to continue.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not only because of the SNAP benefits, but it\u2019s also because there just aren\u2019t any jobs out there, plus trying to buy a loaf of bread is really tough these days,\u201d Bernardo said. \u201c\u201cI think the not knowing is the toughest part.\u201d<\/p>\n Ahead of Thanksgiving, Bernardo said SVdP is gearing up to increase support by increasing food distributions and giving away extra food boxes.<\/p>\n After not receiving her November SNAP payment, Brook, a single mother of eight, said she has been bringing her family to SVdP\u2019s dining room every night.<\/p>\n \u201cEver since things have been going on with the government, I always had it, and finally they shut it off,\u201d Brook said. \u201cEspecially when your kids are asking you mom like why don\u2019t we have any food, you know, major stress.\u201d<\/p>\n Wanting to remain anonymous, Brook shared the uncertainty has been extremely stressful, especially right before Thanksgiving. She said it has forced her to make tough decisions for her and her family.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re having to come home and you\u2019re having to think, \u2018Well, what am I going to do? Am I going to pay a bill or feed my kids,\u2019\u201d she said. \u201cYou\u2019re constantly choosing, \u2018Yeah, I\u2019m going to feed my kid.\u2019 So bills are piling up.\u201d<\/p>\n As the government reopens, Brook is hoping for more food stamp stability moving forward. In the meantime, she said she\u2019s thankful for SVdP\u2019s dining room for filling her family\u2019s stomachs.<\/p>\n \u201cWe call in Vinny\u2019s because it\u2019s our little second home. Don\u2019t be ashamed that you need to ask for help. There\u2019s lots of places to go to like SVdP; they help tremendously,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n If you and your family need help getting food on the table, SVdP operates several dining rooms<\/a> across the Valley.<\/p>\n On Thanksgiving, SVdP will give away over 5,000 Thanksgiving dinners<\/a>.<\/p>\n See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it<\/a>.<\/p>\n