Gov. Reynolds eliminates SNAP benefits as Iowans grow hungry

To the Editor,

   Did you see our governor on television last week at the Iowa Hunger Summit, almost weepy… “too many Iowans, especially children, don’t have consistent access to enough food.” (sniff, sniff)

   Really governor? Could it be that you eliminated the extra SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) food benefits our food pantries were getting in Iowa with your Coronavirus Declaration? Need we remind our state non-leader Reynolds that SNAP is a part of the U.S. Federal Government’s programs? Would that be on Joe Biden and the U.S. taxpayer dime? Part of responsible budgeting is to HELP the most vulnerable among us? Shocking.

   As a result, when one-third of Iowans aren’t earning enough to buy groceries for their families, they go to the food pantries only to find shortages there as well.

   Once again, the Biden Administration and ARPA funding comes to the rescue! Iowa is receiving $5 million dollars to help support the following food banks:

   • Food Bank of Iowa (Ottumwa – $560,207) remodel warehouse to support ADA accessibility, improve visitation and volunteer capacity. The organization will also complete a major capital project at their Des Moines operation.

   • Northeast Iowa Food Bank (Waterloo – $2 million) to make distribution and programming updates to add storage, expand the cooler/freezer section, update and certify the repacking area, and revamp the volunteer space.

   • River Bend Food Bank (Davenport – $607,342) plan to overcome food stemming from recent economic hardships in the area with upgrades to the warehouse. Reconfigure the space to more efficiently manage and distribute more food.

   • Table to Table (Iowa City – $1,832,451) plan to move entire basic needs food network operation to a new facility to be developed at the Iowa City Non-profit Campus. (Gov. Reynolds Announces Awards to Combat Food Insecurity at Hunger Summit | Governor Kim Reynolds (iowa.gov))

   Governor Kim Reynolds takes food AWAY from Iowans and then stands at a microphone and PRETENDS she feels so bad about it…and then acts as if she’s giving the $5 million to Iowa food banks instead of Joe Biden! She claims her agenda is to reduce hunger in Iowa. If she eliminates the Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service in her over-zealous “reducing Iowa government offices” we won’t even be able to get the money Joe Biden is sending our way.

   Gov. Reynolds, you best step out-of-line if some of the “competency testing” idea that’s being thrown around in at the U.S. Capitol ever surfaces. It will be hard for you to explain why President Biden is supplying food for the people of Iowa when you aren’t!

Cynthia Schneider

Monticello, Iowa