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The end of pandemic food assistance leaves millions vulnerable to insecurity

A woman who depends on California's SNAP benefits to help pay for food shops for groceries at a supermarket in Bellflower, Calif., on Monday, Feb. 13, 2023. (Allison Dinner/Here & Now)
A woman who depends on California's SNAP benefits to help pay for food shops for groceries at a supermarket in Bellflower, Calif., on Monday, Feb. 13, 2023. (Allison Dinner/Here & Now)

Millions of Americans got extra help paying for groceries during the pandemic through Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP. But starting this month, the extra pandemic benefits have ended and left households with anywhere between $95 and $250 less per month for groceries.

Here & Now‘s Peter O’Dowd speaks to Michael Flood, president and CEO of the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, to hear about what the loss in SNAP means for food assistance services. Then, we hear from Jeana Lee, a single mother in Reading, Pennsylvania, who’s now receiving more than $200 less for groceries starting this month.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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