Copyright M Live Michigan
FLINT, MI -- Flint residents who receive SNAP benefits can visit City Hall now to pre-qualify for food box vouchers, which are expected to become available starting on Monday, Nov. 10. Mayor Sheldon Neeley provided the update on Thursday, Nov. 6, after announcing the supplemental food program last week in response to a pause in benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The city’s program, developed in partnership with the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan, will provide SNAP recipients with up to two vouchers this month, each redeemable for 30-pound food boxes. Times and dates for food pick-up -- at the Food Bank and the Christian Love Faith Center -- are still being finalized, the city said in a news release. Vouchers will be issued from City Hall, 1101 S. Saginaw St., to individuals who provide contact information, proof of residence, and proof of current SNAP eligibility. The first round of vouchers will be available from Nov. 10-14, according to the city, with a second round of distribution from Nov. 17-21. Vouchers expire on Dec. 1. Federal employees who live in the city and whose paychecks have been suspended are also eligible for the vouchers with proof of residency and federal employment, according to the city. Neeley has said one in three Flint residents relies on SNAP, which paused benefits on Saturday, Nov. 1. Two judges last week ordered the government to pay at least partial SNAP benefits this month using an emergency fund. In Michigan, partial benefits will start to flow again this weekend, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services. But some people will see cuts of more than 50% of their normal benefits, and some will receive no benefits in November. “When Washington stalls, Flint steps up,” Neeley said on Thursday. “This is about stability and standing together (with) people who are concerned about what’s happening to them and their families.” The mayor said the city has received roughly 600 calls from residents inquiring about the voucher program since it was announced. He has said $30,000 in opioid settlement and federal stimulus funds will be used to pay for the food box program.
