SNAP benefits

Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sid Edwards said his team organized with about 15 restaurants in an attempt to make sure no one goes hungry during the government shutdown.

The constant back-and-forth with SNAP funds has left many worried that they won’t have enough food to eat. Now, various governmental and charitable organizations, like the East Baton Rouge Council on Aging, are stepping up to meet the need.

Louisiana is one of several states asking the Trump administration to make changes to its food stamp program.

The 80-year-old bill requires updates from Congress every five years to account for inflation and shifting welfare and agricultural policies. While some conservative circles argue the subsidies distort free markets, the omnibus bill has traditionally enjoyed broad bipartisan support. Urban and rural constituencies depend on its programs, while policymakers view a stable food source as imperative to national security.

The DOJ and USDA said using a SNAP recipient’s information to distribute JXN Water’s roughly $30 discount to low-income customers would violate privacy.

With the COVID-19 public health emergency over, Diaper Bank of the Delta is trying to fill in the gap and connect struggling families to more resources.

Updates to SNAP, TANF and the Child Tax Credit have helped families in the Gulf South, but not everyone has been able to access the improved benefits.

Experts hail increases to federal funding for low-income families — like the Child Tax Credit and increases in SNAP benefits — as historic. But did they leave recipients better off?

Experts say the 25% increase will make huge strides in combating hunger, especially in The South. Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi will get an additional $950 million from SNAP estimated for this next fiscal year.

Department of Children and Family Services Secretary Marketa Walters says the state’s food stamp program is at risk if a $13 million funding gap isn’t…