PROVIDENCE – Gov. Daniel J. McKee on Tuesday declared a state of emergency with thousands of Rhode Island residents set to lose food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program on Nov. 1.
McKee said $6 million from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program will fund food assistance for 20,000 families and dependents. About 25% of what families normally receive on their EBT cards will be loaded on Nov. 1, with another 25% ready for Nov. 16 if needed.
McKee’s declaration comes days after the U.S. Department of Agriculture posted a notice on its website on Oct. 26 that said federal food aid will not go out on Nov. 1.
“President Trump’s failure to act is cruel and unacceptable,” McKee said. “I’m continuing to call on the president to use all available options to cover November benefits. But make no mistake, Rhode Island will not stand by and allow families to go hungry. We’re taking decisive action to protect food access wherever possible and strengthen our local food banks.”
The notice came after the Trump administration said it would not tap roughly $5 billion in contingency funds to keep SNAP benefits flowing into November. That program helps about 1 in 8 Americans buy groceries.
Attorney General Peter F. Neronha on Tuesday joined a coalition of 22 other attorneys general and three governors in a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture and its secretary, Brooke Rollins, for suspending the SNAP program.
Also on Tuesday, McKee announced the Rhode Island Community Food Bank will receive $200,000 in Social Services Block Grant funding. The Rhode Island Foundation is earmarking $1 million in emergency grants, including a matching $200,000 to the food bank, McKee said. The remaining $800,000 will be distributed to nonprofits directly by the foundation through its Community Partner Resilience Fund.
The Rhode Island AFL-CIO also donated $10,000 and assistance with food distribution, McKee said.
The public can also donate to the effort at:
rifoundation.org/food.
Fellow Democrat and gubernatorial candidate Helena Foulkes urged McKee on Monday to declare a state of emergency.
Families, children, and seniors across our state are going to go hungry,” Foulkes said in a statement.
In Rhode Island, SNAP delivers about $29 million each month in essential food assistance to approximately 145,000 residents, according to the governor's office.
