Stacks of boxes containing food at the Community Partnership, Inc. Butler County Food Bank await distribution in the Butler area at the food bank warehouse in Butler on Wednesday. Cary Shaffer/Butler Eagle

With the impending elimination of additional Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, we were interested to learn about those preparing for the influx of requests at local food banks on Thursday.

SNAP benefits ensured recipients received a minimum of $95 in additional food assistance during the pandemic. The last emergency allotment will be this month, according to the state Department of Human Services.

The department encouraged those struggling past March to contact their local food bank to supplement their household food supply.

While Butler food banks and community meals providers already have seen an increase in requests, they are confident they will be able to continue their programs when the SNAP emergency allotment ends.

“We will do everything we can to make sure that someone who is hungry eats in Butler County,” said Sandy Curry, executive director at Community Partnership, which oversees the Butler County Food Bank.

With the news of the Salvation Army’s fundraising goal getting closer to being met still fresh in our minds, it’s a good time to keep the ball rolling in the spirit of coming together.

We can aid those in charge of food distribution in making sure the shelves are never bare. It’s comforting to see the confidence they already have in their supplies, but it’s still safer to prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

We’ve displayed an amazing ability to help those in our community, proving time and again that a little from many can go a long way.

We encourage everyone who is able to donate to the food banks and make sure those who need support receive it, and we commend those involved in managing the food banks on their efforts in the coming days and beyond.

— CM