LEON COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) — About 700,000 Americans could soon lose their food stamp benefits under a new rule at the federal level.
The Trump administration says the change will get more people working. But it could put a strain on organizations trying to keep families fed already.
ABC 27's Channing Frampton went to the Leon County Sheriff's Office Wednesday where they handed out tons of food.
Seven tons to be exact! People lined up before dawn to make sure they could take some food home to feed their families.
The change to the SNAP benefits program would make adults who are able to work get a job and work at least 20 hours a week in order to keep getting help with food. it would not apply to children and their parents, the elderly, disabled people or pregnant women.
We asked the Leon county sheriff show this could affect efforts to feed people locally.
"I'm not sure, exactly, where the federal government is going, but as long as there are opportunities for us to partner with Farm Share and our community partners, we're going to continue to try and make this happen so we can have interventions in the gaps in food distress where we find those," said Leon County Sheriff Walt McNeil.
Leon County is ranked 3rd in the hungriest counties in the state of Florida. The change to the SNAP program is expected to start April 1 of this year.
According to the Farm Share website, they've got another event scheduled for Rosedale Community Church in Chattahoochee. That starts this Saturday morning at 9 a.m.
