and food banks and pantries across the state stand to get a much needed boost.
The latest federal stimulus package earmarks $13 billion for food assistance, including a 15% increase in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits through June and additional money for food banks, as Americans continue to struggle to put food on the table. When money s tight, the grocery budget is often one of the first sacrifices that a family will make because it s one of the quickest or easiest ones to make, said Julie Cassidy, a senior policy analyst at the Michigan League for Public Policy.
In Michigan, a one-person household getting $204 in maximum monthly food stamp benefits can expect to receive $234, as part of the new stimulus. A two-person household getting $374 per month would be bumped up to $430, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
Maine food pantries scramble to keep up as need reaches new heights There is a desperate need out there, says the executive director of the Biddeford Food Pantry, which has seen a 25% increase in clients since this time last year.
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Phil Dube, center, works to organize the food before the recipients arrive and place their orders at the South Portland Food Cupboard on Thursday. Dube has been volunteering at the food pantry for several years.
Brianna Soukup/Staff Photographer
The number of Mainers struggling to feed their families and turning to food pantries for help is rising to new heights as coronavirus cases spike and the state faces its worst loss of jobs in any recession in 50 years.
The new year is bringing some optimism for the farm economy, thanks to multiple factors. Farm Bureau Chief Economist John Newton says one of those factors is trade with China, which could reach near record levels.
”Recently released data from the U.S. Census Bureau show that preliminary exports to China during November [are] nearly $5 billion. So, when you add that to the existing total, we’ve now sold about $22.5 billion to China. So, that’s significant progress and a step in the right direction. We’re unlikely to hit the Phase One targets, but we could be close to record exports to China this year.”
Beverly area volunteers opened a Free Store to help their neighbors with groceries; now it s serving 150 families a week chicagotribune.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from chicagotribune.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.