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Increase in SNAP benefits having impact on Pittsburgh food bank

PITTSBURGH — At the beginning of October, President Joe Biden announced a 25% increase in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits.

Staff at the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank say that’s contributing to a slight decrease in community need.

“They announced an increase across the board for SNAP benefits, so a family of four would normally max out at $680 a month. Now, a family of four can receive a max benefit of $835 a month,” said Brian Gulish, the food bank’s vice president of marketing and communications.

The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank currently serves around 300,000 meals a month, down from 340,000 at the peak of the pandemic, but up from 260,000 pre-pandemic.

On top of improved SNAP benefits, staff also believe a rebounding economy is playing a role in the declining need.

“The way we see it is, you see people getting back to work, the economy hopefully getting back to where it needs to be, so people are more self-supportive,” said Gulish.

Despite the current trend, the food bank still anticipates a busy few months ahead.

“For us, the need is still there,” said Gulish. “We’re going to see that need increase as we get into the holiday season, as we always do, pandemic or not.”

If you’d like to donate or volunteer, or if you need help from the food bank, CLICK HERE.