Legal battles over SNAP funding continue even as Congress takes steps to end the federal government shutdown, and food retailers in Pennsylvania are worried what will happen if SNAP payments are paused any longer.
The Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association is a networking and advocacy group for grocery stores, convenience stores, wholesale distributors and suppliers. Right now, the group is raising awareness for the more than 10,000 SNAP-certified grocers and food retailers across the state.
Alex Baloga, the president and CEO of PFMA, said he’s hopeful for the U.S. House to vote this week to end the government shutdown.
“If this doesn't come to a resolution soon, you definitely could see some lasting impacts there," Baloga said. "Like stores having to cut back on staff or having to cut back on what they're able to purchase or offer, or even potentially having trouble remaining open depending on how long it would continue.”
Baloga said the uncertainty of the moment makes it difficult to make staffing choices, know how much food to order, and how to communicate SNAP updates to customers. He said the impact is especially hard on small stores in rural communities.
“And then, of course, you have the holidays coming up and that's a really busy time," Baloga said. "And you know, you want to be prepared for that.”
Even if the government reopens this week, it’s not clear when SNAP payments will go through. And, Baloga said there could soon be new requirements for stores to be SNAP-certified, further compounding their holiday stress.
