-Information courtesy the Warren County Cooperative Extension Office

The recent federal government shutdown left federal employees, and people on government assistance (SNAP, EBT, etc.), vulnerable. Due to the shutdown, the food stamps that were meant for the month of February were issued in January. There was confusion, and many utilized the food stamps in the month of January while they had to last through February.

With this situation, and the possibility of another shutdown on the horizon, the marginalized and food insecure citizens of our community are particularly vulnerable. We can predict a high need of resources from the food pantry towards the end of February.

Every year, North Carolina A&T Cooperative Extension encourages its agents to host a food drive to celebrate Small Farms Week in March. While it is early, I believe that the need is more pertinent now, and the impact will be much greater if we began the food drive now.

If you are interested in making a donation, please bring it to the Warren County Cooperative Extension Office – 158 Rafters Ln, Warrenton, contact (252) 257-3640 or email wllandis@ncsu.edu.

Thank you! We look forward to your donations.

– William Landis, Extension Agent