The St. Johns County Commissioners on Tuesday unanimously supported County Administrator Joy Andrews’s recommendation to appropriate $200,000 from the county’s emergency reserves to local food pantries through its Health and Human Services Department.
The commission also approved suspending water utility disconnections for non-payment through the end of November.
These actions come in response to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s announcement, made at President Trump’s direction, that it would not issue Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), or food stamp, benefits starting Nov. 1, despite a federal judge’s order to do so.
The $200,000 appropriation will enable food pantries to buy and distribute food to St. Johns residents experiencing food insecurity due to the federal shutdown. Funds will be administered through the Health and Human Services Department (HHS), in coordination with local nonprofits, to ensure broad community coverage.
Currently, no similar plans have been discussed by any local governments in neighboring Flagler County. Meanwhile, Flagler Broadcasting is holding its annual Food-A-Thon this Friday on its radio stations to raise $100,000 for the Grace Community Food Pantry. This initiative may allow local governments in Flagler County to avoid assuming broader financial responsibility for food assistance.
According to data from the Associated Press based on 2023 figures, about 7.4 percent of Flagler County households receive food stamps, compared to approximately 4.5 percent in St. Johns County.
“A lapse in these federal benefits may create a sudden and severe food insecurity for over 9,700 low-income residents in our community,” said Andrews. “The County has established a $20 million emergency reserve fund this fiscal year to respond to emergencies such as this. One of the priorities of our Strategic Plan is Community Well-Being, and this response to this emergency is an example of the County’s continued compassion towards those in need within our community.”
Andrews had sent a memo to commissioners earlier this week outlining the proposal. She introduced the recommendation at the very end of Tuesday’s five-and-a-half-hour commission meeting. The item was not on the official agenda. Since the appropriation exceeded $5,000, approval would have normally required prior agenda inclusion—unless the commission waived the rule.
The commission unanimously agreed to waive the rule and then unanimously approved the motion to appropriate the funds and suspend water disconnections until the end of November.
“We can always come back and revisit this. We have a meeting every two weeks,” Andrews added.
St. Johns County’s HHS continues to evaluate the capacity and needs of local food pantry organizations. According to a county release, plans to provide funds to local food pantries, nonprofits, and faith-based organizations to purchase and distribute food will be publicly announced as they are finalized.
While HHS will not be directly distributing food, the department will support community partners who provide these vital services to residents in need.
https://flaglerlive.com/st-johns-food-pantries/
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