Iowa food pantries brace for food gaps when SNAP benefits end

AI-assisted summary

A government shutdown threatens to halt Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for millions of Americans.

Hundreds of thousands of Iowans who rely on SNAP are facing uncertainty about how they will afford food.

Iowa food banks warn they cannot fill the gap left by SNAP, as they are already serving record numbers of clients.

The last few days have been tough on Jill Bensley.

The 59-year-old Des Moines resident who relies on food assistance benefits was crushed by the weight of the news that she and hundreds of thousands of Iowans may go without money from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program starting Nov. 1 as the government shutdown continues. Bensley, who has disabilities and uses a wheelchair, said she and her friends depend on SNAP ea