SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Several food pantries across the Ozarks are bracing for a surge in demand starting tomorrow, Saturday, Nov. 1, as federal funding for SNAP benefits is expected to run out.

At Community Outreach Ministries in Bolivar, director Micah Titterington said his team has already started to see more families seeking help.

“Since the news about SNAP came out, we have started to see an uptick just this past week,” Titterington said. “We’ve had some new families that we’ve never seen before. Some families come in through the pantry that haven’t been back in a couple of years. And we anticipate that it’s just going to keep increasing as we move into November.”

Michele Dean with Christian Action Ministries in Branson said her organization is preparing for a similar surge.

“We’re wo

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