State’s ‘rainy day’ funds stay nice and dry during food emergency Dana Hess

Maybe there are lessons to be learned from the federal government shutdown. One of those lessons might be the way the sudden lack of federal funding shines a light on the hidden problems of society that we don’t think about or don’t want to think about. One of those problems is hunger.

As the shutdown progressed, the deadline approached for funding to run out for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The federal SNAP program offers food assistance to 42 million low-income Americans. In South Dakota, it provides food assistance to 75,000 citizens.

That 75,000 number may be hard to quantify. Think of it this way: The combined populations of three of South Dakota’s largest communities totals about 75,000. If you live in Brookings, Aberdeen or Watertown, take a look around at yo