by April Rogers | FreeWire Magazine — Your News, Your Voice
COLUMBUS — With federal SNAP benefits still suspended during the government shutdown, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has announced a plan to deliver up to $25 million in emergency food assistance to families struggling to make ends meet.
The plan includes $7 million for Ohio’s network of food banks and up to $18 million in direct emergency relief benefits for more than 63,000 Ohio residents, including over 57,000 children, whose incomes fall at or below 50% of the federal poverty level.
Governor DeWine said he will soon sign an executive order directing the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) to distribute the funds. The measure is intended as a temporary relief effort while the federal program remains stalled.
“The easiest and best way to help Ohioans in need of food assistance is for U.S. Senate Democrats to end their filibuster of SNAP benefits and other critical federal programs,” DeWine said in a statement. “While this plan is no substitute for the federal relief that could be approved today, it will help put food on the table for families who need it most.”
State officials emphasized that this funding is a stop-gap measure, not a replacement for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which serves about 1.4 million Ohioans. Without federal action, many households could see delays or reductions in their monthly food benefits. The relief package will provide additional resources to local food banks while offering short-term assistance to some of the state’s most vulnerable families. It is designed to bridge the gap until Congress approves funding to restore the federal SNAP program.
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