Amid SNAP pause, emergency food distribution event set in Manatee County

BRADENTON, Fla. — The Food Bank of Manatee is hosting an emergency drive-thru food distribution event on Tuesday evening to help those affected by the pause in SNAP benefits.

Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee President Maribeth Phillips said they are prepared to have over 1,000 people come through the food distribution event.

It’s being held on Tuesday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Dream Church, located at 1920 53rd Ave. W. in Bradenton. The drive-thru style event is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Phillips says those who attend will leave with pre-bagged items designed to feed 30 people. Groceries include items for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, as well as fruits and vegetables.

Typically, the Food Bank of Manatee — which is run by Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee — distributes food directly to pantries and soup kitchens throughout Manatee County. The community-based organizations then hold weekly or monthly events to distribute groceries. A handful of the Food Bank of Manatee’s partners hold daily feedings, like the Mt. Carmel Community Center and Our Daily Bread.

On Tuesday, the Food Bank of Manatee is distributing directly to residents in need.

“Just like the crisis with COVID, we looked at this situation and said… this is another crisis and people are not going to have food,” Phillips said. “So we service over 95 pantries in Manatee County, but for this special distribution we wanted to get out there right away.”

The Trump administration now says they plan to partially fund SNAP benefits for the month of November after two judges issued rulings requiring the government program to keep running. Lawmakers are now tapping into an emergency fund that will cover about half of the normal cost of the SNAP benefits. It’s not clear how much people who rely on SNAP will receive or how quickly that funding will be available.

Phillips says her team is monitoring the situation and will put together a second emergency drive-thru food distribution if the need remains.

“We’re going to see how it goes with SNAP benefits and if anything changes this week. If nothing happens, we’ll be definitely having another mass distribution,” she said.

Phillips reported that Manatee County’s local food pantries have reported an up to 40% jump in requests for help obtaining food.