LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The USDA announced this week that no federal food aid benefits will go out on Nov. 1.
Although the state cannot legally use state dollars to continue funding the program, the Governor's Office announced Monday that Gov. Joe Lombardo has directed several departments to implement the Food Insecurity Plan.
The plan will provide supplemental resources for those who receive SNAP benefits as the shutdown continues.
The state will fund the plan with state dollars through the IFC contingency fund and emergency work programs totaling more than $38 million. The Governor's Finance Office has requested a $30 million allocation to fund the plan from the IFC.
In the meantime, we know that many of you may be worried about where you can turn should you need assistance.
WATCH | Anyssa Bohanan spoke to the head of a local nonprofit about the resources they're offering to those in need:
Local nonprofit Project REAL has rolled out a pocket-sized guide designed to help young adults in Southern Nevada navigate social services.
While the guide is geared more toward younger Nevadans, executive director Mike Kamer says that right now it would be useful to everyone.
"I was on food stamps when I was in university, and it helped me. I did not feel comfortable or really even know how to access food banks or a food pantry," Kamer said. "Normalizing those additional steps, saying 'Hey, if you don't have this resource,' or 'In addition to this resource,' and saying, 'Not only is this ok, we want you to go and do this for yourself.' That's what the guide is."
You can find a full list of where you can pick up a physical copy of the guide and the digital version of the guide online here.
And if you've been affected by the government shutdown and are looking for additional resources, you can find a list of those on our website here.