(Kimberly Paynter/WHYY)įood pantries in and around Lower Merion say they are straining under the community’s growing need for basic necessities.īack in April, Moffat pleaded with Lower Merion Township Supervisors for financial support during a public meeting. The administration rolled back supplemental SNAP payments, a pandemic-era policy, cutting individuals’ benefits by an average of $181 a month in Pennsylvania.įresh produce is the most requested item at the Narberth Community Food Bank. The federal government’s sweeping cuts to SNAP benefits in March intensified the existing financial strain, according to those working in the safety net services, like Moffat. Narberth Community Food Bank staff and volunteers get ready for a bonus day, where walk-ins can come pick items they may need on June 27, 2023. The number of Lower Merion School District students receiving free and reduced lunch has also risen, from 9.36% in the 2016 – 2017 school year, to 13% “post quarantine,” the survey said. Of that number, 50.91% said they had “a hard time making ends meet.” Residents reported food insecurity as the fifth most pressing need facing Township residents. The 2022 assessment found 15.79% of respondents experienced a job loss in their households. The median income is $140,499, according to the township’s July 2022 community needs assessment.īut as did many areas during the COVID-19 pandemic, the township took a financial hit. Lower Merion is a predominantly wealthy and white township - it’s one of the wealthiest areas in the Philadelphia region. Narberth Community Food Bank Director Gigi Tevlin Moffat said fresh produce, like cherries donated from Whole Foods Market, are the most important items to households served. “There is that myth that everything is perfect and while everything’s good … Pretty good … It’s not perfect,” Moffat said. WHYY thanks our sponsors - become a WHYY sponsor
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