CHAMPAIGN, IL (Chambana Today) – Thousands of Champaign County residents are at risk of facing food insecurity as a result of recent cuts to federal programs.
The cuts come as part of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”, which will cut $300 billion from Supplemental Nutritional Assistant Program (SNAP) through 2034.
Data from July 2023, found that 16.5% (33,202 total) of Champaign County residents are SNAP recipients. That figure has remained around the same, with June 2024 projections showing that 31,500 residents from 16,499 households are SNAP recipients.
While Champaign’s participation is below the state average, the number of total recipients has climbed in recent years. While in the 27 to 28 thousand range in 2018 and 2019, the pandemic saw the number of recipients rise to 29 thousand in 2021 and over 31 thousand in 2022.
When SNAP benefits are shut off or reduced, recipients may turn to other resources, such as the Eastern Illinois Foodbank (EIF).
Chambana Today reached out to the EIF for a statement. While EIF is not directly involved in SNAP enrollment and program guidance, president and CEO Kelly Daly
“These changes come at a time when we’re already working to meet a historic need — at least 1 in our 8 of our neighbors are facing food insecurity, and the pantries and feeding programs in our 21-country network are serving twice as many people as today in 2022,” Daly told Chambana Today. “These cuts will further strain the budgets of local families, and could be the tipping for our neighbors who are one paycheck away from needing to visit a pantry. We remain dedicated to providing nutritious food to our neighbors experiencing hunger, thanks to the support from this generous community that empowers us to rise to challenges like these.”