US: New Jersey deploys national guard to support food banks As federal aid stalls amid shutdown

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has deployed members of the state’s National Guard to assist food banks struggling to meet a surge in demand, after the ongoing federal government shutdown led to a lapse in funding for food assistance benefits.

In a statement on October 3, Murphy said the move was necessary to support emergency food organisations as local pantries grapple with the fallout from the suspension of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programme (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps, Caliber.Az reports, citing US media.

“The Trump Administration's failure to fund SNAP benefits has left hundreds of thousands of New Jersey residents feeling scared and unsure of where their next meal will come from,” Murphy said.

“Today, members of the Air National Guard are mobilising to deliver refrigerated storage containers to the Community Foodbank of New Jersey and Fulfill, enhancing the cold storage capacity at critical hubs for our emergency feeding organisations.”

The Trump administration has announced it will partially fund the federal food aid scheme for the month, following two federal court orders directing the use of emergency funds to keep the programme running.

Across New Jersey, local food charities have been inundated with requests for help. In Clifton, thousands of frozen turkeys and hams are being distributed by the Community Food Bank of New Jersey to food pantries and churches ahead of Thanksgiving.

The Food Brigade, a local charity, said it normally supports around 700 families but has seen more than a 100% increase in new applications in the past fortnight.

“People are suffering. People are struggling. People are not making enough money to put food on their tables,” said volunteer Carmine DeMarco.

In Ridgewood, residents donated more than 400 bags of food during an emergency drive to support 263 families who lost their food stamp benefits.

“I'm lucky enough that, for me, to go to the store and throw some extra stuff in my cart is not a big deal. But that someone in this town can't put food on their table, I just had to help,” said local resident Samantha Williams.

Ridgewood Mayor Paul Vagianos added, “Every community in New Jersey, and probably all across the country, is impacted by this.”

By Aghakazim Guliyev