"It's a little daunting when you come in every morning and there's 60 voicemails and every one of them needs something,"
"In this particular case, those needs were almost always food."
""There is no excuse that justifies" not utilizing "every resource available" to fund SNAP, one critic said."
"211 call specialists around the state "were the boots on the ground" talking to people every single day."
More than 2,600 calls and 2,000 texts flooded West Virginia's 211 call centers after the federal government shutdown delayed Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits for about 275,000 residents. United Way staff operated the helpline around the clock, answering unprecedented demand for groceries and referrals to local food pantries. Call volume represented a 1,680% year-over-year increase, and some southern food pantries reported an 1,800% rise in families seeking assistance. Gov. Patrick Morrisey directed people to call 211, and call specialists frequently reached overloaded lines while continuing to contact people in need.
Read at Truthout
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]