The federal government shutdown has had an air of unreality about it for most people up until now, but that could be about to change. Today, the Department of Agriculture announced that SNAP benefits will not go out on Saturday.
Governor Walz said in a recent press release that nearly 440,000 Minnesotans access SNAP or the Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP), including 180,000 children and 67,000 seniors. They will lose their grocery benefits, but MFIP cash benefits will continue to be issued as usual.
Many conservative critiques of welfare hinge not on the notion that people in need shouldn’t be helped, but that for a variety of reasons the government is not best placed to do it. For conservatives, this cessation of government welfare is a call to put their money where their mouth is. As the government steps back, it is time for the “little platoons” to step forward.
Find a food shelf near you and donate what you can. Before donating, look up what foods are best to donate. Visits to food shelves in Minnesota more than doubled from 2021 to 2024, from just under 4 million to nearly 9 million, so they are already struggling to meet demand.
Research consistently finds “that political conservatives are significantly more charitable than liberals.” As the shutdown bites, their charitable instinct will be key to helping those affected.
