ST. GEORGE, Utah — No matter what message is being sent from Washington surrounding SNAP benefits, those who receive them in Utah say they're left with a lot of confusion while trying to do the best they can.
SNAP benefits appeared on track to end in November due to the government shutdown, until the Trump administration promised to use contingency funds to help the program continue after federal judges ordered it to do so.
However, on Tuesday, Trump himself appeared to shut down SNAP, posting on social media that payments would only be distributed once the shutdown ends, comments later walked back by the White House.
The whiplash has formed a cloud of disorientation for those who rely on SNAP to feed their families.
"I feel like I'm already getting help in the first place, so it's a little disappointing, but it's not something you should expect every month anyway, because things change, your income changes, life changes," said Jessica Ledesma.
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A mother of two, Ledesma brought her kids Tuesday to the pantry run by Switchpoint, the main charity in southern Utah that provides aid to the needy. She and others said the best they can do is take it day by day.
"Sometimes just making what you can with what you have, and [Switchpoint does] a great job of providing options," she said.
Ledesma and her family made up a steady stream of people seen at the pantry, taking out cartloads of fruits and vegetables, canned goods, and the basic needs to stay from being hungry.
The Utah Food Bank said it has seen a 50% increase in demand in the southern portion of the state.
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Switchpoint is trying to be resilient in the face of less help coming to the helpers themselves — and those who need the help. But Zachary Almaguer, the group's senior director of communications, says the situation is not sustainable.
"The new one that I'm seeing, a lot of people asking if they have to wait until they're out of food to come see us. Wait until they're out of money. For anybody who's unsure, I would encourage … see us now," Almaguer said.
Almaguer added that some who have reached out have not sought help before, including those working at Utah's national parks and monuments who have either been furloughed or are working without pay.
"I've had four federal workers reach out to me to ask about benefits that might be available for either rental assistance or food assistance," said Almaguer. "These are career federal workers, some of them in public lands at very well-known locations here in the county, that traditionally would have never have to thought to reach out for assistance."
In rural southern Utah, pantry appointments are booked two to three weeks out at Care and Share in Cedar City.
"I know they're feeling a bit of whiplash again from minute to minute. We're hearing different things from different sources," said Care and Shine executive director James Jetton. "We're just trying to assure our folks that they're going to be taken care of, that we're going to do our best to make sure that they get what they need."
