Amid SNAP Uncertainty, DuPage County Staff 'Standing By 24/7' To Help People In Need: Conroy

DUPAGE COUNTY — DuPage County will be at the ready with staff available 24/7 if SNAP benefits are paused amid the ongoing government shutdown, County Chair Deb Conroy shared in a statement Friday.

Conroy said, "People can dial 211 or visit 211DuPage.gov to locate food pantries and programs in their community. In addition to directing residents to food pantries, 211 staff can also help residents who need assistance paying rent or their energy bills. Those wishing to donate or volunteer at a food pantry can contact Giving DuPage to get connected to a local organization."

Below is a list of food banks in the DuPage County area.

• Glen House Food Pantry, 55 N. Park Blvd., Glen Ellyn
• Loaves & Fishes Community Services, 1871 High Grove Ln., Naperville
• Loaves & Fishes, 580 Exchange Ct., Aurora
• People’s Resource Center, 211 South Naperville Rd., Naperville
• People’s Resource Center, 104 Chestnut Ave., Westmont
• West Suburban Community Pantry- 6809 Hobson Valley Dr., Woodridge

Earlier this week, the Department of Agriculture, after the Trump administration said it would not tap the roughly $5 billion in contingency funds to keep benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, posted a statement on its website, saying “bottom line, the well had run dry.” The unattributed USDA statement went on to blame Democratic senators.

Illinois has also joined a group of 26 states suing over the suspension of the program that helps 693,000 in the state and 40 million nationwide.

Patch Editor Lorraine Swanson contributed to this article.

Also on Patch: South Suburban Food Pantries Brace For Surge As SNAP Benefits Pause On Saturday