“Yes, to some people’s surprise, even Gainesville, Bristow and Haymarket – we have very real hunger needs,” said state Sen. Danica Roem, who represents parts of western Prince William, Manassas and Manassas Park. “[This] is why the Haymarket Regional Food Pantry exists that far west in the first place,” InsideNoVa reported.
“We were deeply disturbed to hear that the USDA has instructed states to stop processing SNAP benefits for November and were surprised by your recent comments that the program will ‘run out of money in two weeks,’” wrote U.S. Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine in a letter to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, urging the use of contingency and transfer funds to sustain the program.