Stafford County announced a new program that seeks to help residents and restaurants in the county that have been negatively affected by coronavirus pandemic.
Falmouth District Supervisor Meg Bohmke revealed the launch of the Supporting Restaurants and Families in Need Initiative, a program that is designed to bolster the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP as well as struggling restaurants in the Stafford County.
An $800,000 federal Community Development Block Grant will fund the program. The county plans to purchase $7,500 worth of gift cards from Stafford restaurants which will be distributed to recipients of SNAP, a federal food assistance program.
Bohmke announced that 100 restaurants in the county will be part of the program, but the county didn’t indicate which ones would participate.
SNAP recipients will be given these gift cards which will total $150 and will be distributed in two waves. The first wave of $75 will be sent out in March while the second wave will be sent out in June and will also be worth $75. The cards will be distributed by Stafford County Social Services and will be available to those enrolled in the SNAP program at that time.
Bohmke stated that she hopes that this program would give those reliant on the SNAP program a greater variety of choices for food as well as help local restaurants that have been affected by the pandemic.
SNAP benefits are regularly redeemed at grocery stores and farmer’s markets.
“Helping restaurants stay in business and continuing to employ our citizens while affording SNAP recipients more options for access to food is a win-win for our county,” stated Supervisor Meg Bohmke.
Over the course of 2020, Stafford County has applied for multiple grants though the CARES Act to help those affected by the pandemic, including directing $3 million in funds toward businesses, and improving broadband internet service in the county.
The county has also given $450,000 given to non-profits and community partners in the county such as Big Brothers, Big Sisters, Stafford Junction, the Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank, SERVE, the Virginia Community Food Connections, Mental Health America, the Thurman Brisben Center, and Loisann’s Hope House.
These organizations have been dealing with issues that have been affecting the community during the pandemic including youth guidance, food availability, mental health, and assistance to the homeless.
Stafford County also donated $540,000 in CARES money to the Rappahannock United Way to assist those in need of mortgage relief and households that are dealing with financial hardship.
Bohmke announced that there would be future projects coming from Stafford Cares that would deal with a host of issues made worse by the pandemic. One future program will deal with mental health in the County which has been brought up in recent Board of Supervisors meetings by Supervisors Gary Snellings, and Crystal Vaunch, of the Hartwood and Rock Hill districts, respectively.
