DAYTON — Many people in our area are scrambling for their next meal.
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The government shutdown and suspension of SNAP benefits had a significant impact on local food programs.
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News Center 7’s Mike Campbell spoke with people trying to fill the gaps until government programs return to normal operations.
The Wheat Penny restaurant on Wayne Avenue is making an effort to give back to the community.
“It’s hard, these are hard times, people with kids, people in-between paychecks,” Liz Valenti, co-owner and chef at Wheat Penny, said.
People could walk up to the Wheat Penny patio on Tuesday and receive a free meal.
“So we felt like we had to step up and really do something for the community,” Valenti said.
Valenti said the staff whipped up 600 meals even before they opened.
Last week, they served almost 500 meals to individuals affected by the government shutdown and loss of benefits.
“We have customers trying to give us money, we don’t want them to give us cash, we want them to donate to other non-profits in the area,” Valenti said.
“There’s a church here, a church there, so we’re talking to each other and making sure that scheduling,” Reverend Kima Cunningham said.
Cunningham is the paster at McKinley United Methodist Church.
They run a food pantry that opens its doors every Thursday.
Over the last two weeks, their numbers have doubled. However, they believe providing food is part of their mission.
“The pretty cool thing is that Jesus sat at a table often, most often, over a meal with someone,” Cunningham said. “We just really want to let people know, if they need, it’s here for them, and it’s here with love, no judgment, and just open arms and gratitude for them,” Valenti said.
Valenti told News Center 7 that the restaurant will likely serve free meals again next Tuesday, hoping to get everyone through the Thanksgiving holiday and restoration of SNAP benefits.
She added that several other independent restaurants in the Dayton area are doing the same thing, and they all strategically picked different days.
News Center 7 will continue to follow this story.
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