ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — At Tuesday’s county commissioners meeting, leaders approved $200,000 in funding for food pantries across the country. The funds will come out of the county’s emergency reserve funds and be distributed based on need.
“There are some that are saying, you know, ‘send it elsewhere, we’ve had incredible community outreach and community support.’ And there are others that are saying they’re empty, just like we are here at the county,” county commissioner Sarah Arnold told Action News Jax on Wednesday. “We’ve got empty shelves and it’s a very real problem, and one that I’m excited to say at least the community is coming together to solve.”
The measure was proposed by St. John’s County administrator Joy Andrews, with Arnold and other commissioners acknowledging the need it addresses.
“In St. John’s County here alone, we have almost 10,000 residents who [use SNAP benefits.] And I believe almost 40% of those are children,” Arnold explained. “So it’s a vital importance for us to get the funding and the resources to the groups so that we can get food on these families’ tables.”
County commissioners also approved suspending county utility service disconnections for nonpayment through the end of November, giving families extra time to manage bills during this time of financial hardship.
“Our ability to suspend any disconnection services for St. John’s County utilities through the month of November, I think, is gonna give people the option to move those funds into, you know, just something more needed, help them put food on the table,” Arnold said. “And we’re also working with our partners up north and JEA and FPL to see if they’ll get on board with us.”
St. John’s County also provides assistance programs to utility customers in need. You can find more information by clicking the link here.
JEA customers needing assistance can also find more by clicking this link.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
