Carts full of supplies making their way to those in need could look a bit emptier soon.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court's decision to override Governor Tony Evers public health emergency means the state will no longer get an estimated $50 million per month in food aid.
That’s because the public health emergency allowed the state to access increased federal funding which helped more than a quarter million households.
"It's going to make a difference in how people react to that because all of the sudden they're going to have max benefits, which is maybe $700 a month, down to maybe $100 or whatever their family qualifies for, so it's going to have a huge impact and not a lot of warning,” said Bettina Steadman, the volunteer coordinator of The Neighbor’s Place in Wausau.
Steadman said without that extra money, some people will have to focus their resources entirely on food, instead of on other necessities.
"So there's are these other factors too with the cost of things, I mean gas has gone up, diapers are going up, food costs are high and then you lose your benefits so it's an issue,” she said. “It's a huge issue.”
In February, over 700,000 people in Wisconsin received assistance through Foodshare.
For those who need food assistance, more information on how to apply can be found on the Department of Health Services website.
