Pennsylvania Democrats are making a push to help people who are set to lose SNAP benefits on Saturday, but the help won’t come immediately.

Members of the state Senate Democratic Caucus introduced legislation this week to use reserve money to provide $50 million to 18 food banks, $10 million to support Meals on Wheels and $2 million for administrative costs.

State Sen. Lindsey Williams, D-West View, is among 22 co-sponsors of the proposed Pennsylvania Food Bank and Hunger Relief Grant Program.

“The feds are counting on our sense of decency not to let people starve while they build a giant golden ballroom at the White House,” Williams said.

Neither the state House nor the Senate is scheduled to be in session Friday, so a vote is not possible before the SNAP cuts would take effect.

Williams said moving the legislation ahead on its own would take time. It would have to be approved by a Senate committee, the full Senate, a House committee and the full House before going to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s desk.

She said an exception is possible — the bill could be added to another already in the proposed budget and, once the budget impasse is resolved, the proposed program would be funded.

“I wish that we weren’t days away from our neighbors not having enough food to eat,” Williams said. “I have talked to so many people lately who are scared about how they are going to make ends meet and feed their family.

“We’re calling on the federal government to pass a budget that fully funds SNAP and other human services programs.”

About 2 million people across the state are in jeopardy of losing food assistance because of the federal government shutdown.

The SNAP program doles out $68 million in benefits each month.

Requests for comment from state Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward, R-Hempfield, were not returned.

Kate Eckhart Flessner, communications director for state Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman, R-Indiana, also was not available.

Williams encouraged people to donate and volunteer at local food banks, many of which are expecting usage to ramp up next week if SNAP benefits lapse as expected.

“Make no mistake,” Williams said, “charitable food pantries cannot fill the demands or the infrastructure that the SNAP program is leaving behind.”

About one in seven state residents benefit from SNAP.

Julie Bancroft, CEO of nonprofit Feeding PA, said food banks are resilient but they are facing a perfect storm of challenges, ranging “from unpaid federal workers turning to the charitable food system, to essential funding for critical anti-hunger programs being held up in the state budget impasse.”

“Now, a potential wave of 2 million people who won’t be able to access their SNAP benefits will need to rely on food banks,” Bancroft said.

Shapiro earlier this week joined a multi-state lawsuit against the Trump administration to demand that billions of dollars in federal reserves be used to fund SNAP for November.

In Pennsylvania, SNAP serves 714,000 children and 697,000 senior citizens.

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