MASON, Mich — As federal food stamp benefits face a pause beginning in November, some neighbors are getting creative with their Halloween offerings, choosing to hand out substantial food items alongside traditional candy to help families in need.
- Neighbors are handing out food alongside candy this Halloween as SNAP benefits face a November pause.
- Community food pantries are seeing increased demand and daily restocking efforts from local volunteers.
- Residents say kids often choose healthy snacks like applesauce and Goldfish over traditional candy.
Rebecca Kasen is preparing for Halloween differently this year after attending a trick-or-treat trail with the Women's Center of Lansing. Instead of just candy and stickers, she's adding nutritious food options for trick-or-treaters.
"Last year we did candy and stickers, that's the standard, right?" Kasen said.
With the federal government shutdown continuing and a pause in SNAP benefits just days away, Kasen decided to make a meaningful change to her Halloween approach.
WATCH HERE: Michigan neighbors add food to Halloween treats amid looming SNAP benefit pause
"There's a lot of things I could imagine, but I just could not imagine cutting food," Kasen said.
She recommends items like mac and cheese, popcorn and granola bars as great additions to traditional Halloween candy.
"If you can offer both, please do! You'd be surprised how many kids will choose the applesauce, seaweed snacks, and even goldfish," Kasen said.
In Mason, Dennis Quinn has been responding to news of the pending SNAP pause by restocking a community food pantry daily.
"I just check it and make sure it's got food in it, and if it doesn't, I'll put some in," Quinn said.
Quinn noted that food pantries and food banks across neighborhoods are experiencing increased demand as the SNAP pause approaches.
"If I was out of groceries and in need, I would definitely hit one of these," Quinn said.
He emphasized that community members can make a real difference by contributing to local food resources.
"If we can step up with people putting stuff in here, like food, it would help out quite a bit," Quinn said.
Kasen expressed mixed emotions about the community response to the impending benefit changes.
"I am sad thinking about how many kids are going to lose their SNAP benefits the next day. It's not appropriate. But I'm also so encouraged to see how much the community is picking up the slack," Kasen said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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