Black Lives Matter South Bend is calling on city leaders to take swift action to help vulnerable residents affected by the ongoing federal government shutdown and the suspension of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
The organization hosted a news conference on Wednesday afternoon, Oct. 29, where community members, seniors, youth, and local officials joined to press Mayor James Mueller and the South Bend Common Council to use city cash reserves for emergency food assistance.
Organizers said South Bend should follow the lead of other cities that have started shoring up emergency funds for food banks and pantries amid what they described as an impending food crisis.
Organizers pushed back against what they described as “misguided” and “uninformed” comments from Mayor Mueller’s office, arguing that the city has both the resources and responsibility to act locally. They pointed to recent financial records showing $12 million in the Rainy Day Fund and $80 million in the General Fund as potential sources for emergency aid.
The group is asking the Council’s Personnel and Finance Committee to meet with the Department of Administration and Finance to consider allocating up to $4.8 million from those reserves to assist families for one month. “We have the money,” a spokesperson said. “What’s missing is care, compassion, and the will to meet the moment.”
BLM South Bend also thanked more than 100 residents who signed a petition within 24 hours, urging the Common Council to hold an emergency meeting to discuss using city funds to provide temporary relief. The group said it plans to deliver a letter with the signatures to council members next week.
At-Large Council Member Dr. Oliver Davis announced he will submit a resolution Thursday morning to 6th District Councilwoman Sheila Niezgodski, who chairs the Personnel and Finance Committee, requesting that the issue be added to the next meeting agenda.
In closing, organizers argued that the city’s strong bond rating and healthy reserves-built under former Mayor Pete Buttigieg and current Mayor James Mueller-should allow South Bend to reinvest in its residents rather than fund what they called “speculative luxury real estate deals.”
3 comments
It is not the state or a city governments responsibility to fund a Federal program. If they do those funds will never be recovered. BLM should take all the Millions they collected in donations and fund the program, that’s the responsibility of a nonprofit.
BLM could always use some of those monetary donations they extorted from companies. Well, they could if their national leadership hadn’t grifted it to buy houses…
Why are your Democrat friends refusing to open the Government? Have you read their list of demands? Please call their offices and ask them to open the government and feed these children !