The Mountain Eagle

11/16/2025

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK:
BRIDGE REPLACEMENT

Two of the three photos seen in this post, all taken by photographer Malcolm Wilson, appear in the November 12, 2025, edition of The Mountain Eagle. Two of the photos show inspectors checking to make sure the bridge at Redstar, a community located between Blackey and Ulvah in Letcher County, remains safe for travel as work to replace the dilapidated bridge continues. The third photo offers an overall view of the project.

The $6.5 million replacement project on KY Highway 7 began in mid-August. Workers have cut back the hillsides and are working at the base of the bridge, where new support piers will be built.

Constructed in 1940, the bridge has been a source of complaints for years, with one person telling The Mountain Eagle in July 2017 that there was a hole in the middle of the bridge that “you could throw a cow through.” The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet closed the bridge to vehicles weighing more than three tons in 2021, but large trucks continue to cross it daily. School buses haven’t been allowed to use the bridge for four years.

The two-lane, steel-truss and concrete bridge stands 80 feet above the North Fork of the Kentucky River and the CSX railroad tracks on the riverbank. It is 411 feet from end to end and the longest of the five spans is 150 feet between support piers. The two 10-foot-wide lanes carry nearly 700 vehicles a day.

Bush and Burchett Inc. of Prestonsburg has the contract to build the new bridge, but waterlines and a power line had to be moved before construction could begin. The utility work was part of the construction contract.

11/16/2025

CONCERNED ABOUT KENTUCKY POWER’S REQUEST FOR A 14.9% RATE INCREASE? THIS MEETING WILL TELL YOU HOW YOU CAN FIGHT IT

Lawyers with the Appalachian Citizens Law Center will hold a public meeting in downtown Neon Monday night to inform people what the rates increase requested by Kentucky Power means, and what they can do to oppose it.

Kentucky Power is seeking to hold public meetings around its service area to plead its case for an increase, but ACLC Executive Director Wes Addington said those aren’t enough.

“I was just concerned that we wouldn’t get the word out to all of the community, and we decided to have a public meeting,” Addington said. “We will be presenting on what their proposal is and presenting not only their rates but all these various other charges people have on their bills.”

Addington said the rate increases appear to be more severe for people who use less power, and less severe on large users.

“If you’re a light user or a person on fixed income, this is going to be affecting you the most,” he said.

ACLC will hold its meeting from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., November 17, at Neon Lights, 1076 KY 317, across from Fleming-Neon City Hall.

Hundreds of people have filed comments with the state Public Service Commission opposing the application by Kentucky Power to increase its rates by 14.9 percent, just three months after raising rates 6.37 percent to pay off bonds. If the new rate is approved, increases this year alone will amount to more than 20 percent. This comes after a 5.66 percent rate increase in 2024 and an 11 percent increase in 2023. While there was no rate increase in 2022, the company admitted to overcharging its 160,000 customers by $3 million in January of that year.

Now business, industrial, and residential customers alike are fed up, and they’ve flooded the comments email inbox at the Kentucky Public Service Commission, begging for relief and demanding answers.

Addington said those emails and letters to the PSC are imperative if people want to stop the rate increase.

“It’s incredibly important for people talk to the Public Service Commission,” he said.

Residents can still file responses to the rate application on the Internet at https://psc.ky.gov/Case/ViewCaseFilings/2025-00257. The chair of the commission is Angie Hatton, formerly the state representative for the 94th District, which includes Letcher County.

11/10/2025

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION RENEWS SUPREME COURT APPEAL TO KEEP FULL FOOD STAMP PAYMENTS FROZEN

President Donald Trump’s administration returned to the Supreme Court on Monday in a push to keep full payments in the SNAP federal food aid program frozen while the government is shut down.

The request is the latest in a flurry of legal activity over how a program that helps buy groceries for 42 million Americans should proceed during the historic U.S. government shutdown. Lower courts have ruled that the government must keep full payments flowing, and the Supreme Court asked the administration to respond after an appeals court ruled against it again late Sunday.

Solicitor General D. John Sauer confirmed that the federal government still wants those lower-court orders put on hold, though in a letter to the justices he also pointed to reports that Congress could soon end the shutdown with a compromise that would fund SNAP.

States administering SNAP payments continue to face uncertainty over whether they can — and should — provide full monthly benefits during the ongoing legal battles.

The Trump administration over the weekend demanded that states “undo” full benefits that were paid under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program during a one-day window between when a federal judge ordered full funding and a Supreme Court justice put a temporary pause on that order.

A federal appeals court in Boston left the full benefits order in place late on Sunday, though the Supreme Court order ensures the government won’t have to pay out for at least 48 hours.

“The record here shows that the government sat on its hands for nearly a month, unprepared to make partial payments, while people who rely on SNAP received no benefits a week into November and counting,” Judge Julie Rikleman of the U.S. 1st Circuit Court of Appeals wrote.

The Supreme Court has allowed the government to pause full payments so far, and is expected to decide Tuesday whether to extend the freeze. Congress could also decide this week to fund SNAP through the end of the fiscal year under a proposal to end the government shutdown.

Some states are warning of “catastrophic operational disruptions” if the Trump administration does not reimburse them for those SNAP benefits they already authorized. Meanwhile, other states are providing partial monthly SNAP benefits with federal money or using their own funds to load electronic benefit cards for SNAP recipients.

Meanwhile, a legislative package to end the government shutdown appears on track. Eight Senate Democrats joined with Republicans to advance the bill after what's become a deepening disruption of federal programs and services.

But hurdles remain. Senators are hopeful they can pass the package as soon as Monday and send it to the House. What’s in and out of the bipartisan deal has drawn criticism and leaves few senators fully satisfied. The legislation includes funding for SNAP food aid and other programs while ensuring backpay for furloughed federal workers.

However, the Democrats failed to secure their main demand during the shutdown, which was an extension of the health care subsidies that many of the 24 million people who buy insurance through the Affordable Care Act rely on to help defray costs.

Instead, the package guarantees a vote on the issue in December — which was not enough for most of the Democrats, who rejected the deal and voted against it. (AP)

11/07/2025

THE NO. 9 KENTUCKY WILDCATS HOST THE VALPARAISO BEACONS TONIGHT

Tonight’s game between the Kentucky Wildcats (1-0) and the Valparaiso Beacons (1-0) at Rupp Arena in Lexington will not be shown on a regular TV channel. Instead, the game, which starts at 7 p.m., is available on SEC Network+, a subscriber-only digital platform operated by ESPN.

There’s a chance you might already have access to the game on SEC Network+ if your TV provider is DirecTV, FUBO, or Disney/Hulu. To see if you qualify, visit www.WatchESPN.com

The game will also be carried on two local radio stations (WIFX-FM 94.3 and WTCW-FM 95.1, where pre-game coverage begins at 5:30 p.m.

Kentucky is the game’s heavy favorite, according to BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Wildcats -33.5; over/under is 157.5

Kentucky finished 24-12 overall a season ago while going 15-3 at home. The Wildcats allowed opponents to score 77.2 points per game and shoot 43.7% from the field last season.

Valparaiso went 3-10 on the road and 15-19 overall last season. The Beacons averaged 12.0 assists per game on 25.7 made field goals last season.

11/07/2025

11/07/2025

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION SEEKS TO HALT
FOOD STAMP PAYMENTS AFTER A COURT ORDER

The Trump administration has asked a federal appeals court to block a judge’s order to distribute November’s full SNAP benefits during a U.S. government shutdown.
U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell Jr. had given the administration until today (Friday) to make the payments through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. However, the administration is seeking to suspend any court orders requiring it to spend more money than available in a contingency fund.
The court wrangling prolonged weeks of uncertainty for the food program that serves about 1 in 8 Americans, mostly with lower incomes.

Thursday’s federal court order came in a lawsuit from cities and nonprofits challenging the Trump administration’s decision to cover only 65% of the maximum monthly benefit, a decision that could have left some recipients getting nothing for this month. McConnell was one of two judges who ruled last week that the administration could not skip November’s benefits entirely because of the federal shutdown.

The judges in both cases ordered the government to use one emergency reserve fund containing more than $4.6 billion to pay for SNAP for November but gave it leeway to tap other money to make the full payments, which cost between $8.5 billion and $9 billion each month.

On Monday, the administration said it would not use additional money, saying it was up to Congress to appropriate the funds for the program and that the other money was needed to shore up other child hunger programs.

In its court filing Friday, Trump’s administration contended that Thursday’s directive to fund full SNAP benefits runs afoul of the U.S. Constitution.

“This unprecedented injunction makes a mockery of the separation of powers. Courts hold neither the power to appropriate nor the power to spend,” the U.S. Department of Justice wrote in its request to the court. (AP)

11/06/2025

FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERS SNAP BENEFITS DISTRIBUTED NOVEMBER 7; KENTUCKY BENEFITS MAY ARRIVE TODAY

U.S. District Judge Jack McConnell in Rhode Island has ordered Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins to distribute the full amount of SNAP benefits by Friday, ruling that the Trump Administration is intentionally using the program for political purposes.

The Rhode Island Council of Churches had filed a motion for McConnell to enforce his order of October 31, which said the administration had to explain how it was going to distribute funds by November 3 and ensure that they were distributed by November 5. McConnell accused the administration of not reading the "plain language" of his order.

As evidence, McConnell said the government's response to the motion to enforce his order was the same its argument before the order was issued – that it would take "a few weeks to several months" to issue partial payments because states were not prepared to do that. The order said if it was not possible for partial benefits to reach SNAP recipients by Wednesday, the full amount would have to be paid. In either case, the deadline for funds reaching the intended recipients was November 5.

McConnell took issue with Department of Justice Attorney Tyler Becker's statement that the hearing was "I'm just hearing about this now, that this was a problem." McConnell said he issued a verbal order on October 31, a written order on November 1, and that the request to enforce the order was made "two-three days ago."

"So this is not the first time you've heard of it," McConnell said.

McConnell said that contrary to the administration's position, there is no law that prevents it from using Child Nutrition program money to help pay the full amount of SNAP. He said he had given the administration a choice of how to comply, but that under no circumstances were payments to be delayed beyond noon on November 5.

"We've now gone six days without needed food to the 42 million - 16 million children. Irreparable harm. That's what the court's temporary restraining order attempted to resolve," McConnell said.

He said he had ordered that the full SNAP payment be made by November 3, or that the government resolve the issue of delays caused by computing partial benefits.

"The record is clear that the administration did neither," McConnell said from the bench. "In fact, the day before the compliance was ordered, the president stated his intent to defy the order, when he said quote, SNAP payments will be issued only when the government is opened, close quote."

While many states say they're unable to send partial benefits immediately, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said this state's partial payments will be loaded onto EBT cards today.

"This morning, thanks to the hard work of Team Kentucky employees who worked throughout the night, Kentucky will be one of the first states in the nation to process benefits for recipients today," Beshear said in a statement.

According to local food pantry volunteers, partial payments were so small no one could live on them. Vicki Holbrook said people would normally receive over $180 got $13. One reader with a family of four said she normally gets $303 per month, but received nothing.

A Rhode Island federal judge continues a hearing in a case in which the Rhode Island State Council of Churches sued the U.S. Department of Agriculture for not funding...

11/06/2025

FOOD SITUATION CHANGING RAPIDLY AS GOVERNOR BESHEAR SAYS KY. RESIDENTS WILL RECEIVE BENEFITS

Gov. Andy Beshear has announced that state will begin processing SNAP benefits as soon as today.

"This morning, thanks to the hard work of Team Kentucky employees who worked throughout the night, Kentucky will be one of the first states in the nation to process benefits for recipients today," Beshear said in a prepared statement..

This comes after Beshear, 24 other states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit last week over the Trump administration’s unlawful suspension of SNAP benefits, which resulted in a federal judge ordering the USDA to restore SNAP benefits. As a result, the Trump administration has decided to restore only partial benefits.

Whether those benefits would arrive has been surrounded by confusion as the president has insisted that benefits would not be sent until the government shutdown ends. Rhode Island Council of Churches filed a motion in federal court today asking US District Judge John McConnell to force the administration to send full funding immediately.

A hearing on that motion is ongoing now.

11/06/2025

MORE DONATIONS NEEDED AS PLAINTIFFS ASK JUDGE TO ORDER
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TO RELEASE SNAP BENEFITS NOW

With food stamps (SNAP) cut off, the number of people visiting the Letcher County Food Pantry this week for help has increased by five to 10 times.

The pantry normally serves between 8 and 25 families on a busy day, but on Wednesday it passed out food to 130 families. Donated food was gone in two hours, and volunteers had to go shopping to replenish supplies.

Meanwhile, The Rhode Island Council of Churches and other plaintiffs have asked U.S. District Judge John McConnell to order President Donald Trump to release full SNAP benefits immediately. McConnell had ordered the president to release funds by noon November 3, but no benefits have been released and the president posted on social media that he will not release SNAP benefits until the government reopens. The administration has also said it will release only 50 percent to 75 percent of what is owed, and that it could be weeks or months before those are sent.

A hearing on the motion has been set for 3:30 p.m. today.
Donations are still being accepted for the food pantries in Letcher County. Shelf-stable milk is especially needed. Staple foods such as beans, rice, and peanut butter are also needed. Donated foods should be nonperishable.

About 5,000 people in this county alone do get them, and contrary to popular belief, many of those people do work, sometimes at two jobs.

SNAP benefits account for more than $800,000 in Letcher County's economy every month, and without that money grocery stores will suffer huge losses.

Here's what each Letcher Countians are being asked to do:
Pick one food item from the list below. Then, whenever you go to the store, pick up extra items of that food and take it to one of the drop-off points listed below, and we will see to it that it gets to the Letcher County Food Pantry. Do the same thing whenever you go to the store and keep those food items until they're needed by a friend or until you need them yourself. Please share this post, as well as the food, with your friends.

Here's the list:

1. Corn meal mix
2. Flour
3. Pinto beans
4. Canned greens
5. Canned fruit
6. Canned green beans
7. Rice
8. Muffin mix
9. Canned salmon
10. Canned corn
11. Canned peas
12. Canned mixed vegetables
13. Mac'n'cheese
14. Canned tomatoes
15. Spam
16. Mayonnaise
17. Deviled ham/potted meat
18. Canned tuna
19. Instant potatoes
20. Baby formula
21. Water
22. Cereal
23. Pet food
24. Shelf-stable milk

Drop-off points are at the Blackey Library, 9-5, Monday-Friday, Jenkins City Hall, 8-4, Monday through Friday, The Mountain Eagle office in Whitesburg, 9-4, Monday-Friday; the Letcher County Recreation Center, 6 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Friday; 9-9 Saturday and 1-7 Sunday; and Whitesburg City Hall, 8:30-4:30 Monday-Friday, the Harry M. Caudill Library, 9-5 Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday and 9-7 Tuesday and Thursday.

Food dropped off at Jenkins City Hall will go to New Freedom Worship at Dunham and food dropped off at the Blackey Library will go to Blackey Missionary Baptist Church. Food can also be dropped off at any of the food pantries.

NO CLOTHING WILL BE ACCEPTED.

11/03/2025

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION SAYS SNAP
WILL BE PARTIALLY FUNDED IN NOVEMBER

President Donald Trump’s administration said Monday that it will partially fund SNAP after two judges issued rulings requiring it to keep the nation's largest food aid program running.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, had planned to freeze payments starting Nov. 1 because it said it could no longer keep funding it during the federal government shutdown. The program serves about 1 in 8 Americans and is a major piece of the nation’s social safety net. It costs more than $8 billion per month nationally. The government says an emergency fund it will use has $4.65 billion — enough to cover about half the normal benefits.

Exhausting the fund potentially sets the stage for a similar situation in December if the shutdown isn't resolved by then.

It’s not clear exactly how much beneficiaries will receive, nor how quickly they will see value show up on the debit cards they use to buy groceries. November payments have already been delayed for millions of people.

The administration said it would provide details to states on Monday on calculating the per-household partial benefit. The process of loading the SNAP cards, which involves steps by state and federal government agencies and vendors, can take up to two weeks in some states. But the USDA warned in a court filing that it could take weeks or even months for states to make all the system changes to send out reduced benefits. The average monthly benefit is usually about $190 per person.

The USDA said last month that benefits for November wouldn’t be paid due to the federal government shutdown. That set off a scramble by food banks, state governments and the nearly 42 million Americans who receive the aid to find ways to ensure access to groceries.

Most states have boosted aid to food banks, and some are setting up systems to reload benefit cards with state taxpayer dollars. The threat of a delay also spurred lawsuits.

Federal judges in Massachusetts and Rhode Island ruled separately but similarly Friday, telling the government that it was required to use one emergency fund to pay for the program, at least in part. They gave the government the option to use additional money to fully fund the program and a deadline of Monday to decide.

Patrick Penn, Deputy Under Secretary Food Nutrition and Consumer Services for USDA, said in a court filing Monday that the department chose not to tap other emergency funds to ensure there's not a gap in child nutrition programs for the rest of this fiscal year, which runs through September 2026.

Trump said on social media Friday that he does “NOT want Americans to go hungry just because the Radical Democrats refuse to do the right thing and REOPEN THE GOVERNMENT.” He said he was telling government lawyers to prepare SNAP payments as soon as possible.

Democratic state attorneys general or governors from 25 states, as well as the District of Columbia, challenged the plan to pause the program, contending that the administration has a legal obligation to keep it running in their jurisdictions. Cities and nonprofits also filed a lawsuit.

Advocates and beneficiaries say halting the food aid would force people to choosebetween buying groceries and paying other bills. The majority of states have announced more or expedited funding for food banks or novel ways to load at least some benefits onto the SNAP debit cards.

Rhode Island officials said Monday that under their program, SNAP beneficiaries who also receive benefits from another federal program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, received payments Saturday equal to one-fourth of what they typically get from SNAP. Officials in Delaware are telling recipients that benefits there won't be available until at least Nov. 7.

To qualify for SNAP in 2025, a household's net income after certain expenses can’t exceed the federal poverty line. For a family of four, that's about $32,000 per year.

(This report was prepared by The Associated Press. The accompanying photo shows dairy products, which are covered by the USDA Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), displayed for sale at a grocery store in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV))

11/02/2025

WEDNESDAY’S SUPERMOON WILL
BE THE CLOSEST OF THE YEAR

The moon will look slightly bigger and brighter Wednesday night during the closest supermoon of the year.

The moon's orbit around the Earth isn't a perfect circle, so it gets nearer and farther as it swings around. A so-called supermoon happens when a full moon is closer to Earth in its orbit. That makes the moon look up to 14% bigger and 30% brighter than the faintest moon of the year, according to NASA.

November's supermoon is the second of three supermoons this year and also the closest: The moon will come within just under 222,000 miles of Earth.

No special equipment is needed to view the supermoon if clear skies permit. But the change in the moon's size can be tough to discern with the naked eye.

“The difference is most obvious as a comparison between other images or observations,” said Shannon Schmoll, director of Abrams Planetarium at Michigan State University, in an email.

Supermoons happen a few times a year. One in October made the moon look somewhat larger, and another in December will be the last of the year. (AP)

11/01/2025

UNCERTAINTY OVER FEDERAL FOOD AID DEEPENS SATURDAY AS THE SHUTDOWN FIGHT REACHES A CRISIS POINT

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

The twin crises at the heart of the government shutdown fight in Washington were coming to a head Saturday as the federal food assistance program faced delays and millions of Americans were set to see a dramatic rise in their health insurance bills.

The impacts on basic needs — food and medical care — underscored how the impasse is hitting homes across the United States. Plans by the Trump administration to freeze payments to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program on Saturday were halted by federal judges, but the delay in payouts will still likely leave millions of people short on their grocery bills.

It all added to the strain on the country, with a month of missed paychecks for federal workers and growing air travel delays. The shutdown is already the second longest in history and entered its second month on Saturday.

“This is more than a crisis,” said the Rev. John Udo-Okon, who runs the Word of Life Christian Fellowship International food pantry in the Bronx, where hundreds more people than usual lined up in the New York City borough as early as 4 a.m. Saturday to collect groceries. “Right now, you can see the desperation, you can feel the frustration that the people are going through."

But back in Washington, there was little urgency to end the government funding impasse. Lawmakers are away from Capitol Hill and both parties are entrenched in their positions.

The House has not met for legislative business in more than six weeks, while Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., closed his chamber for the weekend after bipartisan talks failed to achieve significant progress.

Thune said he is hoping “the pressure starts to intensify, and the consequences of keeping the government shut down become even more real for everybody that they will express, hopefully new interest in trying to come up with a path forward.”

The stalemate appears increasingly unsustainable as Republican President Donald Trump demands action and Democratic leaders warn that an uproar over rising health insurance costs will force Congress to act.

“This weekend, Americans face a health care crisis unprecedented in modern times,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York said this week.

Delays and uncertainty around SNAP
The Department of Agriculture planned to withhold payments to the food program starting on Saturday until two federal judges ordered the administration to make them. Trump said he would provide the money but wanted more legal direction from the court, which will not happen until Monday.

Benefits were already facing delays because it takes a week or more to load SNAP cards in many states. Some governors and mayors have stepped in, using what money they have available to fill the program that feeds about 42 million Americans.

“People are just nervous, scared,” said Jill Corbin, the director of the St. Vincent De Paul soup kitchen and food pantry in Norwich, Connecticut. ”It’s not really a definite answer that we have right now."

As people lined up early Saturday for hot meals and groceries, the organization had 10 extra volunteers to help newcomers navigate the process. On Wednesday, some 400 families visited the food pantry and 555 people received hot meals.

“It’s kind of like everything is unraveling at the same time,” Corbin said.

The SNAP program serves about 1 in 8 Americans and costs about $8 billion per month. The judges agreed that the USDA needed to at least tap a contingency fund of about $5 billion to keep the program running. But that left some uncertainty about whether the department would use additional money or only provide partial benefits for the month.

“Trump and Republicans are illegally withholding SNAP benefits. Millions of children could go hungry,” said House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York in a social media post that also criticized the president for spending Saturday at one of his Florida golf courses.

Democrats demanded this week that the government fund SNAP, but Republicans responded by arguing the program is in such a dire situation because Democrats have repeatedly voted against a short-term government funding bill.

“We are now reaching a breaking point thanks to Democrats voting no on government funding, now 14 different times,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said at a news conference Friday.

Trump injected himself into the debate late Thursday by suggesting that Republican senators, who hold the majority, end the shutdown by getting rid of the filibuster rules that prevent most legislation from advancing unless it has the support of at least 60 senators. Democrats have used the filibuster to block a funding bill in the Senate for weeks.

Republican leaders quickly rejected Trump's idea, but the discussion showed how desperate the fight has become.

Health care subsidies expiring
The annual sign-up period for the Affordable Care Act health insurance also begins Saturday, and there are sharp increases in what people will have to pay for coverage. Enhanced tax credits that help most enrollees pay for the health plans are set to expire next year.

Democrats have rallied around a push to extend those credits and have refused to vote for government funding legislation until Congress acts.

“Millions of Americans in every state across this country are waking up to drastically higher premiums for the same health care coverage they’re already on.” said Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., in a statement.

If Congress does not extend the credits, subsidized enrollees will face cost increases of about 114%, or more than $1,000 per year, on average, health care research nonprofit KFF found.

Some Republicans in Congress have been open to the idea of extending the subsidies, but they also want to make major changes to the health overhaul enacted while Democrat Barack Obama was president. Thune has offered Democrats a vote on extending the benefits but has not guaranteed a result. And he is demanding that Democrats first vote to reopen the government.

So the country waits and watches for Congress to act.

T.J. McCuin, whose family owns and operates farmers markets in Mesa and Apache Junction, Arizona, said 15% of the markets’ customers use SNAP benefits. "Hopefully this isn’t a long-term problem because once those benefits run out, then it’s going to start to hurt," he said.

(The photo accompanying this story was taken Saturday and shows people visiting MUST Ministries in Austell, Georgia to pick up food being made available to them. (AP Photo)