**Local Restaurateur to Offer Free Meals to SNAP Recipients Amid Benefit Uncertainty**
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Lawmakers have until Saturday to reach a deal that would allow SNAP recipients to receive their food assistance at the beginning of the month. This change would impact more than 160,000 people in Palm Beach County alone.
In response to the uncertainty, one local restaurateur is stepping up to help. Rodney Mayo, owner of Subculture Group and Hospitality Helping Hands, announced that starting Monday, each of his nine restaurant locations, along with all Subculture coffee shops across Palm Beach County, will offer one free meal per day to SNAP recipients.
Mayo shared that he will be launching a website on Saturday providing detailed information, including times, locations, and instructions on how eligible individuals can obtain a meal.
While acknowledging that this initiative doesn’t solve the larger issue, Mayo hopes it’s a step in the right direction. With over 30% of SNAP recipients being children, he encourages other restaurant groups to join in supporting the community.
“We can’t count on the government or the city to do that,” Mayo said. “They’re not going to ramp up. But we’re the ones that have the kitchens. We’re the ones that know how to produce a lot of meals. And so it just makes sense.”
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**More Coverage:**
– Consumer: “‘A scary time’: Residents brace for longer lines if SNAP benefits lapse” — Tyler Hatfield
– Florida Democrats call on Governor DeSantis to release funding for SNAP benefits — Ange Toussaint
– State Democrats urge DeSantis to declare a food emergency as SNAP shutdown nears — Forrest Saunders
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*WATCH: “We’re the ones that have the kitchens,” says Rodney Mayo.*
https://www.wptv.com/money/consumer/palm-beach-county-restaurateur-to-offer-free-meals-to-snap-recipients-amid-government-shutdown
