There’s been a lot of reporting on SNAP as of late, and its fate, and that of those who rely on it, as the shut down rolls into its 6th week. And although it’s been partially filled, there’s still repercussions for that and organizations that aid with food insecurity nationwide

So we head to one of those organizations that is seeing the impact of the turmoil concerning the Supplementary Nutritional Assistance Program: The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts. Ex. Dir. Andrew Morehouse speaks with us about what the program actually does, who uses it, and how its removal will impact it and the 199 food pantries of the 4 counties who depend on their services. 

We’ll also head to another point of community that’s been bringing together folx from all walks of life for 80 plus years. Hutghi’s at the Nook is a Westfield staple that consistently punches above its weight in it's weekly offerings, and we’ll speak with one of the current owners Kevin Gibeaux about the folx who gather in that space and what you can experience there. 

And word nerd Emily Brewster senior editor at Merriam Webster introduces us to a term that is not in the dictionary, but that keeps encyclopedias and other reference materials honest and original in their work: the mountweazel.