The federal government shutdown has now stretched into its fifth week, and one of the most immediate ripple effects is being felt at the grocery store. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — or SNAP — has run out without a new spending bill from Congress.
In Iowa, more than 270,000 residents rely on SNAP each month. State officials say benefits for November could be delayed if the shutdown continues, leaving low-income families uncertain about how they’ll afford groceries.
Food pantries across the state are preparing for an uptick in demand. The Food Bank of Iowa said recently it’s already seeing more visitors as families turn to local pantries to fill the gap. Kim Wills is the Chair of the West Fork Food Pantry in Sheffield and tells RadioOnTheGo News they are taking the necessary steps to meet the needs of people facing food insecurity.
“It’s one of those things where you just don’t know how long this is going to go on. And I think that hopefully that the government will get their act together. We’ll get this back open because it’s affecting a lot of people. And so what we’re going to do is we are doing our best. We’ve been doing our best to make sure that we have as much inventory on hand as we possibly can. We’re blessed with great donors. We have amazing volunteers that help us to do this. But, you know, if people are thinking about maybe donating. Helping us out now would be really great time, especially with the holidays approaching.”
Despite this expected uptick in demand for food pantries, Diane Wills, the Site Coordinator for the West Fork Pantry, says food banks are always there for those that need them.
“All you need to do is just come. Bring proof that you are who you are and if you happen to live in the area, even if you don’t live in our service area, we will give you food the first time you come and we’ll try to get you closer to a pantry that is in your area and we will try to provide for and help you as long as you need help. Some people only need help, you know, a couple times and they’re okay. You know, other people, especially those that are living literally, living paycheck to paycheck, it gets to be a real challenge.”
SNAP provides food assistance to more than 40 million Americans every month. Without congressional action, advocates warn the program’s disruption could deepen food insecurity in communities nationwide.
