The second-longest government shutdown in U.S. history has millions of Americans worried about how they’re going to feed their families. Senators returned to Capitol Hill on Monday, but so far, there are no signs of a truce.
Funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, is set to run dry on Saturday, cutting off food assistance for some 42 million Americans enrolled in the program. That’s more than 12 percent of the U.S. population.
As the deadline approaches, food pantries are seeing a surge in demand.
Beth White of the Central Christian Church Food Pantry in downtown Indianapolis said, “We usually serve between 45 and 50 households, which is about 200 people. Today, we’re at number 76, and we’re still receiving people.”
In Arizona, resident Sherry Wood argued, “There’s no reason why the strongest country in the world, as we claim, is letting our people starve.”
The Department of Agriculture, which oversees SNAP, appeared willing to use emergency funds as a short-term solution, but then backtracked saying Congress would have to take action.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) explained, “There has to be a pre-existing appropriation for the contingency fund to be used.”
Among those stepping in to help is Operation Blessing’s Hunger Strike Force.
David Edson of the Hunger Relief Program said, “We’re ramping up to respond to this and putting meal kits together, and every dollar donated to Operation Blessing is something we’re able to exponentially multiply because of the network of food manufacturers and partners that we have across the United States.”
Edson says people can also help by giving to their local food banks.
“In your local communities, you can work directly with food pantries. So if you are a home gardener and you have an excess of fruits or vegetables, please take those to your local food pantry. If you have backyard chickens that have more eggs than you know what to do with, please take those to your local food pantries,” he said.
“Volunteering is a big thing because a lot of these places are going to be overwhelmed with need, and they’re going to need more people to help console, comfort, and serve these families. So volunteering is another great avenue to do that,” Edson continued.
Unless a political resolution is found in just a few days, millions of Americans could go hungry.
But some leaders are vowing to find a way to prevent that. Virginia’s Governor Youngkin has declared a state of emergency saying he will use funds from a state surplus to keep SNAP funded in Virginia.
