Democrats and Republicans are closer than ever to reaching a deal to end the federal shutdown, which has interrupted SNAP benefits and delayed food assistance to millions of Americans. But the recipients and local safety net programs that have been affected by the interruption of SNAP could need more help long after the government reopens.
Radha Muthiah is the CEO of Capital Area Food Bank in Washington, D.C. Since the shutdown began on Oct. 1, the nonprofit has been offering five additional food distributions a week for furloughed federal workers. CAFB says those distributions have been seeing between 1,500 and 2,000 families a week. The organization will provide 1 million more meals this month for those who haven't received their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, she said.
Muthiah said some of the area residents the food bank serves are pulling from their long-term savings and retirement accounts, and reconsidering where their children will go to college because of the disruption to their incomes and benefits.
"People are borrowing against their futures to be able to pay for basic necessities today, and that really shouldn't be the case," Muthiah said.
The Trump administration said the Department of Agriculture would run out of money on Nov. 1. Since then, there has been a lot of legal back and forth over whether the administration must issue full SNAP benefits for November.
The Trump administration has continued its appeal to the Supreme Court, arguing the government currently can only afford to give recipients 65% of this month's SNAP allotments. On Tuesday evening, the court extended an order to temporarily block full payments.
Some states have begun issuing full payments anyway, but there are generally few answers on when SNAP benefits will be distributed, how much recipients will receive, or if their benefits will be backdated.
"There may be rollercoaster rides, as we're seeing between the administration and the courts," Muthiah said. "But people need to eat everyday…and so the need has not changed."
The shutdown, which has been the longest in U.S. history, has compounded the demand the CAFB had been seeing due to the reductions in force at various federal agencies. Because of this, the CAFB has anticipated it will need to distribute 10% more meals during this current fiscal year, Muthiah said.
But now, it's not just federal workers who need food assistance. People across industries have needed more help, she said.
"There's a whole downstream effect of people who may not be getting as much, in terms of wages, and might be either newly food insecure, or just need more support from the emergency food assistance network," Muthiah said.
One of the people CAFB serves is Rabitah Moses, who lives in Rockville, Md. She is disabled and cannot work. She said she has not received any SNAP benefits this month and has had no direct communication from any government agencies about when she can expect them, or how much she will receive. She said she has relied on news outlets and press releases from Maryland Gov. Wes Moore for information.
"We're told that 'You should just get a bunch of beans' and really stretch it," Moses said. "You can only stretch but so much."
Moses is the only person in her household, and said she typically receives a little over $100 a month through SNAP. While that money is not enough to cover all her food expenses, not having it at all has mental and physical implications for people in circumstances like hers, she said.
"Most medications you have to take with food," she said. "If you don't have food, you can't take medication, and if you can't take your medication, you're gonna just get more and more sick."
Moses has turned to food banks, including the CAFB, but recognizes they may be overwhelmed with the volume of people they're tasked with serving. Amid the surge, tailored needs like dietary restrictions may go unmet, she said.
Muthiah said strong financial support from local residents has fueled the Capital Area Food Bank through these periods of instability. One dollar donated to CAFB can fund two meals, as the organization sources its food from wholesale markets, and has its own stock of donations, Muthiah said.
"Our ability to really ramp up and do more for the community is directly correlated with the generosity and care of so many of our community members who really want to take care of their neighbors in need," Muthiah said.
The food bank now needs volunteers more than anything, Muthiah says.
"We provided [our partners] with a lot of food. They need more volunteer support to just help manage the lines," she said.
For those who want to lend a hand to their local food bank, many cities, counties and states have directories on their websites. There are also national directories, such as Feeding America.
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