COLUMBUS, Ohio — With a potential government shutdown days away, local food pantries are bracing for an increase in the demand for help.
Officials at the Mid-Ohio Food Collective said more people will need their services almost immediately if a shutdown occurs.
"We're concerned that more people might find themselves struggling to put food on the table as the result of a government shutdown," said Mike Hochran, Senior VP of Communications at the Mid-Ohio Food Collective. "The longer a shutdown goes on, the more it's going to start affecting and hurting real people. And so there are some things that won't be affected immediately that could start to be an issue as time goes on. Missing one paycheck hurts, missing two or three can really become a crisis for a family."
With inflation and the end of pandemic relief benefits, the food bank is already doing 35% more than it did in 2022.
"We have record levels. In fact, August of 2023 was the single busiest month in our organization's history, and we've been doing this for 43 years," Hochran said.
But Hochran assures Ohioans that help is available for anyone in need. He urges people not to be afraid to ask for help.
"We're here to end hunger every single day and we sure hope that things are resolved soon so that our neighbors can continue to have access to the fresh healthy food that they need for themselves and their families," he said.
Government assistance programs that provide food to families nationwide are also expected to be impacted by the shutdown.
WIC, which helps an average of 210,000 participants per month in Ohio, is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The agency said they do not have the funds to keep the program running after a few days of a government shutdown.
In Ohio, 1.3 million people receive SNAP, or food stamps. Those benefits would be covered through the end of October, however, it is unknown what would happen after that time.