Food banks face increased demand amid government shutdown
By Jacquelyn Quinones
Click here for updates on this story
WATSONVILLE, California (KSBW) — The ongoing government shutdown is causing increased strain on vulnerable populations in Watsonville, where food banks are experiencing a surge in demand and anxiety.
Second Harvest Food Bank, which serves approximately 70,000 people monthly, has been receiving a high volume of calls since the shutdown announcement.
“It’s just causing a lot of uncertainty in the community, so obviously, federal workers don’t know when their next paycheck is coming,” Mary Casey, Chief People and Culture Officer at Second Harvest Food Bank, said. “So many people rely on benefit programs that are potentially in jeopardy depending on how long things go on so there’s just a lot of disruption and anxiety in the community.”
Second Harvest Food Bank is committed to supporting the community during this challenging time.
“We’re just here for people, we’ll have people who can walk them through but we just want everyone to know that we have food,” Casey said.
At Pajaro Valley Loaves and Fishes, which serves roughly 100 meals during lunchtime, there is also concern about the potential effects of the shutdown.
“The underserved communities are already potentially worried about where they are going to get their next meal whether they need to make a choice between paying their electricity bill or food or medical expenses,” said Ashley Bridges, executive director at Pajaro Valley Loaves and Fishes.
The shutdown is expected to put many patrons of Loaves and Fishes on edge if it continues.
One patron, Myra Echevarria, shared their concerns, saying, “It’s going to create quite a bit of an impact on my financial status. I really can’t afford groceries.”
Another patron, Miguel Quezada, expressed fear about the situation, stating, “Honestly, it’s very scary just because there’s not that many jobs, either I’m on disability, I got injured at work.”
Second Harvest Food Bank encourages the public to call their hotline for any food assistance questions.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.