Mid-Missouri food banks prepare for increased demand amid government shutdown
Haley Swaino
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
As the government shutdown enters its second week, food banks across the country are preparing for increased demand.
One Washington, D.C., food bank estimated roughly 75,000 federal workers are living paycheck-to-paycheck. And in the event of furloughs, if the shutdown extends for an extended period, affected households may need assistance.
Most federal employees work outside of the Washington metropolitan area — 57,100 federal employees were working in Missouri as of January, according to the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center.
Food banks in the Show-Me State are preparing for possible increased need.
“We want to do our due diligence and plan for the worst,” Katie Adkins, a spokesperson at the Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri, said.
Food insecurity is already at the highest level in nearly a decade, according to Adkins.
“At the same time, we are serving a lot of people,” Adkins said. “We are seeing that need is continuing. We haven’t seen a lull, and now we have the holiday season right around the corner. And that often brings some additional challenges because people are thinking about how they’re going to put food on the table for Thanksgiving.”
While need has stayed relatively consistent at The Food Bank through the shutdown’s first week, Adkins said they’re expecting to see more people seeking help if it extends to a point of delayed paychecks or benefits.
“Many people in our community are one last paycheck away from from needing some help,” Adkins said. “And we’re rapidly approaching a first missed paycheck with the government shutdown.”
Military members are in danger of missing a paycheck on Oct. 15, if the shutdown drags on.
ABC 17 News reached out to Armed Services YMCA in Fort Leonard Wood to see how it’s preparing.
“With nearly 25 percent of junior enlisted military already experiencing food insecurity, the need is always urgent. We’ve seen a significant increase in our food pantry distributions and needs. The ASYMCA is working to expand our distribution across our many branches to ensure military families have reliable access to food and resources during this difficult time,” an ASYCMA spokesperson said in an statement.
The shutdown could also disrupt key programs such as SNAP, according to previous reporting.
“We are prepared for some new folks, especially people who may never have had to come to a pantry or soup kitchen, coming to visit for the first time.”” Adkins said.
In fiscal year 2022, 603,930 people in 296,276 households received SNAP benefits in Missouri, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
“Right now, food is expensive, transportation is expensive. And so we’re working with more limited resources than we have in the past,” Adkins said.
The shutdown comes as there’s already a strain on food banks. Adkins said The Food Bank has seen donations decline over the last few years.
“Manufacturers are just becoming very good at estimating what supply and demand is going to look like for them,” Adkins said. “We have known that that’s a challenge that we faced, we have continued to increase our retail rescue efforts.”
The Food Bank works with retailers across all 32 counties it serves to rescue items that may be nearing the end of their usable life.
“They’re good items,” Adkins said. “Typically, they’re the more nutritious items because they’re perishable. But those retailers, those stores, can’t get them out quickly enough. We serve around 100,000 people every single month, so we’re able to move them very quickly.”
Adkins said The Food Bank continues to look for new sources for rescue retail.
People needing support can visit The Food Bank for Central & Northeast Missouri’s website.