SAN ANTONIO – The president of the San Antonio Food Bank said he is prepared to take extraordinary measures to ensure food needs are met amid the ongoing federal shutdown.
The food bank is expecting a 50% increase in demand after the U.S. Department of Agriculture said federal food aid will not be issued on Saturday.
The notice came after the Trump administration said it would not tap roughly $5 billion in contingency funds to keep benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly referred to as SNAP, flowing into November, the Associated Press reports.
“Nobody should go to bed hungry,” food bank president Erik Cooper said in a news release. “We want our community to know we will have food and have their backs while the shutdown continues.”
The additional potential demand is equivalent to needing an extra 12-13 tractor-trailers of food each week.
The food bank was already anticipating 50,000 federal workers and contractors would seek help from pantries it helps support if the shutdown extends into November, KSAT reported last week. This is because:
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Federal civilian workers are expected not to receive their first full paychecks on Oct. 29.
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Oct. 31 could be the first missed whole paycheck for active-duty military personnel, reservists, and Department of Defense (DOD) personnel.
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The shutdown could impact federal nutrition programs, including school meals, after Nov. 1.
The impact could also continue into the holiday season, when the food bank typically experiences a higher-than-normal demand for help.
“We will do whatever is required of us, even emptying the warehouse if that is what is needed,” Cooper said. “But, going big will also mean everyone will need to help: volunteers, financial donors, and food donors.”
The food bank is asking community partners, families and corporations for assistance with the influx of federal workers expected to knock on their doors.
A list of ways you can donate or volunteer can be found on the food bank’s website.
If you are in need of assistance, visit safoodbank.org/help.
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