LOGAN – The Cache Community Food Pantry is getting ready for more people seeking their services as the government shutdown continues. Donations are becoming more critical as the holidays approach.
Cache Community Food Pantry Director works with a family needing assistance in this file photo.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s website has posted a notice blaming politics for not funding the food stamp program, also known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Regardless of who’s at fault, many food-insecure Americans will go without federal help starting Saturday Nov. 1.
The USDA Economic Research Service reported in 2024, SNAP served an average of 41.7 million participants per month. Federal SNAP spending totaled $99.8 billion, and benefits averaged $187.20 per participant per month.
Generally, this time of year food pantries are looking for turkeys, hams and all the trimmings for Thanksgiving dinners. This year the need is still there but the number of families needing help is increasing.
The Cache Community Food Pantry is trying to hustle up enough turkeys or hams for their clients to celebrate Thanksgiving this year. This year the holiday falls on Thursday, Nov. 27. The pantry will be closed that day, so they need everything before then.
The shutdown is affecting many Cache Valley residents and surrounding communities they offer help to.
Matt Whitaker, the director of the Cache Community Food Pantry, is already starting to see an increase in families needing assistance. He is hoping they will soon be able to meet the challenges of the shutdown and those needing help with food in the area.
“We are currently serving about 2,000 families,” he said. “We are starting to see an increased number of people because their SNAP benefits are being cut.”
If the shutdown continues through November, he expects more people will be needing food.
“Work Force Services told us they have 6,000 plus families that use food stamps that may need help if the shutdown continues,” Whitaker said. “That is triple what we are helping now.”
He said they have put out an appeal to the public to help with both monetary and food donations.
“We hope people will step up and help,” Whitaker said. “We are so thankful for anything anyone is willing to help us with.”
The U.S. Department of Agriculture warned on October 10th that it would not have enough money to pay full benefits by the end of the month.
SNAP helps about 1 in 8 Americans buy groceries.