The Western Colorado Community Foundation (WCCF) has long addressed hunger in the communities we serve, from supporting food pantries to increasing mobile meal programs for youth, to ensuring seniors get the food they need. With the government shutdown continuing and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) confirming that SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) funding will not be released to qualifying households in November, food pantries are seeing an increase in visits.
This “SNAP gap” comes at a trying time. The holiday months of November and December tend to be stressful for low-income households working to manage various demands on finances and are typically the busiest months for food banks. SNAP benefits tend to be used in the first weeks of the month; in Grand Junction, the two primary pantries, Clifton Christian Church Food Bank and Community Food Bank, both saw over 40 new households at the end of October. For these pantries, this is a 20-32% increase in visitation. Food pantries nationwide are experiencing similar increases.
This increase in need is compounded by the fact that the USDA’s Local Food Purchasing Agreement (LFPA) was cancelled. The funding had enabled food banks to purchase locally sourced beef and produce and was popular with both the agricultural and food pantry communities. Through LFPA, Western Slope Food Bank of the Rockies, which sources food for smaller food pantries, had been able to purchase and distribute over 600,000 pounds of locally grown, high-quality produce and beef. Loss of LFPA funding has resulted in higher food budgets for pantries that benefitted from the program, during a time of increased demand.
Please consider supporting your local food pantry. Whether through a financial contribution or by volunteering your time, your help makes a meaningful difference for neighbors facing food insecurity. To find food pantries and food banks in your area, use the links below.
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Thanks to flexible funds established at WCCF, over $60,000 was granted in late October as emergency funding to help food pantries across the Western Slope source additional food. WCCF is grateful for the generosity of our donors and the funds they have established!
SNAP Participation by Individual Count
