Volunteers distribute food at a pantry when needed. (Photo by Michael Salerno/Rhode Island Current)
Food banks and nutrition centers across West Virginia are preparing for a surge in need in the coming days as thousands of people will not receive their allotments of federal benefits on November 1 and others continue to work without pay due to the ongoing federal government shutdown.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which operates the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), posted on its website over the weekend that “benefits will not be provided” on Nov. 1.
“The bottom line is that the well has run dry,” the message says. Democrats in Congress are then openly and directly blamed for the government shutdown that began on October 1st.
Democrats in Congress have repeatedly voted against emergency funding bills to reopen the government because they want a guarantee that certain health care subsidies will be extended and funded. Republicans don’t want these subsidies included set to expire at the end of the year.
When they expire, so do West Virginians particularly painfulwith thousands possibly lose their health insurance. For others, premiums could rise by an average of 133%.
The administration of President Donald Trump Friday said that it will not employ any of the more than $5 billion in SNAP emergency funds to support families and individuals who rely on SNAP for food.
In West Virginia, for example 270,000 people – or one in six residents – relies on SNAP to support their families. More than 56% of benefit recipients live in families with children and 46% live in households with children older people or disabled people, according to the National Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
Earlier this month, the West Virginia Department of Human Services announced on social media that benefits would no longer be processed for those approved to receive SNAP after October 16th. According to the article, it is also expected that November benefits will be delayed indefinitely.
Cyndi Kirkhart, Executive Director of Facing Hunger Foodbanksaid the benefits are a lifeline for thousands of families in West Virginia. Now knowing that services will no longer be available to them in the coming days, the food bank and others across the state are scrambling to meet what they say are dramatically increasing community needs.
“For some people, we may be giving them the only food they can really eat for God knows how long,” Kirkhart said. “We’re already at the point where we’re running out of food in some places. We don’t have enough to meet existing needs. Now we have to figure out how we can do more with much, much less.”
In normal times — when people are receiving their benefits and other federal employees are getting paid for their work and can afford food — West Virginia already faces high levels of food insecurity. Accordingly Feed AmericaMore than 15% of people in the state go without food on a regular basis.
And things have become tighter for Facing Hunger in recent months, Kirkhart said. Increased costs due to inflation have resulted in more people relying on food pantries and nutrition centers to make more money.
“Everyone is trying to do more with less,” Kirkhart said. “It’s relentless.”
Kirkhart said this was also the case with Facing Hunger, as individuals struggled. It’s harder to stock up on nutritious, protein-rich foods. When these options are available for purchase or through individual donations, they sell out quickly.
Kirkhart said there have been several instances where volunteers and staff have had to turn away people without food at food drives because supplies were in compact supply.
“We’re asking people to share bags of potatoes, apples and whatever we have because we’re expecting 250 families but in reality there are 370 in need,” Kirkhart said. “It’s the worst feeling in the world: telling people who need your help that you have nothing left today.”
This spring — as inflation rates sent prices of staple foods soaring — the Trump administration Cutting food supplies by more than $500 million for nutrition services like Facing Hunger. Almost overnight, operators were forced to adjust their expectations for deliveries and giveaways.
Now, Kirkhart said, the consequences of these USDA changes and rising prices are likely to worsen as thousands of other people who don’t often rely on food banks for their daily essentials fall into need.
“It’s all getting worse and I don’t know how we’re going to deal with it,” Kirkhart said. “We don’t have enough available to cover the consequences [unavailable SNAP benefits].”
Steven Little, the assistant executive director of Huntington City Mission, a nutrition center and ministry in Cabell County, said people there are already being forced to “get creative” with how they distribute food.
For example, when they receive a bag of apples, volunteers and staff spend time turning them into applesauce to meet the needs of their many elderly clients and others who may have dental problems and require cushioned foods.
In general, there isn’t as much protein-rich meat or nutritious fruits and vegetables available, Little said. Last week — for the first time in years, he said — City Mission had to hand out bologna sandwiches for lunch.
“That’s something, but it’s not the nutrition that we really want to provide and it’s not the type of nutrition that’s going to meet the really urgent needs of some of our customers,” Little said. “Something is better than nothing, yes, but I think we all know we can’t continue like this.”
And as these situations worsen, individuals in communities have been doing as much as they can.
Yeager International Airport is hosting one Food and supply drive on November 4th for the numerous federal employees who are going without pay due to the shutdown.
Jamason Sparks, who owns and operates eight grocery stores in the greater Kanawha Valley area, announced on Facebook that its stores will give away free food bags to anyone in need starting November 10th.
Sparks started a GoFundMe fundraiser to assist purchase supplies for Friday’s free food bags. As of Monday, more than 340 people have raised more than $24,000 for the initiative.
Kirkhart said it’s encouraging to see so many getting involved in different communities – through donations, volunteering or just sharing information – and supporting those in need.
However, it is still complex to imagine what might happen to the community’s existing needs and the organizations that exist to meet those needs in the long term.
Kirkhart is already making adjustments to prepare for changes coming next year under the Republican-backed Big Beautiful Bill, which was passed by Congress over the summer.
And with congressional lawmakers divided over health subsidies that could particularly impact West Virginia’s population, Kirkhart is considering how these potential changes will impact her nonprofit as well.
Health insurance is likely to become more exorbitant, increasing the cost of Facing Hunger.
The organization and other food organizations should receive thousands of dollars in federal funding to support and cover operating costs.
Last week, Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced that it would speed up the disbursement of funds already allocated.
While Kirkhart said she is grateful to have access to the money, it is clear that it needs to be spent on food and other supplies as quickly as possible to meet the organization’s growing needs. Unfortunately, how things are paid for in the future will be an issue for the foreseeable future, she said.
“Every dollar we spend in one place now is a dollar we can’t spend on something else tomorrow. We understand that, and the best place to put our dollars now is clearly feeding the community,” Kirkhart said. “We know how many people are already hungry, and we need to prepare for others who will be newly hungry. That’s the reality we find ourselves in, and if something doesn’t change soon, we’re going to be there for some time.”
YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE.
