SAN DIEGO, Calif. — Staff at the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank are bracing for an influx in demand as thousands of federal workers are expected to soon go without a paycheck.
“The San Diego food bank is here as an emergency resource. We do have food and resources available for those who might be impacted by a federal shutdown,” said food bank spokesman Chris Carter.
All signs point to a federal government shutdown starting Sunday after hardline Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives rejected a bill that would have temporarily funded the government.
The shutdown would mean thousands of military members, TSA agents, Border Patrol, and other government staff wouldn’t get paid.
Carter feels the food bank is well prepared for the possible surge because of the contingency plans made following the 2019 shutdown.
“There were a lot of families that were going without a paycheck, and they needed food assistance. We helped set up special distribution sites for TSA workers as well as Coast Guard families.”
The shutdown could lead to a temporary pause in funding for other food programs that thousands rely on.
The 360,000 estimated people who use CalFresh in San Diego County are expected to continue to get benefits for another month, but the No Kid Hungry Campaign said after October they’d be in the lurch.
Another program that would be cut is the California Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children known better as WIC.
“There are nearly a million Californians who participate in WIC, and they rely on those benefits to make sure that they're getting adequate nutrition. These are during critical development times for either nursing moms or pregnant moms, infants, young children,” said Kathy Saile, California director of the campaign.
