JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — As the government shutdown stretches on, thousands of families across Northeast Florida are feeling the strain, especially those relying on food assistance programs like SNAP.
Feeding Northeast Florida, the region’s largest food bank, says $22 million in SNAP benefits go to Duval County residents each month. With those benefits paused, the nonprofit is now bracing for an even greater demand heading into the holidays.
“We’ve been seeing this for a while, and especially now with the SNAP benefits paused, people are desperate for food assistance,” said Susan King, President and CEO of Feeding Northeast Florida. “So, we created this event which gives volunteers a chance to really get their hands dirty and help pack thousands and thousands of boxes that will be distributed over the next couple of weeks.”
Starting Thursday, staff and volunteers will begin packing 4,500 holiday meal boxes as part of the organization’s Harvest Helpings initiative. King says it will be enough to help feed about 40,000 people across 12 counties in time for Thanksgiving.
“Over the course of these last 10 months, we’ve had a significant reduction in our food supply because of the federal cuts,” she said. “Food that is coming in that we’re packing, we’ve purchased ourselves. This isn’t assistance from the city or the state at this point — this is food that we as an organization went and bought, because we’ve got to feed hungry families.”
Even before the shutdown began, King says her team saw a spike in families seeking help.
For families like Patricia Wooden’s, that gap is already being felt. Wooden, a Jacksonville grandmother with a family of six, says her SNAP application hasn’t been processed since the shutdown began, and her monthly food allowance through her insurance just isn’t enough.
“It’s just not stretching,” Wooden said. “Even with my daughter who works and helps with rent and utilities, there’s no money left over. We’re just not making it.”
Despite the challenges, King says she’s hopeful the community will rally behind their efforts.
“I know this is a giving community and donations will come,” she said. “But we had so many cuts over the first ten months of this year that it’s a scary place to be — trying to get food in as fast as we can, with no warning that this was going to happen, and not necessarily having the resources to do it. It’s all going to work out. We’ll keep doing our very best, but we can’t solve this problem alone.”
Volunteer slots for this week’s packing event are already full, but Feeding Northeast Florida says donations of food, but mostly monetary contributions, are needed.
You can help or make a donation at feedingnefl.org.
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