BARSTOW, Calif. (KABC) — Millions of people who receive food assistance will go without benefits next month as the federal government remains shut down, and local leaders are now scrambling to contain the possible fallout.
The Barstow Police Department said in a post on Facebook that it will be stepping up patrols around grocery stores, convenience stores and shopping centers.
Police added that the increased patrols are not in response to a specific incident but are a “preventive measure to maintain public safety, deter theft, and reassure the community that law enforcement is present and ready to help.”
Elsewhere in Southern California, leaders are trying to provide impacted people with resources.
About 1.5 million families in Los Angeles and more than 5 million people statewide receive benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly referred to as SNAP. That program is known as CalFresh in California.
If the federal government shutdown continues, those benefits could run out Nov. 1.
In light of the benefits delay, L.A. Care Health Plan, billed as the nation’s largest publicly operated health plan, announced Tuesday it was providing $5.4 million to help provide food for impacted families. Of that amount, $5 million will go to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles and Food Forward. The funding is expected to support 10,000 to 15,000 households in the county each week in November, according to the Health Plan.
The additional $400,000 will go toward advancing food security efforts and bolstering food distribution efforts in the county.
L.A. County officials have also allocated $10 million to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank to expand its purchasing capacity, and to set up pop-up and drive-through distribution sites, in addition to the existing network of 940 pantries across the county.
The county Departments of Public Social Services and Children and Family Services also contributed $2 million each to support food programs.
Anyone experiencing food insecurity can find more resources online or simply calling 211.
President Trump this week signaled his administration may find a solution to fund SNAP amid the shutdown, but didn’t offer any details on how that might happen.
City News Service contributed to this report.
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