FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — As the government shutdown now stretches into its 41st day, the need for food assistance is surging — and local nonprofits are trying to keep up.
Poverello House in downtown Fresno says its lines have grown by nearly 25% in recent weeks.
“We’ve seen more people working and housed, but just simply with the shutdown in particular and not knowing about their SNAP benefits, coming here, waiting in line so they can feed themselves and their families,” CEO of Poverello House, Zack Darrah, explained.
Just two miles down the road, dozens of people waited in line for free food, wrapped around the corner of this distribution site on Monday.
Demand spiked when SNAP/CalFresh benefits were paused at the start of the month– leaving more than half a million Central California residents unsure how they’ll put food on the table.
“We’ve actually gotten calls from other counties people from other counties, saying, ‘Can we come?’ We heard about your restaurant. Can we come eat even though we don’t live in Fresno County? Yes, of course you can come eat,” Darrah said.
After a federal judge ordered the trump administration to fund SNAP benefits, some people saw money in their accounts over the weekend, but President Trump later ordered those funds to be reversed, leaving many still stressed about how to get their next meal.
“What we’re hearing from our sites is that their lines have tripled, that they’re struggling to meet the need of those in line,” Director of Administration and Programs for Fresno Metro Ministry, Dannielle Rodriguez, stated.
The non-profit Fresno Metro Ministry runs the “Food to Share” program, which collects unused or excess food from local partners and redistributes it to those in need.
“They’re almost in tears because they have families that are in such need and have so much anxiety and fear over what’s happening right now,” Rodriguez said.
Both nonprofits say they need the community’s help, through donations or volunteering, as they work to meet the increased need.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with food insecurity, you can find resources here.
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