BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) \u2014 As the government shutdown stretches on, thousands of Kern County families who rely on CalFresh \u2014 California\u2019s version of the federal SNAP benefits program \u2014 are facing an uncertain future. <\/p>\n
Many are asking the same painful question: Where will my next meal come from?<\/p>\n
For Bakersfield resident Nicole Guzman, a single mother of two, the situation has become dire.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a mom, I make something out of nothing all the time,\u201d Guzman said. \u201cBut now, with our benefits cut, it\u2019s hard. We have to find other ways and go to different places just to feed our families.\u201d<\/p>\n
Guzman has relied on CalFresh for the past decade, but October was the last time she received her benefits. Payments stopped after the federal government shut down, leaving families like hers scrambling to find alternatives.<\/p>\n
\u201cI haven\u2019t gotten my CalFresh benefits this month,\u201d Guzman said. \u201cEveryone I know \u2014 friends, family \u2014 we\u2019re all struggling. We\u2019ve been going to the food pantry on Ming just to get by. There\u2019s no food at home.\u201d<\/p>\n
Federal officials say the USDA is currently using contingency funds to keep CalFresh running. <\/p>\n
However, recipients are only receiving half of their usual benefits, and even those funds are expected to run out soon.<\/p>\n
Kelly Lowery, food bank administrator for Community Action Partnership of Kern (CAPK), says the shutdown\u2019s effects are being felt across all food distribution sites.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause of the shutdown, they\u2019re using backup funds to make partial payments,\u201d Lowery explained. \u201cOnce that runs out, even those half payments will stop. If this goes into December, there may be nothing left.\u201dAt the Kern County Fairgrounds, food distribution lines have stretched down the streets for four straight days. CAPK and its partner organizations report record demand as families run out of money and food.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cBy the third week of October, families were already struggling,\u201d Lowery said. \u201cNovember first wasn\u2019t some magic day \u2014 they\u2019d been out of money for weeks.\u201dMeanwhile, a federal judge in Rhode Island ordered the Trump administration to find the funds necessary to fully cover SNAP benefits for November. <\/p>\n
The administration quickly appealed the ruling, leaving millions of Americans still waiting for answers.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe fastest way to restore benefits is to reopen the government,\u201d Lowery said. \u201cWe\u2019re calling on officials to come together and make that happen.\u201dThe ongoing shutdown has left more than 5.5 million Californians without $1.1 billion in food assistance, according to state estimates. <\/p>\n
Families like the Guzmans are now relying on food banks and donations to survive \u2014 hoping relief comes soon.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs Trump going to make things right?\u201d Guzman asked. \u201cWill he give everyone their benefits back? <\/p>\n
It\u2019s not fair \u2014 everyone needs to eat.\u201dAs of now, it remains unclear when the government shutdown will end \u2014 or what lasting impact it will have on federal assistance programs and the families who depend on them.<\/p>\n
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