SAN ANTONIO – Nonprofits are already seeing an increase in requests for food assistance, and that number could grow even more as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits are paused starting Nov. 1.
On Monday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said federal food benefits will not be issued after November because the “well has run dry” on funding amid the government shutdown.
SNAP provides government subsidies to help families buy groceries. When the benefits pause begins, the government will temporarily stop providing these funds.
Sharon Sadlon, administrator of the King of Kings Food Pantry at the King of Kings Lutheran Church on Dreamwood Drive, said the government shutdown has increased the number of people turning to nonprofits and church pantries for assistance.
“We already turned away 20 cars, you know, a week away,” Sadlon said. “I can’t imagine how many we may have to turn away this coming week.”
With the impending SNAP suspension, Sadlon said she and her volunteers have already been looking into how they can accommodate more people.
Last month, Sadlon said the pantry distributed approximately 40,000 pounds of food.
She shared that the ministry has a shared maintenance agreement with the San Antonio Food Bank.
The agreement allows officials at the King of Kings Food Pantry to buy additional meat and dairy items for their respective pantries to provide more of the items their clients may need.
But Sadlon said increasing inventory requires more funding.
“We don’t carry over much in a year, so we are concerned about our ability to increase those elements,” Sadlon said.
She explained that the ministry distributes food on the fourth Thursday of each month, except on Thanksgiving Day, and serves anyone who comes to the pantry.
There is some paperwork to comply with the San Antonio Food Bank’s distribution guidelines.
Over the last couple of years, Sadlon said the pantry has regularly provided food for 142 families, serving a total of 560 to 570 families in a month, thanks to donations from the King of Kings Lutheran Church congregation through its Feed My Sheep Initiative.
“That is where our food comes from, it’s donations from within our congregation,” she said. “It’s a matter of faith, you know, we’re praying for more volunteers, and of course, if we can increase, we’re gonna pray for a little more money.”
While money is a main concern for providing this outreach, Sadlon said so is having volunteers.
She added that the ministry’s 20 to 25 volunteers handle, sort, and bag the groceries for distribution, and that a number of retirees carry out the work.
“It’s very tiring for them,” Sadlon said.
If additional funding is secured to increase food distribution by 4,000 to 5,000 pounds, bringing the total to 10,000 to 15,000 pounds per week, more volunteers will be needed.
Sadlon said she and her volunteers are holding onto their faith and continue to work as long as they can to share their faith and love.
“Providing ‘em food is not a chore, it’s a blessing to us that God gives us the resources and the strength to do it,” Sadlon said.
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