BELLEVUE, Neb. (WOWT) – As families across the metro prepare for the holidays, many are wondering if they’ll have enough food on the table, or gifts under the tree.
Organizations are preparing for the lingering effects of the government shutdown, combined with the upcoming holiday demand.
“There’s usually quite a bit of greater need during the holidays, especially when children are out of school for the break, then we see people coming in seeking assistance at that time,” said Deanna Wagner, manager of the Bellevue Food Pantry.
The Bellevue Pantry typically sees about 2,000 people a month.
In October, they saw a 15% increase in people coming in for food amid the government shutdown.
That need is being felt across the metro at other pantries as well.
“The request for food from families has increased over the last few weeks,” Major Dan Sawka, the Omaha Area Commander of the Salvation Army said.
Despite the proposal to end the shutdown, Deanna says families would need our support for awhile longer, as they get back on their feet.
That means they would be looking for support through at least Thanksgiving.
“Sometimes it can take people a little bit of time to catch up from, from having to pay other bills, and so, we anticipate that people will still continue to come to the pantry,” Deanna explained.
While they and the salvation army have both received support from the community, Deanna recognizes neighbors, who are also saving for the holidays, can only do so much when working to fill the gap.
“People have been giving a lot to us right now which is wonderful. There are a lot of food drives going on, but you know those things will probably start to taper off a little bit,” she said.
Both the Bellevue Pantry and Salvation Army say they will do their best to address needs through the end of the year, even if community aid tapers off.
“We do expect this to move into the holiday season. Even though it moves into the holiday season, my experience has shown me over the years, and especially here in Omaha, is that when there is a need, Omaha steps up, and when Omaha steps up the Salvation Army steps up. We’re going to make sure that people are fed, and that people are taken care of, especially during the holiday season,” said Major Dan.
As far as holiday programs go, Bellevue continues to run as normal, but will help refer you to organizations with those programs in your area.
The Salvation Army does have a program coming up for Thanksgiving called TurkeyFest where they feed seniors over 60 a Thanksgiving dinner. Registration is available through Nov. 20 and meals are delivered to your home.
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