Government shutdown ends, local food pantries brace for what's next
What's next for local food pantries?
Local food pantries are figuring out what's next now that the government shutdown has ended. Food pantries across Milwaukee say the last few weeks have been stressful with high demand during the shutdown.
MILWAUKEE - Local food pantries are figuring out what's next now that the government shutdown has ended.
Food pantries across Milwaukee say the last few weeks have been stressful with high demand during the shutdown.
Even though federal food assistance money will now be able to go out, local pantries tell FOX6 they're not out of the woods yet.
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Food pantries still busy
What we know:
With SNAP benefits kicking in and the government shutdown ending, FOX6 wanted to see how things were shaping up at food pantries in the Milwaukee area.
"We have started to see a decrease of people that have been actually coming in," said Linda Barnes with House of Peace.
House of Peace
"I would say at status quo now, and it is still quite busy for the holiday season," said Heidi Gould with the Jewish Community Pantry.
Both House of Peace and the Jewish Community Pantry said on Thursday that the rush was intense.
"Before the shutdown, we were doing anywhere from 50 to 60 households. During the shutdown we were doing over 100 households per day," added Barnes.
"That was the busiest we have been in 50 years of serving," echoed Gould.
Jewish Community Pantry
While these spaces say they received lots of donations, some had to dig into their own pockets to keep supplies stocked.
"We spend $10,000 of our own budget money that was set aside for other things just to get through," said Gould.
Think things like proteins, produce, milk, butter, baby formula, and other food items, especially with the holiday season approaching.
"We are preparing to give out turkeys and holiday festive food next week," said Gould.
While the traffic is starting to slow down, they are bracing for what's to come.
Food on the shelves
Preparing for the holidays
What's next:
"We're also preparing for what does this next year look like with SNAP benefits. We're concerned that maybe there are other ramifications with folks having higher loosing their tax benefits on their health care," said Gould.
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That means donations are still crucial.
"The price of food hasn't changed, it's still expensive, so people still need our help," said Barnes.
In case you're wondering what happens to the city-wide food drive, the City of Milwaukee tells FOX6 that it will continue through Thanksgiving.
Organizers will decide what's next after that.
The Source: FOX6 spoke to people at both the Jewish Community Pantry and House of Peace to produce this story.