The shutdown could be nearing its end, but high demand for food assistance lingers

"Radha Muthiah is the CEO of Capital Area Food Bank in Washington, D.C. Since the shutdown began on Oct. 1, the nonprofit has been offering five additional food distributions a week for furloughed federal workers. CAFB says those distributions have been seeing between 1,500 and 2,000 families a week. The organization will provide 1 million more meals this month for those who haven't received their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, she said."

"Muthiah said some of the area residents the food bank serves are pulling from their long-term savings and retirement accounts, and reconsidering where their children will go to college because of the disruption to their incomes and benefits. "People are borrowing against their futures to be able to pay for basic necessities today, and that really shouldn't be the case," Muthiah said."

A potential deal to end the federal shutdown may restore SNAP benefits, but millions already face interrupted food assistance and local safety-net strain. The Capital Area Food Bank increased distributions, serving 1,500–2,000 families weekly and planning to provide one million additional meals this month for people who missed SNAP. Some residents are withdrawing long-term savings and delaying college decisions because of lost income and benefits. The USDA warned it could run out of funds on Nov. 1, prompting legal disputes over full November SNAP allotments and a temporary court order blocking full payments. Some states have issued full payments despite uncertainty over timing and backdating.

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