Still recovering federal workers may soon face another shutdown, and the gap in government food assistance may leave people hungry.

The next few weeks could be hard for many families and individuals throughout our community. Many federal workers are still missing large portions of their paychecks, while federal contractors are not eligible for any back pay at all. Another government shutdown may be around the corner, which could result in more missing paychecks.

[*note added 2/25/2019: the Government was funded and another shutdown was avoided]

On top of all that, the early delivery of February SNAP benefits means approximately 500k people in LA County who rely on that program to feed their families will have to wait longer before they can use that program to obtain food. Recipients will very likely run out of food before the assistance is delivered again, and local food banks and pantries will need to make up the difference.

Some Federal Workers are Awaiting their Full Backpay

Some federal workers have reported missing or incorrect compensation in the backpay that was issued by the government. According to the Washington Post, one employee’s paycheck reflected less than 30% of what she was expecting, and she is one of thousands. That means that some federal employees may need to rely on food banks and food pantries to fill the gap.

To make matters more complicated, if an agreement can’t be reached in Washington D.C., another partial government shutdown may begin on Friday, 2/15.

Early SNAP Benefits Mean a Longer Wait in February

California is one of the states in which SNAP recipients face a delay in the food assistance provided by the government. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities reports that Californian SNAP recipients will face a delay between 40-49 days.

Thanks to a successful holiday season, the Food Bank currently has the food necessary to meet this demand, but donated funds help to store and transport food products to those in need safely.

Additional funding would also allow the Food Bank to facilitate additional distributions in areas where there is a higher level of need.

One in Eight of our Neighbors Face Food Insecurity

While federal workers and contractors need our support now, many members of our community struggle with hunger daily. The Food Bank helps provide for roughly 300,000 people each month, but with our current resources, we are not able to get to everyone in Los Angeles County who needs our help. As we work to help those affected by recent political events, let’s not forget about the people who need our help every day.

Please help us provide for anyone in our community who faces hunger. No one should go hungry in Los Angeles.

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Government Shutdown Increasing the Need for Food Assistance >