Food insecurity is becoming an increasing issue for some North Carolina federal workers.
Since they aren’t receiving paychecks amid the ongoing government shutdown, many have turned to community resources as a means to feed their families.
Jason Kanawati Stephany, the vice president of the Food Bank of Central and Eastern NC, said the organization has seen a major surge in visitors since the shutdown began.
“We are already seeing more families turn to our hunger relief network across the state. And that number will only grow as more paychecks are withheld,” he said.
The Food Bank of Central and Eastern NC is one of the largest hunger relief organizations in the country, offering more than 700 food pantries, no-cost markets, meal sites and delivery services.
The food bank serves multiple regions across North Carolina, including Durham, Raleigh, Greenville, New Bern, Sandhills, and Wilmington.
Kanawati Stephany said that federal employees from all over the state have reached out to him looking for assistance for their families.
“The first email we received from a federal worker came the day after the first paychecks were missed … and I have it here,” he said.
“'I'm a federal employee currently going without pay due to the ongoing government shutdown. I'm a parent to five children and I'm seeking assistance to ensure my family has access to nutritious food during this challenging time,'” Kanawati Stephany read to a WUNC reporter.
That particular message came from a family who lives in the small rural town of Creedmoor.
Kanawati Stephany noted that people in rural areas are extremely vulnerable in this situation, given the fact they don’t have nearby access to assistive resources.
He also noted that cuts to federal food assistance programs like SNAP and EBT have already been contributing to a national hunger crisis for vulnerable populations. Kanawati Stephany said what we’re seeing now is a snowball effect.
“The hunger crisis is worse than anything we’ve seen in a generation and it is only going to be made worse if congress insists on pushing these cuts forward,” he said. “That’s what’s at stake in the shutdown.”
To learn more about the organization’s services and resources for federal workers, visit foodbankcenc.org.
