Welcome to the eating season, unless you are poor or a federal employee

 By Becky Tallent | FāVS News Columnist

Welcome to the 2025 eating season. Or not if you use food stamps or are a federal employee.

The eating season is what many dietitians call the time between Halloween and the Super Bowl. This is the time when people gather to celebrate various holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hannakuh, Kwanza, etc.) using food as a basis for getting together.

But this year is different. The government shutdown is impacting much more than closed offices; it means thousands of government employees are furloughed or laid off and currently have no income. These families must balance the need for food and paying bills with their available savings, and no paycheck or government subsidies in sight.

For people who count on government assistance, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Oct. 24 it will not use its contingency fund to feed the 42 million Americans, including 930,000 Washingtonians and 130,900 Idahoans, who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP. 

This is a reversal from only a week earlier when it was noted Congress had already approved the funds. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare said it will refer people to local food banks for assistance after Nov. 1.

According to ProPublica, all this comes shortly after the Donald Trump Administration cancelled 94 million pounds of food aid for local food banks. The cuts also included $500 million in deliveries for U.S.-produced meat, eggs and produce to organizations across the country.

The problem for local food banks

Therein lies the rub for many local food banks nationwide who have been overwhelmed in the past year just due to rising inflation.

For example, at the West Side Food Pantry in Moscow (population 25,440) operated by Inland Oasis, the number of people seeking help rose dramatically from about 200 people a month three years ago to 2,156 individuals in September. This includes providing food for 635 children, 1,366 adults and 155 seniors with an average of 500 individual visits a week. 

Colleges and universities are not immune. At the Vandal Food Pantry at the University of Idaho, the numbers are also increasing, up to 50 visits on some days as opposed to three years ago when the pantry averaged 11 visits per day. Sandra Kelly, who runs the Vandal pantry, said it scares her to see how many students are using the pantry as their primary food source.

“Ramen, rice, soups and pasta noodles go out as fast as they come in,” Kelly said. “I have students almost in tears as they are thanking us for the food.”

To prevent empty shelves, Inland Oasis is holding an emergency food drive on Sunday, Nov. 2, for the West Side Food Pantry. This drive is trying to fill the shelves as the SNAP benefits disappear and while local federal government employees are furloughed. Other food pantries are looking at similar action.

Foods needed by pantries

Specifically, pantry officials said they need canned goods, including soups, milk, vegetables and fruit. Also needed: oatmeal, boxes of mac and cheese, condiments (especially salt, pepper and ketchup), gluten-free items and baby supplies.

Dairy products are also welcome, after all, one cannot mix a box of macaroni and cheese without milk and butter.

People who don’t want to shop for these items can donate money (cash, check or electronic transfer) to Inland Oasis or any food bank, earmarking the money for the food pantry.

Wealth vs. food insecurity

Although many Americans pride themselves as being a wealthy nation, this current situation should give them pause. After all, people should not go hungry in the wealthiest country in the world.

Food insecurity and hunger often lead to a variety of preventable long-term physical and mental health problems, especially in children and the elderly, increasing health care costs for everyone.

In the last government shutdown, it was the air traffic controllers calling in sick or holding work slowdowns, which brought Congress together. This time, it is very likely to be a food emergency. People unable to access food are very likely to ring alarm bells, especially for officials with re-election campaigns next year.

Hopefully, Congress can see the hunger issue before it becomes dire for millions of Americans and open negotiations to end the shutdown.

In the meantime, if possible, please support local food banks this eating season and every season. It shows there is a quality of mercy and kindness left in America.

The views expressed in this opinion column are those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of FāVS News. FāVS News values diverse perspectives and thoughtful analysis on matters of faith and spirituality.

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