CHICAGO (WGN) — As the government shutdown continues, concerns about food insecurity grow, with local food pantries stepping up efforts to bridge the gap as the holidays approach.
Volunteers were hard at work on Sunday morning at Share Love Share Food in Brookfield, which was more reminiscent of a traditional grocery store than a food pantry, with all the carts and human beings moving back and forth.
“We try to replicate the experience of going to a grocery store, except at the end they don’t pay,” said John Dumas, Administrative Director at Share Food Share Love. “We really try to make it as much of a normal shopping experience as we can.”
But with federal funding cuts, the government shutdown, and SNAP benefits set to be cut off on Nov. 1, there’s an even greater need this year for community support as Thanksgiving and Christmas sit just beyond the horizon.
“It’s not just the holidays coming up, it’s everything,” Brookfield Village President Michael Garvey said. “The situation with the government shutdown and benefits being cut back, it’s a scary time. To think that people in our own community need to worry about where their next meal is coming from is very sobering.”
From packing bags for those Thanksgiving dinners to donating a few dollars here and there, that’s where volunteers hope neighbors in their community can step in and lend a helping hand.
“Being kind and helping others—at really very little cost of your own—you’re volunteering your time and your effort,” said Sophia May, Assistant Manager at Share Food Share Love. “That’s not much, but it can make a big difference.”
For more information on everything Share Food Share Love is up to, visit their website: https://www.sharefoodsharelove.org/
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