Food insecurities on the table for many San Diegans

Imagine looking in your food pantry and seeing it grow more bare by the week.

That is the current reality for many San Diegans, as the federal government shutdown entered its sixth week on Monday with no clear end in sight.

As the two political parties haggle over the terms of ending what would become the longest-ever government shutdown as of this Wednesday, many are feeling the pain.

Locally, more San Diegans are likely to now face food challenges, given that CalFresh benefits for November are being delayed due to the shutdown in Washington, D.C.

Those who rely on such benefits can still use any existing funds they have on their EBT cards. However, new benefits will not appear until federal funding is back in place. Recipients are reminded to continue filling out the required forms so that their paperwork is up to date.

During a news conference last week, County Board of Supervisors Chair Terra Lawson-Remer and Vice Chair Monica Montgomery Steppe came together with members of San Diego’s Congressional Delegation and leaders from Feeding San Diego and the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank to address the ever-growing problem.

“No one should find out at the grocery store that their benefits didn’t reload,” Lawson-Remer said in a release. “Republicans in Congress’ failure to fund the government will mean thousands of San Diego families will have to start thinking about where their next meals will come from.

“We’re coordinating with local partners to ensure we are meeting these food insecurity needs — and we’re asking our community to step up for one another.”

“The reality is that mothers, children, veterans, and seniors will bear the greatest impact of SNAP delays,” added Montgomery Steppe. “Together with our federal and community partners, we remain committed to clear communication and decisive action to support residents through this period of uncertainty.”

San Diego agencies work to fill a food-shortage void 

Many local agencies are doing all they can to ease the burden for individuals and families struggling to stock their pantries.

At Jewish Family Service of San Diego, the nonprofit human services agency is working to make life a little better for others, especially now, given the food challenges many face.

Tom Stewart, vice president of strategic integration at Jewish Family Service in San Diego, noted the uncertainty many San Diegans are now living with regarding delayed paychecks and the cost of buying food is an opportunity for JFS to step in and help.

“Many people are uncertain when they will get their next paycheck due to the shutdown,” Stewart said. “We are trying to ease their mind the best we can. One out of four San Diegans faces food insecurities.”

San Diegans from throughout the county came through the JFS drive-through distribution center on Balboa Avenue during a two-hour window last Wednesday to pick up produce and canned goods.

Like any well-run operation, volunteers play a key role in making sure things go as smoothly as possible.

“We have about six to 10 volunteers per shift to help out,” Stewart said. “We have people working on both preparation and distribution of items.

What makes this operation more interesting is that some volunteers have faced their own food challenges over time, so they are now doing what they can to help.

“Some have had the same challenges in the past, and they want to help others,” Stewart said.

Who is affected most by the shutdown?

Given the wide variety of people and incomes in San Diego, where are the food insecurites most showing up?

“There is not really one specific demographic that is impacted,” said Stewart. “There was one person who came here planning on retiring this December and needed help now. We’re trying to take a little bit of the headache away on how to pay rent, their medical bills, and so on…. the majority of people who come to us are here for the first time.”

Help is coming from other San Diego agencies too, with the San Diego Food Bank lending a hand.

“Yes, more San Diegans are struggling to stock their pantries right now – and the San Diego Food Bank is stepping up in a big way to meet this moment,” communications director Arika Daniels said, adding that they have proactively scaled their operations to meet the moment.

“We’ve ordered additional food, expanded distribution capacity, and mobilized volunteers to ensure access to nutritious food for those most affected.”

According to Daniels, there has been a surge in demand for help and a response to such demand since the government shutdown began, which includes:

• a 10x increase in daily online applications for Food Bank ID cards;
• a 7% increase in food requested by our nonprofit partners; and,
• a 6% increase in community members accessing our Client Choice Pantry in Vista.

“This response is only possible because of our generous donors and the San Diego community, which has always stepped up in times of need,” Daniels said.

“The San Diego community is fortunate in that numerous agencies are doing whatever they can to pitch in and help.”

The San Diego Food Bank also partners with more than 450 nonprofit organizations across the region to help San Diegans facing food insecurity, Daniels added.

“These include community centers, faith-based organizations, senior centers, schools, and shelters — all working together to distribute food where it’s needed most.”

Some of the key partners include:

• Catholic Charities Diocese of San Diego
• Father Joe’s Villages
• Interfaith Community Services
• North County Lifeline
• Vista Community Clinic
• Neighborhood House Association
• YMCA locations across the county

“These partnerships allow us to reach diverse communities, from active-duty military families to seniors, children, and people living with disabilities,” Daniels added.

“Together, we’re expanding access to nutritious food through mobile pantries, pop-up distributions, and direct service programs.”

How can you help?

If you want to help San Diegans dealing with food insecurities, there are a number of ways to do it, including making donations to supporting agencies, volunteering your time to support, pack, and distribute food, hosting a virtual food drive, and more.

“This is a community-wide challenge, and it will take all of us — philanthropy, nonprofits, businesses, and neighbors — working together to ensure no one goes hungry,” Daniels said. “San Diego has always stepped up in times of need, and we’re confident it will again.”

For more information, whether you’re in need of food assistance or you want to help others, check out:

• jfssd.org/government-shutdown/
• sandiegofoodbank.org/get-food/
• benefitscheckup.org/program/nutrition_ca_snap_program
• feedingsandiego.org