A grim deadline is approaching as thousands of people and food banks scramble to fill their pantries as the government shutdown drags on, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) runs out of money to help people.
Now, a statewide food drive could be the help Washingtonians and some of Washington’s food banks desperately need.
This morning, the Salvation Army, in collaboration with Walmart, is coordinating a massive effort to support those in need.
“A lot of times when people are facing food disparity and crisis, we are the first line of defense,” said Major Roy Wild of the Salvation Army at a food bank in Renton.
Wild says the Hope Market food bank in Renton serves 6,000 to 7,000 people monthly. The food bank is already overwhelmed, and anticipates an increase in demand if food benefits are cut.
PJ Johnson, a food bank customer, expressed concern about the potential loss of SNAP benefits, saying, “I don’t think it’s going to get any better, I think it’s going to get worse.”
Johnson says he visits the food bank several times a month. He’s watching to see if his SNAP benefits disappear, since he normally gets them the first of each month.
“I don’t know if it’s going to shut down for me. I don’t know, I’ll find out,” he said.
He’s in a similar boat with hundreds of thousands of people across Washington.
The food drive will take place at Walmart stores in cities with Salvation Army food banks, aiming to address the needs of the 930,000 Washingtonians who could lose access to basic food benefits.
With the food drive set for this Saturday, organizers hope to mitigate the impact of the shutdown on vulnerable communities across Washington.
The Salvation Army posted a list of cities where the food drive will take place:
- Anacortes
- Bellingham
- Bremerton
- Centralia
- Eastside
- Everett
- Federal Way
- Grays Harbor
- Longview
- Marysville
- Olympia
- Puyallup
- Renton Food Bank
- Seattle (Greenwood Ave North)
- Seattle White Center
- Spokane
- Tacoma
- Tri-Cities
- Vancouver
- Walla Walla
- Wenatchee
- Yakima
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