Media Coverage

He was a 13-year-old cut-up in a middle school class I once taught who couldn’t wait for the standardized test day administrators in his high poverty district dreaded. It wasn’t the exam slog that made him euphoric, it was the snacks given out before the tests began.

Like so many of his impoverished peers, he came to school hungry. I think of him now as millions of other hungry children and adults in Ohio will soon see their government food assistance terminated or cut substantially this fall under the Republican megabill enacted by Congress in July.

These are the invisible people who go to your church, shop at your grocery store, send their kids to the same school your kids attend. They just don’t advertise how regularly their households have to choose between buying food and paying for rent, utilities, transportation and/or gas.

It’s embarrassing for the family who lives down the block, the veteran who socializes at the local American Legion post, the penniless older adult, the disabled person scraping by and lawfully residing immigrants with nothing. They don’t want you to notice how often they don’t eat. But they all face an imminent food crisis that anyone with an ounce of compassion cannot ignore.

“With the first federal paychecks missed and the shutdown stretching into a third week, Ohio’s foodbanks and local hunger relief partners are working hard to respond to gaps that federal workers are facing. At the same time, we are focused on remaining available to the tens of thousands of Ohioans that turn to our network for help each day when they face budget shortfalls.

“Foodbanks have existed for more than five decades to help families and those in need respond to food shortages. In times of economic disruption and natural disasters, foodbanks serve as key public-private partners working with local food pantries and meal programs to keep food on the table and households stable. As we navigate this shutdown day by day, we continue to communicate with our state agency partners to better understand the impact government-funded assistance programs may face if the shutdown is prolonged. While we stand ready to assist those affected, our resources are already stretched thin, with an average of 1.4 million Ohioans visiting our food pantries each month, and a prolonged shutdown will add strain on our network.

“We are counting on our donors, supporters and communities to step up in any way they can as our network continues its response. This situation underscores the vital role of public-private partnerships in supporting working families. Our partnerships with the USDA and the State of Ohio help support farmers and producers when they face market challenges, while also ensuring Ohio families are nourished. We maximize those partnerships through the power of charitable and corporate giving and local volunteerism. The collective generosity of Ohioans in this moment is essential in supporting our mission — not only in this shutdown season, but as we approach the winter months and holiday season ahead.”

The Ohio Association of Foodbanks is Ohio’s largest charitable response to hunger, representing Ohio’s 12 Feeding America foodbanks and 3,600 member charities including food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters who serve all 88 counties in Ohio. Follow the association on X, stay connected on Facebook and visit them on the web at www.ohiofoodbanks.org.

Tucked inside the signature legislation of President Trump and the 119th Congress is a time bomb scheduled to explode in 2027. When it does, it could have a crippling impact on a 60-year-old program that millions of people here and around the country depend on for basic nutrition and sustenance.

SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, is a key link in the safety net that keeps people from being consumed by poverty, hunger and illness. It also supports local farmers, businesses and economies. Once known as “food stamps,” SNAP is the nation’s largest food assistance program, counted on by 42 million Americans, including more than 100,000 in Hamilton County.

What happens to Americans who rely on the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program as the federal government shutdown continues?

The future of SNAP -- which provides food assistance to about 41.7 million people, or nearly one in eight Americans -- is uncertain if Congress does not reach a budget agreement soon. On Oct. 10, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which administers the program, instructed state agencies not to prepare for November payments. In some states, new applications are already being halted.

Food banks are open as usual during this federal government shutdown, as concerns are rising for what might happen with benefits if the situation drags on.

"We've very rarely seen long-term shutdowns that have led to actual impacts on public benefit access," said Joree Novotny, executive director of the Ohio Association of Food Banks.

Novotny said that means for October, those receiving benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or the Women, Infants and Children food program should have no concerns.

But if the shutdown goes beyond this month, "then there will be different scenarios to take into consideration" when it comes to SNAP or WIC.

From federal workers facing layoffs to delays in vital services, millions of Americans could be affected.

The uncertainty is making many worry, especially federal employees. One of the industries that could be affected by a shutdown is food banks.

Joree Novotny, executive director of the Ohio Association of Food Banks, said it would depend how long the shutdown would last. She said if it lasts for a few days or weeks, we may not see any major disruptions in access to public benefits or services.

“But after a little bit of time, if the shutdown does continue, that’s when we would see a real impact first on federal employees and contractors and other folks that are directly paid by the federal government also some potential impacts on staffing that supports access to other programs, but for the immediate, we’re not hugely concerned on access to hunger relief or access to food because of the shutdown,” said Novotny.

Novotny said the last government shutdown was in 2018. She believes it lasted about 35 days. She said they had some issues with people using public benefits like SNAP which caused a lot of uncertainty.

Novotny also said that their main concern is the uncertainty. She said people already have a hard time meeting their basic needs and stretching their incomes far enough to pay their bills and put food on the table.

She said adding another uncertainty in the mix is tough and can be concerning for those wondering what’s coming. But they’re working closely with their partners at the state agencies to communicate transparently with Ohioans who could be impacted by the delays and interruptions.