Food banks and community groups brace for spike in demand as shutdown continues

Federal workers affected by the shutdown are accessing food banks, while food programs like SNAP and WIC are going to run out of funding next month.

WASHINGTON — As the government shutdown barrels along, the impact on everyday Americans is growing.

It's creating additional stress on social service programs, which are now bracing for an increased need, including from people who don’t normally rely on their support.

Food banks from coast to coast were already seeing an uptick in visits from federal workers who are furloughed or working without pay. Now, they are preparing for an additional influx from Americans who rely on federal food benefit programs, which are set to run out of funding at the end of the month, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP or food stamps, and WIC, the food program for women, infants and children.

“When food banks serve families, it's usually a 1-to-9 ratio, so one meal provided by food banks versus nine provided by SNAP dollars. If those SNAP dollars get cut in half, that would mean that a local food bank quadruples their output just to meet that need,” Craig Rice, CEO of Manna Food Center in Maryland, told NBC Washington.

Manna Food Center serves a significant federal workforce population, and the ongoing shutdown has forced it to make additional preparations to meet the increased need.