With food assistance for tens of millions of Americans facing a funding cliff on Nov. 1 due to the multi-week government shutdown, Maryland leaders and organizations are warning residents about the dangers that could come with cuts, while also supporting people through providing resources.
Approximately 680,000 Marylanders, including nearly 270,000 children, are poised to lose their Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and roughly another 125,000 residents will lose their Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) benefits.
The Trump administration is refusing to use a six billion dollar contingency fund to keep these programs funded, and states will not be reimbursed for filling the financial gap to provide food for hungry families.
“The Trump administration has provided zero assurance that our state will receive reimbursement—even if Maryland were to cover SNAP benefits in the absence of federal funding,” Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) said in a statement. “And as recent history has shown, President Trump’s targeted attacks on Democratic priorities, programs, and states only further diminishes our confidence in being made whole.”
As challenges persist, the governor is stepping in to support people around Maryland, such as on Oct. 24, when he helped to pass out food aid at the Bowie Food Pantry to furloughed federal workers.
“This shutdown is a continuation of the reckless actions we’ve seen since Day One of this federal administration. Now the president would rather allow the government to remain shut down than negotiate in good faith, leaving Maryland’s economy and working families to deal with the consequences,” Moore said in a statement shortly after participating in the food giveaway last Friday. “But while the president continues to look away, Maryland will do everything in its power to deliver relief to those struggling.”
Ivey Blames Republicans for Impending Cuts, Offers Warning
Maryland Democratic Rep. Glenn Ivey described the impending cuts to food assistance as both “tragic and inexcusable.”
“House Republicans knew this was going to happen, but have refused to take steps to address it. Whenever Democrats in the House made an effort to make Republicans confront that, Republicans united to block it,” he told The Informer. “Hungry people, including children, will not get enough to eat and in the wealthiest country in the history of the planet: that doesn’t make sense.”
He also noted that the shutdown remains the fault of the Republican majority, who have not re-authorized subsidies for the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare.
“The Republicans have dug a deep hole with respect to health care in the country. On top of one trillion cuts to Medicaid, we will also see the expiration of the ACA’s tax credits,” Ivey said. “This could see 15 million people losing access to health care that has worked well for 15 years, despite Republican outcry.”
The congressman warned that without these subsidies, insurance premiums could rise significantly for many Americans.
“Once people see their insurance premiums doubling and tripling, they will contact their members of Congress and tell them to fix the problem. The Republicans passed this legislation knowing that the health care credits wouldn’t be extended while they did extend tax credits for the wealthy,” he continued. “They made sure the money moved from the needy to the greedy.”
Local Organizations Here to Help
Like Bowie Food Bank, where Moore helped pass out resources, the DMV area is filled with local organizations working to support people during this challenging economic time and beyond.
The Storehouse, a Black-owned food bank, has been helping food-insecure families in both the DMV and Columbia, South Carolina for years.
The grassroots organization, which is hosting food giveaways at locations throughout the Washington metropolitan area every Saturday in November, is headed by executive director Mel Johnson, who cites her Christian faith and surviving a stroke as reasons to give back to those in need.
“We believe food is love in physical form. Everyone deserves to eat well — not just survive, but thrive. And we mean everyone: moms, veterans, kids, returning citizens, grandparents, refugees, folks going through a hard time,” Johnson told The Informer. “I decided to start The StoreHouse as part of my healing journey and to help inspire others to create community change.It all starts on a grassroots level. Through my experiences, I know the importance of community support when people are trying to rebuild themselves and their families.”
She recommended nut butters, whole-grain cereals, and oats for their nutritional value; brown rice, quinoa, and pasta for their versatility; and shelf-stable/plant-based milks, protein-rich snacks like granola or energy bars, and honey/nut-based spreads for their natural sweetness and quick energy.
The Capital Area Food Bank is also providing free food assistance to furloughed federal workers across the DMV. Lines are forming hours before distribution begins, highlighting the urgent need.
“It’s a perfect storm of increased need in our community and throughout the country,” said Capital Area Food Bank CEO Radha Muthiah in an interview with WAMU. “At the very same time, we’ve got reduced sources of food supply.”