FREEDOM (NBC26) — Governor Tony Evers announced Tuesday that federal funding for the state's FoodShare program will run out in 10 days, potentially leaving nearly 700,000 residents without crucial food assistance.
The looming funding pause has local food pantries bracing for a surge in demand.
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"We're really concerned that we're not going to have enough product here in our pantry to give out to everybody," said Gary VanBeek, who helps run a food pantry in Freedom that serves 60 to 80 families every month.
FoodShare is Wisconsin's version of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), providing monthly benefits to low-income households to help them buy food. The program serves about one in eight Wisconsin residents.
"Hunger doesn't have a boundary, so we have people come from Oshkosh and Green Bay," VanBeek said.
The potential disruption comes at the busiest time for food assistance organizations.
"The timing of this government shut down couldn't have been any worse," VanBeek said.
November typically brings the highest demand to food pantries across the state.
Matt Stienstra from Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin emphasized the massive scale of the FoodShare program compared to food pantries.
"We don't hold a candle to the power of the FoodShare program, for every one meal we provide FoodShare provides nine," Stienstra said.
"So changes to this program and disruption in benefits can have massive ripple effects across our network," Stienstra said.
How long benefits could be delayed remains unknown and is directly related to the length of any government shutdown.
Food pantries are preparing for the potential crisis by asking for community support through donations, volunteering and raising awareness. They say this support will be critical if FoodShare funding runs out.
For those using the FoodShare program, the most up-to-date information will be posted on the Wisconsin Department of Health Services website.
