Millions of Americans could lose SNAP benefits Saturday because of the government shutdown. A Montgomery County, Maryland, food bank is bracing for the impact.
So What Else in North Bethesda provides emergency food support and free out-of-school programming, serving about 40,000 families weekly in Maryland and D.C.
Deputy Director May Nash said the current situation is dire and worse than during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Inflation, tariffs, the federal cuts, and now coming is the loss of SNAP,” Nash said. “It’s just created this perfect storm.”
She said the need has skyrocketed. The food bank is now open two extra days a week, on Wednesdays and Sundays, just for federal workers.
“The face of hunger has also changed. We’re seeing parents, neighbors, teachers, federal workers, people who never thought that they’d be in this position,” Nash said. “In times like this, it can just be anybody.”
The food bank has seen a significant drop in donations, from more than a million pounds of food in August to about half a million in October. With its annual Thanksgiving fundraiser underway, Nash said they need help from the community.
“We’re already pretty much stretched thin,” Nash said. “But we’re not going to stop. We’re going to do everything we can to make sure no one goes hungry in our area.”
So What Else aims to provide Thanksgiving dinners for at least 30,000 families, which is a bigger goal than last year, when they got a surge of help from WTOP listeners.
The food bank is asking for volunteers or donations. Nash said $24 covers dinner for a family of four. Find out more on its website.
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