Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. – As families struggle to put food on the table due to the government shutdown, an increasing number of individuals are turning to local food banks.
Stephanie Kelley, executive director of East Cooper Community Outreach, reported that the organization’s shelves are nearly bare due to increased demand.
“Less coming in, but there’s more of a need going out,” Kelley said.
The shutdown has brought fresh faces to the food bank, particularly individuals on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Kelley stated that many families who were previously eligible for food assistance but did not use it are now looking for help.
“There are more new people, but many of the families we assist, even though they are eligible for food, will sometimes say, ‘It’s not that bad. I don’t need free food, right? People, or at least the majority of people, do not take items they do not need. But folks have no choice right now,” she explained.
As more people visit the food bank, more community members donate.
“There are donations coming in online from people we’ve never gotten donations from before,” Kelley informed me.
However, Kelley stated that rising expenses remain the primary issue affecting food bank operations.
“We have always donated $25 to ECHO. Twenty-five bucks does not purchase as much as it once did, right? So I believe we still had the same number of people and groups performing food drives. “It’s just that the cost of groceries made us buy fewer items,” she explained.
East Cooper Community Outreach officials said that supporting local food banks is critical for assisting those in need not only during the shutdown but all year.
“I think the word is out, support your local food bank in any way that you can,” Kelley told me.
