Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
- Food pantries in northern Utah continue to face increased demand amid the government shutdown.
- The Cache Community Food Pantry sees a potential quadrupling of families needing aid.
- Donations and volunteer efforts are surging, but are only temporary solutions, directors say.
LOGAN — As the federal government shutdown stretches on, food pantries across northern Utah are seeing a dramatic rise in families seeking help. At the same time, people and organizations are seemingly stepping up at a similar pace, with remarkable generosity.
At the Cache Community Food Pantry in Logan, director Matt Whitaker said the increase in need has been staggering.
"We normally see, at this time of the year, five to 10 applications a day," Whitaker said. "We're seeing 50 to 75, or even more, applications each day now."
The pantry typically serves around 1,600 families a month. But with food stamp benefits halted, Whitaker estimates that more than 6,000 families in Cache Valley could be affected.
"We could potentially see a quadrupling of what we normally do in one month," he said.
Mark Miller Subaru in Salt Lake County has also seen a significant increase in traffic. A spokesman from Mark Miller Subaru said, "We've seen a significant increase in visitors coming in for free boxed lunches; what started as about 10 a day has quickly grown to nearly 50. It's clear that food insecurity is still a real issue in our community."
Even with the temporary relief provided from recent SNAP updates, the company has not seen a decline in foot traffic for its free boxed lunches. But the company is committed to its free lunch program and will continue the program "for as long as it is needed," the spokesman said.
"Our goal is to ensure no one in our community goes hungry, and we're proud to play a small role in helping fill that gap." the spokesman said
Despite the surge, donations have been pouring in. Whitaker said the Utah Farm Bureau recently delivered three pallets of meat, with a promise of four more to come. Volunteers are working hard to sort and distribute food, and even small donations are greatly appreciated.
"Everybody can help, even if they don't have a lot," said donor Kira Bangerter. "Just what you can give is going to be beneficial."
That same spirit of giving is evident at Weber Human Services, where executive director Kevin Eastman and his team are assembling food bags for roughly 300 families who they've identified as needing extra help. Support has come in from grocery stores, bakeries, individual donors, their own employees and their own foundation — raising about $12,000 in donations.
"So, it's just been overwhelming," Eastman said. "I mean, the kindness and generosity in people's hearts is really evident."
Still, Eastman warns that the current efforts are only a temporary fix.
"This is just a Band-Aid," he said. "It's like, one week's supply of food for those people. And every day that the federal government doesn't put a budget together and restore those benefits, we're going to have to try to see what we can do to bridge them to that point."
Both Whitaker and Eastman said continued support will be crucial if the shutdown continues. Whitaker emphasized that no donation is too small.
"If anybody wants to donate, we would not turn that away," he said.
Food and cash donations can be brought directly to the Cache Community Food Pantry or through its website. Weber Human Services is accepting donations through its foundation website.
Contributing: Par Kermani
