Food Pantries Strain to Keep Up After Shutdown

On October 1st, nearly 42 million Americans lost Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits or SNAP benefits. Due to the 43 day government shutdown the longest in United States history, around 5,000 people rely on SNAP benefits. In La Plata County alone, you are watching the Local News Network brought to you by Happy Pappy Pizza and Wings. In Craigs ACE Hardware, I am Sadie Smith. Congress passed a bill on November 12th and President Trump signed it on November 13th, officially ending the shutdown. This bill Secure Snap funding through September, 2026. According to Governor Polis, Colorado is working to deliver November SNAP payments to approximately 600,000 recipients. Although Federal SNAP funding is being restored, local families and food pantries continue to feel the effects of the shutdown. The Good Food Collective is a non-profit that addresses these challenges through partnerships across the region. They reported a large increase of food pantry visitors during the shutdown,

And in La Plata County, our food pantry saw an increase. They were reporting anywhere from 20 to 48% increase in visitors ship, and then in Montezuma County, the report was 60 to 80% increase.

As costs of living continue to rise, many families can't cut back on fixed expenses like rent or childcare. Instead, they reduce spending where they can food.

What we've seen is the only thing people can flex on is food. So if people skip meals, people get cheap calories. And so when you take away any sort of, that's food support for folks who are really on those tight, tight margins already, it means they're choosing not to eat. It means they're skipping meals, it means they're trying for food assistance. Maybe they're running up credit card debt.

The high cost of living across the region on top of an unstable economy makes it even harder for families to make ends meet

The cost of living. To support a family of four in La Plata County is over a hundred thousand dollars. At this point, the average income is $54,000, and so the numbers don't work out.

While food pantries will always accept food donations, the most impactful way to support them right now is through monetary contributions.

For every dollar you or I give, they have the purchasing power to buy $7 worth of food. And so because we're trying to fill such a massive gap, this is one of the most cost effective ways we can get food out to folks.

For additional details on food assistance in the region and donation information, visit the Good Food Collective website. For more information about this and other stories, visit Durango Local News. Thank you for watching this edition of The Local News Network. I am Sadie Smith.