CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Nearly 140,000 people in Mecklenburg County could lose access to food assistance next month if the federal government shutdown continues, according to local nonprofit Nourish Up.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as Food and Nutrition Services in North Carolina, provides a monthly lifeline for families struggling to put food on the table. But with no resolution in sight, organizations like Nourish Up say they are bracing for a surge in need they cannot meet alone.
“We are sounding the alarm and letting the community know that no single organization, including Nourish Up, can fill in the gap for SNAP alone,” said Danielle Moore, Chief Operating Officer of Nourish Up.
Moore said the nonprofit has already seen a 20% increase in service numbers as federal employees furloughed or working without pay turn to food pantries for help.
“We don’t want families to have to make the tough decision between putting food on the table and paying a bill,” Moore said.
Nourish Up estimates it can only serve one out of every nine people who rely on SNAP in the county. The organization is expanding pantry capacity at its 40 locations and preparing for what could become an unprecedented crisis.
Faith-based groups are also stepping in. Rev. Dr. Jennifer Copeland is the executive director of the North Carolina Council of Churches. Copeland said congregations are doing what they can to protect the most vulnerable.
“The number of people they will be expected to protect in the next week is insurmountable,” Copeland said.
Copeland urged lawmakers to act quickly.
