It’s just after 11 a.m. on Tuesday, past distribution hours, but the Pleasant Grove Food Pantry is still full of people waiting to receive food assistance.
Diana Johnson, a former client who is now a volunteer, said they've been “overloaded” with clients since the federal government shut down last month – and this week has been especially busy.
“This place filled up three times in all of these chairs, and we have 10 chairs and seven rows," Johnson said. “A lot of people been affected by the government shutdown, by SNAPs not being given out. It's just really been hard on a lot of people, a lot are struggling.”
She’s referring to families who depend on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, which was frozen – and later reinstated at half its usual amount — because of the federal government shutdown.
Approximately 3.5 million Texans depend on SNAP benefits to afford groceries each month. A rise in food insecurity in North Texas has food banks like the Pleasant Grove Food Pantry searching for additional food and additional helping hands.
On Monday, the pantry, which serves the 75217, 75227 and 75253 zip codes, served at least 25 more families than usual – many of whom were there for the first time, said executive director Martha Doleshal. The pantry sees close to 400 families a week, but she expects it to be higher this week.
Doleshal said she’s seen an increase recently after word got out about people potentially losing benefits.
“First, I think it was the rumors about what was gonna happen or the predictions about what is gonna happen, and then starting over the weekend, they were hearing that they weren't gonna get their stamps at all this month,” she said. “And so people in the neighborhood are reacting to that, and they want to make sure that they have food to eat."
Marian, who only shared her first name with KERA, visited the pantry Tuesday morning. She has four children, ages of three to 13, and her husband has a limited ability to work due to illness. She said with the $140 he gets paid every week, she has to figure out how to feed her family of six.
“It is very hard because I have to tell my children to put stuff back,” she said. “‘Oh, I'm sorry. I can't buy you this. I can’t buy you that. Not right now. It’s not the time.’”
Marian said she normally receives close to $1,000 a month from SNAP, but without those benefits she had to turn to the food bank for help.
"It's my third time coming here. My last time was like five or six months ago, and I had to come again because we are struggling at the moment," she said. “Christmas is coming and I don't even know if I'm going to get to give my kids something this year because it's hard. It's real hard.”
Volunteer Diana Johnson, who has struggled with food insecurity before, said she understands what families like Marian's are experiencing. For Halloween, she gave out noodles instead of candy.
“When a child don't want candy, but they'd be glad to accept noodles, you know that's a struggle,” Johnson said. “You know that is hard.”
She said she’s just doing her part and encourages others to do the same.
“Some people can't work. Some people need their benefits -- and if you see somebody doing bad, help them,” she said. “Try to talk, you know, speak life into them. Don't just walk away. You don't know what a person goes through on a daily basis."
Priscilla Rice is KERA’s communities reporter. Got a tip? Email her at price@kera.org.
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