What’s next for food insecurity and travel post-government shutdown

JEFFERSON CITY — The 43-day government shutdown has officially ended, but its effects are dissipating more slowly.

Managers at the Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri said they are still waiting for the Missouri Department of Social Services to provide additional information on how to move forward.

“We know partial payments have gone out on EBT cards, but we also recognize that every dollar is important for putting meals on the table. Until the remainder of SNAP payments go out, we expect to see more new neighbors visiting our network than we typically do – and it may take a while for some neighbors and federal workers to recover financially – so we’ll keep working to meet that need,” said spokesperson Katie Adkins.

They report that 951,000 people, as well as one in every five children, are facing hunger in the state of Missouri.

This statistic was realized as local organizations and businesses weighed in on the effects of the government shutdown.

Salvation Army Major, Chris Clarke, spoke to the opening of the government, also opening a conversation on just how many families are food insecure.

“The need is still great. People haven’t received all of their SNAP benefits, so we’re still trying to meet those needs and get them past this little hurdle,” said Clarke.

Because of the shutdown, the government altered SNAP benefits for the month, with funds varying from household to household.

This reduced the maximum assistance available for the month, thus emphasizing the continued need for food bank support.

The Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri reported a 17.1 % increase in households served in the Osage Hills mobile market alone.

By increasing food spending by more than 157% this time last year, the Food Bank served 4,396 households, including 273 new households.

“We’re grateful to share millions of pounds of food at no cost in Boone County each year, and to be at the heart of charitable food efforts alongside dozens of dedicated local agencies who make a difference. Our shared efforts are even more instrumental as we work to get food to neighbors who are experiencing need for the very first time,” said Food Bank CEO Lindsay Lopez.

The Salvation Army also saw a historic influx in recipients.

“So, we’ve had at least a 40% increase over the past couple of weeks, so more people are coming to us than ever before in our history,” said Clarke

Support went beyond organizations and donations as Colton’s Steakhouse and Grill became one of many locally owned franchises to provide relief to families.

The restaurant served 538 free kids’ meals within the past two weeks and has hopes of continuing this momentum throughout November.

“It was an opportunity for us, I think, to, you know, just help a little bit wherever we could,” said Owner and General Manager, Jack Ferrell.

The restaurant partners with the Salvation Army, offering $10 gift cards to those who donate to their holiday toy drive for families in need during the Holiday Season.

As for travel, the Columbia Regional Airport is at a normal pace.

“Yeah, we’re seeing things back to normal. We haven’t seen any cancellations today,” said Airport Manager Mark Parks.

However, with a situation this complex, connecting flights with larger airlines may take longer to align.

“Of course, it’s not just Columbia, it’s airports nationwide, and so for the system to smooth out will take a little bit of time to get everybody where they need to go,” said Parks.

For those who may not have received their SNAP benefits in October, the Salvation Army in Jefferson City will be offering food boxes from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Friday.