As the federal government shutdown nears one month, hundreds of thousands of Nevadans could lose critical food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.
Assemblywoman Erica Roth spoke about how the shutdown is affecting families and local food banks, and highlighted the role of a community food drive organized by the Washoe Democrats.
Assemblywoman Roth said the scale of need in Nevada continues to grow. The Food Bank of Northern Nevada serves about 160,000 people monthly, a number that could increase as SNAP benefits are interrupted.
Nearly 500,000 Nevadans, or roughly one in seven residents and one in four children, may lose benefits if the shutdown continues.
"Many of those are families with children, seniors and those living on disability," Roth said. "And so it's just, frankly, unconscionable that the Trump administration is willing to let those folks go hungry, and they are giving us a choice of affordable health care or putting food on the table."
The Washoe Democrats’ food drive, which began on October 28th, has so far seen 15 people drop off donations, totaling roughly 300 items. Those donations will be delivered to the Community Food Pantry early next week. Roth said local pantries are already under strain, especially with demand rising ahead of Thanksgiving and the holiday season.
"We cannot possibly fill this gap with food banks or these food drives," Roth said. "We need the community to step up, but it is not going to fill the gap."
As the shutdown continues, Roth emphasized that while community efforts are critical, long-term solutions will require coordinated action from both state and federal leaders to ensure families in Nevada do not go hungry.
