Families on food stamps already feeling effects of government shutdown

In Monterey County nearly 40,000 people receive CalFresh, more commonly known as food stamps.

Low-income families could have a harder time affording food if the partial government shutdown continues into February.

The Department of Agriculture said last month, the food stamp program is funded through January, but has only three billion dollars in reserves to cover February nationwide. That’s less than two-thirds of food stamps 4.8 billion dollar cost in September.

Nearly 38.6 million Americans depended on this aid to augment their grocery budgets in September, according to the US Department of Agriculture’s latest data.

We spoke with food stamp recipients in Salinas who are concerned about the near future.

“it’s a good benefit for us, but if it stops and gets taken away then I can’t feed my kids,” Salinas resident Cassondra Ortiz said.

Another mother has already noticed a cut in her food stamp allotment. Natalie Castillo said she normally receives $300 a month and in January she barely got half of that.

“Starting this month on the fifth we noticed there was about $120 less of food stamps with no change of income,” Castillo said.

Castillo’s 3-year-old son has some health issues, and the family can’t afford to loose any support.

“We’re in a situation where we’re like homeless, and its been hard because we can’t even find money for rent. We’ve been trying to find a place but now its even harder to come up with that money,” Castillo said.

Since the government shutdown the Food Bank of Monterey County has seen a rise in service.

“We have a lot of federal employees and contractors in the area, and many families here are living pay check to pay check, so when money is not coming in our lines are going to continue to increase,” director of Food Bank of Monterey County Melissa Kendrick said.

The food bank already serves 20% of Monterey County and 25% of children in the county.

“We have one of the highest levels of food insecurity,” Kendrick said. “We consistently rank in the bottom three of 58 counties in California.”

Kendrick said if the shutdown continues until February, they could see a big jump in food bank service.

The food bank said they don’t plan on sending anyone away.

Late Tuesday afternoon the Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue said, the president has directed him to provide low income families with access to food stamps.

Perdue said the plan provides benefits for participants in SNAP or food stamps for the month of February. He said the plan will work and is legally sound.