LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — In two days, if nothing changes, the U.S, will experience the longest government shutdown in its history.
With no end in sight, community leaders are looking ahead to determine the best way to serve people across Las Vegas and Southern Nevada.
Three Square Food Bank is taking most of the spotlight in that regard following the end of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits on November 1.
“We have literally tens of thousands of people that don’t know where their next meal is coming from,” said Beth Martino, Three Square President and CEO.
Three Square hosted several food distribution drives on Saturday to help Nevadans no longer supported by SNAP.
“Over the next few weeks, we’ll see more emergency distributions happening around the community. We’ll also be sending more food to partners that we work with all across our service area,” Martino said. “No matter where you are here in Southern Nevada, you can find a food pantry, you can find help that’s close to you.”
FOX5 spoke to multiple people who were in line to receive support from these food drives, with some comparing this situation to the struggles of the pandemic.
While acknowledging the similarities in the execution of food distribution itself, Three Square leaders pointed out one glaring financial difference between the shutdown and the days of COVID-19.
“Even at the beginning of COVID, we saw stimulus checks and a couple helpers in pandemic EBT, the SNAP benefits come through,” said Lisa Segler, Chief Operations and Strategy Officer for Three Square. “There are no helpers right now other than our community and the wonderful donors and the people who step up to help in these times.”
The community support has come in from all directions to help those in need. The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada donated 5,000 bus passes to Three Square for people struggling to find reliable transportation amidst the shutdown.
FOX5 also ran into Emylia Camacho, a local 13-year-old who spent her Halloween trick-or-treating for canned goods to donate.
“I see so many people that are on the streets with no food and are just starving with no water or anything. I have things I already need. I want to give back to them and know that they are okay,” Camacho said. “There’s so many people that are out there that we just drive past and think ‘oh I have everything I need. I don’t care about them.’ You’re supposed to care about other people because what they need is not what you already have. Just go out there and help the community.”
Going into this weekend, multiple federal judges ordered the Trump administration to pay for SNAP funding to continue beyond the cutoff, which did not happen.
While the outlook is unclear, Martino reaffirmed her mission to support Southern Nevadans for as long as necessary.
“The court ruling is certainly encouraging, but we know that the federal government has until Monday to respond, and people have a need that needs to be met right now. We also know that there could be an appeal which would prolong the payment of benefits,” Martino said.
“Even in the best-case scenario, it may be one to two weeks before benefits could be loaded onto cards and paid. We have to be here to meet the need immediately, and that’s why we’re still here today, and we’ll be here until the shutdown comes to an end.”
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