Ellen Hansen, Asst. News Editor–

As of Nov. 1, nearly 42 million people will not be able to benefit from the necessary resources provided by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). That is roughly one out of every eight U.S. citizens losing a steady food flow. This also means that there are now 16 million children without access to food.

On Sept. 30, 2025, the U.S. Government shut down due to Congress not being able to pass bills that finance programs and operations from federal agencies. It is currently the longest U.S. shutdown to happen.

Not only have SNAP users lost a steady flow of food, but government workers have as well. There are roughly 730,000 federal workers who are not getting paid during this shutdown. This includes TSA (Transportation Security Administration) officers, military personnel, IRS workers, and many more. This increase in people who are unable to feed themselves and their loved ones has led to a surge in the number of individuals flocking to food pantries to make ends meet.

Nick Linkenhoker is the Executive Director of the Worthington Resource Pantry in Columbus. 

“We had some of our first families who were impacted directly from the shutdown over the weekend shop with us. So FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] employees who now have gone a month or more without a paycheck, and at this point, we don’t know when they’re going to get paid next. We don’t know how long the shutdown might be impacted,” He said. “That was a difficult one.”

Linkenhoker further said that at the Worthington Resource Pantry, they try to make it a “pretty happy place,” and that they “don’t want folks to come in and think that this is a place of last resort.” 

“I think that this weekend, there were more tears than normal,” Linkenhoker said.

Kathy-Kelly Long, the Executive Director of the Broad Street Food Pantry in Columbus, said that they have already seen an “almost 50% increase in the number of families coming to the pantry every day.”

Why does this matter for you and me, though? Maybe we’re one of the lucky ones who never have to worry about their next meal. Putting empathy aside, the shutdown of SNAP affects all of us much deeper than you might realize.

Grocery stores rely on a certain portion of their profit to come from SNAP. Stores such as Walmart, Kroger, and Costco rely on SNAP users, with nearly 26% of Walmart’s grocery sales coming from SNAP users. With that taken away, stores may have to raise prices or shut down to deal with the pullout of SNAP money being spent at their store; that means more expensive food for you.

Many of us utilize air transportation to get to faraway destinations, which are kept safe by FAA and TSA officers. Those offices are now not getting paid, leading to them not being able to buy food. Do we really want the people who are keeping us safe to be starving throughout their shift?

What about the kids? What about the millions of children who now have to go to sleep with grumbling stomachs? How about the babies who won’t stop crying because their parents don’t have the money to buy formula? Do those innocent lives deserve to be starved because our government can’t do its job?

Many of us have power in this situation, though. Both Linkenhoker and Long emphasized the importance of donating money, resources, and time during and after this shutdown. Food pantries rely on us to keep people fed. They rely on our generosity, empathy, and love for strangers to get people through hard times. Yes, the powerful aren’t doing anything, but we are not powerless.

It’s not fair that our elected officials twiddle their thumbs in big, plush chairs with money to buy food for years while there are children and other people who have no control over their situation, starving. But we can help.

Elected officials work for the people of America, and the people of America are hungry.

Ellen Hansen ‘28 is a psychology and journalism double major from Columbus.