BOISE, Idaho — Despite the government reopening nearly a month ago, El Ada Community Action Partnership is still grappling with the shutdown's lasting impact as holiday demand for food assistance surges.
The food pantry has seen a nearly 50% jump in new clients from October to November, according to Food Program Director James Thompson. He describes the emotions of people seeking help as "concerned, distraught, angry, scared."
"We give them some hugs and food, and they leave with smiles. Everyone is very worried about food insecurity right now," Thompson explained.
WATCH: El Ada sees 50% jump in clients after government shutdown
The crisis stems from delayed SNAP benefits during the shutdown, which affected 183,500 Idahoans, including 44,200 living in Ada County who didn't receive their food stamps on time. Many turned to food banks for help.
"On average, we serve, I wanna say, about 504 households a month, so the numbers did increase. We've been busy," added Thompson.
Beyond increased demand, El Ada faces ongoing funding challenges. The pantry stopped receiving approvals for key federal grants during the shutdown that help with purchasing food and paying staff.
Some approvals still haven't come through.
"It wasn't instantaneous,” said Kayla Hall, El Ada CFO. “And so while the TFAP grant itself that we would have charged October to— we know about it, and we know what amount it is— we still haven't received that approval to use the funds."
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Without that funding, staffing could be reduced, forcing greater reliance on volunteers.
"I think we're going to have to just probably pivot and try to rely on volunteers," said Hall. "It's just really difficult to have a volunteer that wants to be here 8 hours a day, Monday through Friday."
Local Food Assistance Resources
- Calvary Chapel of Boise
- Cathedral of the Rockies Maple Grove
- El- Ada Community Action Partnership
- Salvation Army
- St. Vincent de Paul
- Vineyard Food Pantry
- Findhelpidaho.org
- 208 Food Mutual Aid
As resources tighten, food boxes are getting smaller. Thompson notes that clients have begun commenting on the reduced portions.
"No one's ever complained about how much food we're giving them. But this past year, we've been hearing more like, 'Oh, your food boxes have kind of consistently been getting smaller and smaller,'" Thompson recalled.
Even during peak donation season, the pantry reports fewer donations coming in.
"Everyone that's coming here is coming for donations. There's not too many people coming to drop off donations here," Thompson said.
