DES MOINES, Iowa — On day 23 of the government shutdown, leaders of local organizations outlined emergency response efforts to provide food to what they describe as an unprecedented need.

State leaders around the country this week have been signaling what SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefit delays could look like in November with the federal government still shutdown. The federally funded program provides food for low-income families across the country struggling with food insecurity. Because of the shutdown the United States Department of Agriculture is not expected to fund the benefits until the government is reopened.

For Polk County, recent numbers from Iowa Health and Human Services in September of this year indicated that more than 51,000 individuals from 24,944 households participate in SNAP. That is an estimated 1 in 10 people in Polk County who rely on the federal program. With the government shutdown, local food pantries are having to examine their emergency responses for a level of community need that will be heightened to unprecedented levels in November.

“There is literally no precedent for this. I wish that there was, because that would make it a lot easier for us to predict what we think is going to happen next. There’s literally no precedent for this in the history of the SNAP program, benefits have never been delayed or not issued, ever,” said Kathy Underhill, the CEO of DMARC at a press conference on Thursday morning.

Underhill was joined with leaders from two other organizations that will be asked to fill the food insecurity gap that will grow if individuals have issues getting November SNAP benefits. But the demand of these food pantries has been increasing since the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’ve definitely seen over the last couple of years a growth in the people that are coming to our pantry,” said Mike Sheehy, the Executive Director at Catholic Charities. “And one of the things we’re also seeing is first time people that come in that have not been to the food pantry before. And many of these people have jobs but just aren’t able to make ends meet; they could be nurses, they could be our neighbors.”

“The Food Bank of Iowa is currently purchasing 57% of its inventory, even with donated food and rescue food … we’re purchasing 57% of our inventory because more Iowans need help with food. It costs more and more to get it here, this is not sustainable long term … the charitable food system cannot fill this gap.,” said Annette Hacker, Chief Communications and Strategy Officer at the Food Bank of Iowa.

Governor Reynolds’ Office on Thursday morning said that Reynolds has directed the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services to hold regular calls with the state’s food banks and is reviewing the food insecurity response plan the state developed during the pandemic in 2020. From a statewide perspective, 131,000 total households are eligible for those benefits, that comes with $45 million a month in federal funding.

“Because SNAP is fully funded and operated by the federal government, states are unable to step in and keep it running. But this issue could be resolved today if Senate Democrats would vote to reopen the government. If they continue to refuse, they’ll be choosing to put low-income American families at risk,” said Governor Reynolds in a statement.

All three organizations asked Iowans to contact their elected officials to end the government shutdown and bring back the SNAP funding. Donations are welcomed through the usual avenues through the organization, which will be needed more than ever if benefits are delayed.