As Thanksgiving nears, food banks and local non-profits are seeing longer lines and an increased need.
On Friday, people were lined up outside the Salvation Army in Santa Maria to pick up food.
Gudelia Morales, a mother of two, says the seasonal work she and her husband rely on has slowed down, and donations are helping them stretch what they have.
“Thank God they give us free food,” she told KSBY News in Spanish. “We come, we get cold, we go hungry, but we are here.”
She says the government shutdown and SNAP delays made things even harder.
“The government shutdown is affecting almost everyone, almost the majority,” Morales said.
At the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County, staff say they’re seeing a greater need at the same time the supply they receive from the government has decreased.
“Our food bank has seen a 25 percent cut in the food that we distribute that we received as part of the cuts to federal funding, so we’ve had to really increase our food purchasing budget and purchase more food,” explained Laurel Alcantar, Foodbank of Santa Barbara County Director of Marketing.
Alcantar expects the impact to continue through the winter.
“We’re going to see our community here impacted by things like SNAP cuts, by increased cost of premiums and all of these programs that help low-income working families and seniors,” Alcantar added.
Inside the freeze, volunteers say the turkey supply is much smaller than in typical years.
“In past years, we actually received actually thousands of turkeys,” said food bank volunteer Cynthia Youngern. “I have to say this is the least amount that we’ve ever received. We have 143 on hand.”
The food bank has donation drop-off bins at its Santa Maria location. The Santa Maria Salvation Army will be hosting a Thanksgiving lunch next Thursday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Your donations to KSBY’s Season of Hope campaign benefit organizations, including the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County and the Salvation Army. To learn more and make a contribution, click here.
