AUSTIN, Texas — The clock is ticking for Congress to pass a new spending bill and avoid a government shutdown, or approve a stopgap agreement to keep the government open.
If they don't agree to a plan by Sept. 30, a shutdown will impact programs nationwide
"We are absolutely paying attention to the possibility of a government shutdown. It could potentially increase the number of families we have to serve," Central Texas Food Bank CEO Sari Vatske said.
The Central Texas Food Bank serves 21 counties. Last year, it provided nearly 54 million meals to people in need.
If the government does shut down on Oct. 1, Vatske said the need could surge soon after.
"By the middle of October, we should see increase of realized of services from federal employees," she said. "There are about 129,000 across Texas, and so, we estimate in Central Texas there are about 26,000 people that might on our support."
Vatske said those who rely on SNAP benefits could also see the impacts.
"SNAP is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which provides cash support to families directly, which enables them to go the grocery store. And so, if they are not able to see those benefits after a prolonged shutdown, we will definitely see an increase reliance on our services," she said.
The last time there was an extended shutdown was in 2018. Vatske described that time as "rough."
"It was really hard see people in uniform – especially TSA, who are designed to protect our country – and just to see people in uniform was a tough time," she said.
If Congress can't agree to a deal, staff at the food bank say they'll be ready to help any way they can.
"The Central Texas Food Bank is prepared to mobilize and do distribution near the airport and set up additional sites where they need us most," Vatske said.