Food banks and charities in Arizona are bracing for an expected increase in demand as workers affected by the current government shutdown start to seek assistance.
St. Vincent De Paul’s Jessica Berg says the food bank received an increase in requests during the last government shutdown in 2018.
Coincidentally, Berg said that the organization just launched a campaign called “Feeding Our Neighbors Together,” because they were already seeing a growing need in the community.
"An additional $2.5 million over the next year and an additional 500,000 pounds of food would meet the needs that we’re seeing in the community. Although, now there may be about to be additional need," she said.
Berg also says they are raising money for rent and utility assistance.
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New federal data shows grocery and convenience stores have lost jobs and wages across the country, but especially in Arizona. -
That's especially true in the Mountain West. In most states, if one delivery unit shuts down, the next closest one is more than an hour away. -
More than 30,000 refugees, asylees and other legally present immigrants in Arizona could lose health coverage in a few weeks as new Medicaid eligibility rules take effect. -
Under the proposed changes, there’d be a cap on how much money Head Start centers could spend on administrative overhead; there would also be a reduction in the number of regulations governing the program, among other changes. -
Right now, nearly Arizona 300 schools qualify for a federal program that allows schools that serve low income households to give free lunches to every student — without making them apply for it.
