Santa Barbara County residents may finally receive some relief after weeks of wondering whether federal food assistance benefits would be issued for November.
A U.S. District judge on Thursday ordered the Trump administration to release full Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits for November, and as of Friday, Santa Barbara County began issuing benefits.
The county started by making payments to recipients who would have received benefits before the ruling, and people who have a disbursement day after Friday will receive SNAP benefits on their usual day, according to county spokeswoman Kelsey Gerckens Buttitta.
Although benefits are being sent out, she noted that the federal government is already challenging the ruling, and the situation could change.
The impact of the funding stalemate, related to the ongoing federal government shutdown, was felt by local households who rely on SNAP benefits to make ends meet.
Ricardo Venegas, the facility manager for Santa Barbara’s Franklin Neighborhood Center, said he had already seen an uptick in people showing up for food. The center is one of three locations in Santa Barbara that distribute food weekly.
During the center’s normal Thursday distribution, a line of more than 100 people wrapped around the building. The crowd was a mix of older people, young families with children, and single people, all waiting with empty grocery bags.
Venegas said the crowd will line up around 11:30 a.m. and wait for the distribution to begin at 1 p.m. When he started counting Thursday morning, there were already 47 people.
The City of Santa Barbara partners with the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County to arrange distribution points throughout the month. The pickup points are located at the Westside Neighborhood Center, Parque de los Niños and the Franklin Neighborhood Center.
During a distribution on Monday, Venegas said staff had to turn away about seven families because organizers ran out of food. Some people have shown up for supplies but left after seeing there were more people than food.
The Foodbank announced last week that it was increasing its food stores 10% to 15% in preparation for the SNAP freeze. The county has about 55,000 people in the county who rely on CalFresh benefits to supplement their income, according to Laurel Alcantar, the director of marketing for the Foodbank.
Although the Foodbank has increased its stores, it’s still limited by how much it receives.
“We can keep offering enough food for at least 130 families per site minimum,” Venegas said. “Given that now we have to take into consideration that a lot of them are losing CalFresh or the SNAP program, then you can add an additional 30 to 50 people at each location.”
Venegas said the loss in benefits also forces people to make hard choices between paying rent and paying for meals, medication or other essentials.
“(It’s) going to affect their health, their nutrition. That’s going to cause some mental health issues within the family if the primary breadwinner can’t go to work or is in fear,” he said. “You can imagine all the different social ills that are going to come out of that situation.”
Other families must worry about immigration and may not feel safe going to the center.
Juan Perez has lived in Santa Barbara for 50 years and occasionally picks up food at the Foodbank. He said times are tough because many people are struggling to find jobs and are worried about agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Perez said a lot of families are too scared to come to the distribution sites because they are worried about being out in public.
“I know some people that are in fear of coming out to get the food even though they need it because of ICE,” Perez said. “They just don’t want to get caught. I don’t know what’s going to happen with people, especially the ones that don’t even have work or can’t work because of ICE.”
Other local agencies also have felt the pressure of new clients looking for resources while dealing with the loss of federal funding.
Andrea Slaby, one of the founders of the Organic Soup Kitchen in Santa Barbara, said the situation is a double-edged sword. Despite having less money, the kitchen is helping about 20 more people a week.
Slaby said she has seen mothers come in looking for soup, and elderly seniors have been asking for more to supplement their meals.
“They’re panicking because they have no other resources than SNAP,” she said.
Slaby said the Organic Soup Kitchen is always looking for monetary donations to help its mission. Residents can make a donation on the organization’s website.
“We’re relying on community members to step up and help out because the government obviously isn’t stepping up right now,” Slaby said.
Indivisible Santa Barbara also has asked the community for help and sent out links to local organizations.
In addition to everyday essentials such as fresh produce or milk, residents can donate toward a turkey and other holiday essentials.
La Casa de la Raza is also hosting its community pantry. The organization is asking for donations of baby formula, diapers and baby wipes for families affected by the shutdown.
The group also is asking for fresh produce, milk and grocery gift cards for families of federal workers not being paid during the shutdown. Supplies can be dropped off to the organization at 601 E. Montecito St. in Santa Barbara, or donations can be made online by clicking here.
The State of California responded to the federal ruling this week by confirming that some residents are already receiving their benefits and called the order a “major win.”