Photo by Brian Dooling/SVdP Georgia

ATLANTA–With the federal government shut down, many low-income families have been unable to access food assistance since Nov. 1. 

Church ministries are bracing to fill in the gap as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program gets caught up in a court fight. The assistance aids low-income individuals and families in putting food on their table. Federal judges ordered the federal government to renew the program, or at least partially fund it. The Trump administration has since indicated that it will not appeal court orders directing it to pay SNAP benefits, but that it will only issue partial payments in November.  

“We are not simply watching the crisis unfold—we are sitting with the people living through it,” said Mike Mies, executive director of St. Vincent de Paul Georgia. “In moments like this, dignity matters. Compassion matters. Community matters.”    

St. Vincent de Paul’s Chamblee food market is lifting its limit for clients. People will be able to shop at the market twice a month, instead of a single visit every 30 days. 

Many parishes in the Atlanta Archdiocese support the food ministry efforts at the Shrine of Immaculate Conception Church in downtown Atlanta, delivering sandwiches or food for the church’s community market. 

By Monday, an unusually high number of phone calls came in from people asking for help with food, said Joe Sequeira, a pastoral administrator. Typically, the parish may get a call or two a day, but on Monday, some 20 calls came to the office, he said.  

Its community market, open Wednesdays and Thursday, is open to anyone in need of food. Some 60 families a week shop for themselves in the small grocery store. 

In response to the rising demand, the parish is starting a new initiative of pre-packed boxes of food. The aid will be distributed from the parish office.  

Our priority is to act quickly as the plans are finalized, he said. The boxes are to be prepared by students in the religious education program. 

At the Client Choice Community Food Market of SVdP Georgia, those in need of food assistance can shop for staples as well as fresh produce. Photo by Brian Dooling

At St. Vincent de Paul Georgia, about 1,500 people a month access the food services here, between clients who walk in, visit the Client Choice Food Market or take part in the “Daily Offering,”–a grab-and-go program offering food, sandwiches and snack packs for people living on the street.  

“We know how important SNAP is for the people we serve, and frankly, it’s not enough,” said Lisa Regan, senior director of programs and services at St. Vincent de Paul Georgia. “Without that benefit, we anticipate many families falling short each month, particularly with the high cost of groceries right now.” 

The ministry asked its members to advocate for struggling families who rely on food assistance. The national president of St. Vincent de Paul urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to use its resources to fund SNAP during the shutdown. 

Across Georgia, the organization distributed about 3 million pounds of food, valued at $6 million. That represents a 15 percent increase from the previous year.  

Parish Vincentians are seeing parents skip meals so children can eat, and seniors rationing utilities to afford food. 

Meanwhile, on a local level, Regan said the state-wide organization is ready to help parish conferences meet growing needs. Many working people live paycheck to paycheck, and any bump in the road may push them into financial crisis or even eviction, Regan said. 

Parishioners can support the effort by stocking a parish food pantry, she said. Also, if a parish does not have one, it can establish a food pantry–as simple as converting a closet or repurposing a meeting room to serve people.  

“Conferences make a huge impact with what they have available,” she said.