Continuing government shutdown takes local toll
Bryce Boddie knows the Hill Country Family Services caseload is about to increase as the continuing federal shutdown takes a toll on supplemental benefits and wages.
Boddie, the executive director, said the assistance agency has already seen an uptick in new applications for help in light of cuts to paychecks for federal workers and benefits being stalled while Congress remains locked in a stalemate over reopening the government.
At press time, the government shutdown marked its fourth week. However, in a late-breaking development reported by national media Friday afternoon, two federal judges ruled the Trump administration must continue to fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, from contingency funds.
Despite the last-minute reprieve, worries about government paychecks and other assistance continue to run high locally, officials said. “Worry about federal employees not getting paid, we’re starting to see that,” Boddie said. “We know benefits will stop being paid out on (Saturday, Nov. 1). That has caused some reaction ... people will struggle to pay the next rent, their utility needs, child care, even groceries.”
The phones are already ringing, he said, as people who have never used the agency are calling to find out exactly what aid is available.
“We’re seeing another blip about people concerned about SNAP benefits. We’ve had 47 applications turned in this month, which is a high number,” he said.
Most clients who visit the agency to use its food pantry are gainfully employed, he said.
“It’s expensive to live here (in Boerne), and when you figure in child care on top of that, and the continued inflationary grocery prices, it adds up,” the executive director said.
The average SNAP recipient can expect to receive $180 per month, which can only be spent on select grocery items.
But that $180 will become zero overnight without congressional action to end the nationwide stalemate having an impact on everything from food assistance to air-traffic controllers, aid workers said.
In Kendall County, 822 recipients have applied for and received help through the agency, Boddie said, but there are 1,742 families and individuals who are eligible, according to August figures.
If the federal shutdown continues much longer, the relief group can expect to see that 822 number grow, perhaps eclipsing the 1,000 mark, officials said.
Boddie, who took the helm at HCFS in June — just in time to guide the organization through the July Fourth flood-disaster response — said another recent high-application period was in February, when the Shady Rest Mobile Home Park in Boerne was closed and razed.
“The highest (application total) we’ve had before is 51 with Shady Rest. I think November will continue to look like this,” he said. “If this goes into December, I would guess it would tend to multiply.”
HCFS offers counseling services for its clients as well as the Corner Cupboard, its food pantry.
“It’s like a grocery store. There is no fee; it’s based on a points system, based on family size, and is primarily crisis-based,” he said.
HCFS clients will find dairy products, eggs, meat, fruits and vegetables, “anything you can find at H-E-B, we have,” he added.
The local food bank is a vital lifeline for many, Boddie said.
“Usually the clients that come utilize the pantry, it’s hard for them, many have never had to ask for help like this before,” he said. “But people understand how that offsets their budget. Shopping in the HCFS pantry can help offset household expenses.”
Any SNAP recipients, or families experiencing tough times, can apply for HCFS benefits through the website at hcfstx.org.
The office is located at 114 W. Advogt St., just off North School Street across from the Boerne Cemetery.
For more, call 830-249-8643 or email [email protected].
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