Hundreds line up for food in Tacoma ahead of SNAP cuts
The ongoing government shutdown and pause on SNAP benefits are making it hard for many to keep food on the table. The Making a Difference Foundation is stepping up to make sure no one goes hungry.
TACOMA, Wash. – The ongoing government shutdown and pause on SNAP benefits are making it difficult for many to keep food on the table.
Local perspective: The nonprofit typically serves around 400 to 450 families each week — but this time, the number nearly doubled. Blue says between 800 and 900 families came through their emergency food distribution event, enough to back traffic up onto the Tacoma Dome off-ramp.
“We are having a very unusual situation in the U.S., and I think a lot of people are very worried and very troubled,” Paul, the first person in line said. “It’s been a great help to many people, and it’s been a great help to us too.”
Inside those cars were mothers, grandparents and children — many of them first-time visitors.
What they’re saying:
Ernestine Wiggins, a great-grandmother raising two teenagers, said she’s worried about what happens if SNAP benefits remain paused.
“They eat everything out the house at home. Every time I turn around, they’re in the kitchen,” Wiggins said. “They talk about shutting down the food stamps next month. They’re gonna hurt us, because for me to go to the store and spend regular money, we can’t do it. We can’t afford it.”
Mothers shared her frustration, saying the rising cost of groceries has made their benefits stretch less and less each month.
“It’s going to help tremendously. SNAP’s been cut. I’m on WIC, but it’s still not even enough,” Milagros Vielmas said.
“It’s hard, and with the prices going up on everything, food stamps doesn’t even go as far as it used to,” Samantha Diaz, a SNAP recipient, said. “Things are more expensive. It takes more, so you might have what you think is a lot in food stamps, but really you have half that.”
Big picture view:
Blue says her team had to call for reinforcements just to keep up with the demand.
“We’re using as many of our mechanisms as possible to get as much food out as possible,” Blue said. “I’m asking people not to panic. We’re going to be starting an emergency delivery system here in the next 48 hours.”
That includes direct deliveries to seniors and military families through partnerships with DoorDash and Amazon.
For those waiting in line, it’s time well spent.
“If I have to wait three, four hours, I will wait because I’m not going sit with no empty cupboards,” Wiggins said.
Blue says the Making A Difference Foundation has already dipped into its one-month food reserve — leaving about two weeks of supplies left — but she’s holding onto hope.
“I’ve got to see two fish and five loaves of bread multiplied,” Blue said. “I am hopeful. I believe in the humanitarian of the human being. In crises like this, we always seem to rise to the occasion.”
What you can do:
If you’d like to help, Making A Difference Foundation is accepting volunteers, food donations and monetary contributions to keep shelves stocked. To schedule a food drop-off, call (253) 212-2778.
MORE NEWS FROM FOX 13 SEATTLE
Microsoft Azure outage disrupts Alaska Air, Hawaiian Airlines systems
Washington food banks see more traffic as SNAP benefits set to end
Seattle groups gear up to help Jamaica after Hurricane Melissa
Kirkland, WA company creating attainable housing one motel at a time
Air traffic controller union at SEA Airport amid shutdown, missed paychecks
Amazon to slash 14K corporate jobs in latest cost-cutting move
To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter.
Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.