Published in the Dubois County Free Press on November 1, 2025
Across Indiana and the nation, people are working hard to stay afloat as the federal government shutdown stretches on. They’re doing their best to keep food on the table and stability within reach, even as circumstances beyond their control make that harder each day.
The shutdown is interrupting the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which helps 572,000 Hoosiers – and more than 40 million nationwide – put groceries in their carts. These temporary supports help parents feed their kids and keep our communities stable during tough times. When SNAP dollars stop flowing, families face impossible choices between food and essentials like housing and health care.
The ripple effects are felt across our local economy. Local retailers, especially in rural communities, depend on the steady spending SNAP provides. When those dollars dry up, store shelves sit full, employees’ hours are cut and small business owners are left feeling the strain.
The impact reaches far beyond people receiving food assistance. Federal workers, contractors and small businesses tied to government operations have missed paychecks and payments. They are our neighbors who serve our communities – air traffic controllers, park rangers, farmers and business owners – who simply want the opportunity to work and earn a living.
Our member food banks are seeing the impact firsthand, already noting increasing numbers at some distributions as families prepare. Our food banks are adding additional distributions, extending operating hours, and purchasing additional protein, produce, and shelf-stable food. Our food banks, alongside faith-based and community pantries and their volunteers, are doing everything possible to meet the growing need.
Food banks are doing their best, working with our faith-based and community pantry partners to try to meet the current need. However, meeting this moment takes all of us working together to help our neighbors. Government, business and nonprofit partners must all do their part to keep communities strong. Federal nutrition programs like SNAP bring stability, something our communities need right now. They keep families from falling into crisis and give them the foundation to get back on their feet.
The most challenging and heartbreaking situation for food bank staff members and volunteers is when the pantry shelves are empty, and someone must be turned away. This pales in comparison to the heartbreak taking place in homes across America, where parents are skipping meals to make sure their children have enough to eat and seniors don’t have food to help take their medication. We ask our Hoosier Congressional delegation to come together with their colleagues, find common ground, and reopen the government to ensure the stability our neighbors need to put food on the table.
Every day the shutdown continues, it becomes harder for families to recover and for communities like ours to stay strong. The doors are open at our member food banks to anyone in need. If you or someone you know is being affected by the shutdown, visit the Community Compass app and website at communitycompass.app.
Emily Weikert Bryant, Executive Director
Feeding Indiana’s Hungry
