The federal government shutdown is the longest in U.S. history. It’s created uncertainty for people with limited or fixed incomes, who rely on the FoodShare program to afford groceries.
Wisconsin’s FoodShare is funded by federal SNAP money, which was frozen Nov. 1, because of the shutdown. Three federal judges have ordered funding to be restored, at least in part. The Trump administration is contesting those orders, and is demanding that states like Wisconsin — which restored benefits late last week — rescind them. Gov. Evers is refusing to do so.
College students are among FoodShare users who’ve been caught in the middle. UW-Milwaukee issued a news release last week, saying the FoodShare freeze came on top of October cuts to paychecks and other benefits, caused by the federal government shutdown.
More than 700 UWM students used the campus Food Center & Pantry in the Student Union in September. The number rose to more than 1,000 after the FoodShare cuts and shutdown began. UWM said there was an urgent need for donations at the pantry amid the unprecedented demand.
UWM Basic Needs Coordinator Allie Martinez says there's a misconception that college students can afford groceries.
"There's definitely an increased felling of panic and worry," Martinez says. "They're not sure how they're going to feed their kids if the SNAP disruptions continue."
WUWM’s Eddie Morales visited the UWM food pantry and talked to students Jada, who asked us to use their first name, and Monica Brielle about how the pantry is helping them.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Eddie Morales: Is there anything in particular that you accessed today that was needed or that was pretty useful for you?
Brielle: I'm actually in a show week this week. So, a lot of the stuff I need is quick and easy, just pop it in the microwave. Anything I can eat quick. They had a lot of that stuff here today. I really needed that.
You said show week. Can you explain that?
Brielle: I'm a musical theater major. So, we have tech week, which is like getting all the lights and sounds together. And then we have show week, which is when we open. We open today. So, it's really exciting.
Jada: Pretty much the same as Brielle. I'm a full-time student. Quick and easy food and they also had water and cranberry juice too, which was nice.
How does it feel to know that there's this community effort, especially in a time of need where the government shutdown is affecting SNAP benefits?
Jada: It's nice to know that there's a sense of community where we go to school and we've both been here a while. So, it's nice to know that people are coming together and donating and really taking their time out of their day to help students.
Brielle: I was going to say the same thing. At first, I was kind of embarrassed, like, ‘Oh I need help.’ But then I came in and everyone was nice and it was a sense of community. It's really nice to see the school helping us out.
When this is something that is added to the daily tasks, the daily stresses of being a college student, then you have this added component about wondering about SNAP benefits and food resources — how does that impact your performance when it comes to education? And then now knowing that you have this resource, how does that solve or satisfy that?
Brielle: There are some days where I just felt so bad just because I didn't eat earlier today or didn't drink or whatever it was. But the fact that it's just in such a convenient spot is very nice because I walk through here every day.
Jada: And also, it feels like it's nice too because I'm busy. I have three semesters left, but also it's nice to have something that's easily accessible and I can just get what I need, be done and just kind of be able to cook or warm things up. Especially because it's very uncertain times to be an adult and be a college student right now, especially with everything that's going on.
How did you find out about the services offered here?
Jada: They have a website. If you just look up UWM food pantry, it'll tell you the dates when they're open. I couldn't come yesterday, but I knew I could come today. It's really accessible as long as someone has internet access.
Brielle: I found out through the Student Health and Wellness Center. Through my counseling there, they told me that if I was experiencing some financial insecurity, I could just come over here. Also, my campus ambassador job let me know.
And do you feel like when it comes to student needs, and especially during times like these, that they can sometimes be overlooked or underestimated?
Brielle: I would say definitely. I feel like being in an urban college as well, as a person of color, we are often told that you need to just figure it out yourself. But it's nice knowing that you don't have to do that alone.
Jada: What Brielle mentioned earlier too — it can feel embarrassing to ask for help. So, it's nice to be surrounded by other people that are asking for help. We've known each other so it's nice to see people that look like you getting resources that you also need.
Brielle: Don't be scared to ask for help because your professors want you to do well, your friends want you to do well, your family wants you to do well. So just go ahead and ask for it.
Editor's note: WUWM is a service of UW-Milwaukee.
