Need food during the federal shutdown? Here’s where you can go

As the president and Congress remain at an impasse on how to move forward with the federal budget, 1.4 million federal workers are no longer receiving paychecks and 1 in 8 food insecure Americans will be cut off from food stamps.

The federal government starting Saturday won’t fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, despite a reserved emergency fund to tap into in case of temporary  setbacks.

President Donald Trump  claimed the contingency reserve fund available to feed Americans while SNAP is on pause is not legally available and has chosen not to tap into it, despite both Republican and Democratic administrations utilizing the  fund  during past shutdowns. At the beginning of this year, SNAP had around $6 billion in contingency funds available, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

The halt in benefits will affect 40 million Americans, including 83,000 people in Spokane County who use the program to help them afford food.

Some private businesses are stepping in to help:

• DoorDash is waiving delivery and service fees for SNAP-eligible food and waiving merchant fees for partnered food banks and food pantries.
• “Little Free Pantry” has occasional food stocked up in outside pantries. You can also donate.
• 2nd Harvest is taking food donations. The agency distributes those donations to multiple food banks around the Inland Northwest.
• People can donate to the city’s community housing and human services through their city bills online or donate by calling 311.
• Spokane City Council is hosting a food drive until Dec. 15. They are accepting non-perishable foods and monetary donations. Shelf-stable food can be dropped off at City Hall in designated drop boxes located in the Chase Gallery and the first, third, and seventh floors. All proceeds go to Bite2Go, a program to help hungry schoolchildren, and 2nd Harvest.
• Skewers Armenian Restaurant is offering free pre-packaged meals of chicken and rice available daily starting Saturday. “Just come in and ask for a community meal,” the restaurant wrote on Facebook. “… No questions asked.”

If you or someone you know is panicked about their next meal, there are places that can help.

Calvary Baptist Soup Kitchen

203 E. 3rd Ave.

Saturday 10 a.m.-noon

Mending Fences Fellowship

1906 E. Sprague Ave.

Monday 10 a.m. - noon

Tuesday 8 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Wednesday 10 a.m. - noon

St. Ann’s Sunday Lunch

2120 E. First Ave.

Sunday 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Shalom Ministries

518 W. Third Ave. 

Monday 7:30 a.m. - 8:30 a.m., 4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Tuesday 4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Thursday 7:30 a.m. - 8:30 a.m.

The Salvation Army Spokane

204 E. Indiana Ave.

Monday & Tuesday 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Wednesday & Thursday 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Friday 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Women’s & Children’s Free Restaurant

1408 N. Washington Ave. 

Wednesday 12 p.m. - 2 p.m. (September to May)

Thursday 1 p.m. - 2 p.m. (Walk-up distribution)

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Food Bank

500 S. Stone St.

Monday, Wednesday and Friday 1 p.m. - 3 p.m.

Latinos en Spokane

1502 N. Monroe St. 

Last Saturday of the month 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Call 509-558-9359 for distribution information

Mid-City Concerns

1222 W. Second Ave.

Monday, Tuesday and Friday 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Geared to ages 60 and up

Our Place Food Bank

1509 W. College Ave

Wednesday 3:30 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Thursday 10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Find Solutions Organization

1201 W. Spofford Ave.

Friday 4 p.m. - 6 p.m. (biweekly)

American Indian Center

1025 W. Indiana Ave.

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 9 a.m. - noon, 1 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Better Living Center 

25 E. North Foothills Dr. 

Tuesday 9 a.m. - 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Thursday 9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Off Broadway Family Outreach

2225 W. Mallon Ave.

Monday 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.

Family of Faith Church

1505 W. Cleveland Ave.

Tuesday 9 a.m. - 11 a.m. (Food pantry)

Friday 5:30 p.m. - 6:45 p.m. (Meal programs)

Southside Food Pantry

2934 E. 27th Ave.

Saturday 11 a.m. - noon

Northeast Food Pantry

4520 N. Crestline St.

Tuesday 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Thursday 9 a.m. - 11 a.m.

New Hope Ranch

2524 E. Queen Ave. 

Monday & Wednesday noon - 2 p.m. (Pantry distribution and meal service)

Friday 4 p.m. - 6 p.m. (Pantry distribution first and then meal service)

Audubon Park Food Bank

3908 N. Driscoll Blvd.

Tuesday 8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. (biweekly)

Caritas Outreach Ministries

4718 N. Ash St.

Monday, Wednesday and Thursday 10:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Revive & Help Ministries

3909 W. Rowan Ave.

Friday 5 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Saturday 9 a.m. - noon

Serve Spokane

8303 N. Division St.

Tuesday and Thursday 12:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Saturday 9 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. (Biweekly)

Partners INW

10814 E. Broadway Ave., Spokane Valley

Monday - Friday 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Spokane Christian Center Pantry

8909 E. Bigelow Gulch

By appointment only at 509-924-4888

Dream Center Resource Center

2128 N. Pines Rd., Spokane Valley

Tuesday and Wednesday 12:30 p.m. - 3 p.m.

Thursday 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Mead Food Bank

12509 N. Market St., Mead

Sunday 4 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Wednesday 4 p.m. - 6:45 p.m.

Airway Heights Baptist Church

12322 W. Sunset Hwy., Airway Heights

Saturday 10 a.m. - noon (First and third Saturday of every month)

Cleone’s Closet

13114 W. Sunset Hwy., Airway Heights

Monday and Friday noon - 2 p.m.

East Valley Baptist Church Food Pantry

14516 E. Wellesley Ave. 

Saturday 10 a.m. - noon (Last of every month)

Spokane Valley Assembly of God

15618 E. Broadway Ave., Spokane Valley

Wednesday 4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Thursday 5 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Otis Orchards Food Bank

4308 N. Harvard Rd., Otis Orchards

Tuesday 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

North Bridge Food Bank

22421 Euclid Ave., Otis Orchards

Thursday 1 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Cheney Cupboard

624 Third St., Cheney

Monday 4 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Wednesday 9 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Medical Lake Food Bank

207 S. Washington St., Medical Lake

Thursday 5:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. (First Thursday of every month)

Friday 10 a.m.-noon

As the president and Congress remain at an impasse on how to move forward with the federal budget, 1.4 million federal workers are no longer receiving paychecks and 1 in 8 food insecure Americans will be cut off from food stamps.

The federal government starting Saturday will not fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, despite a reserved emergency fund to tap into in case of temporary setbacks.

President Donald Trump claimed the contingency reserve fund available to feed Americans while SNAP is on pause is not legally available and has chosen not to tap into it, despite Republican and Democratic administrations using the fund during past shutdowns. At the beginning of this year, SNAP had around $6 billion in contingency funds available, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

The halt in benefits will affect 40 million Americans, including 83,000 people in Spokane County who use the program to help them afford food.