Abilene volunteers,

schools and businesses rally to fill the gap

As the effects of the government shutdown ripple across the country, food pantries are seeing record demand — and community leaders say working families are being hit the hardest.

Tom Schwartz, a Silver Haired Legislator who volunteers weekly at the Abilene food pantry, said he saw a dramatic surge in need this week.

“It was the most families that I’ve seen in one day since I’ve been working there,” Schwartz said. “There were 19 families who came in (Nov. 3) … The most I had ever seen before in one day was 10, maybe 11 families, so that was almost twice the normal.”

Schwartz said the strain isn’t limited to those who depend on benefits like SNAP or EBT. Many working families, he said, were already struggling to make ends

See Full Page