The turmoil in Washington, D.C., caused by the partial government shutdown is jeopardizing lower-income families’ ability to put food on the table, and area food pantries are stepping up to help.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Pro-gram — formerly known as the Food Stamp Pro-gram — had to release February’s funds by Jan. 20 due to the shutdown.

“This is the only bene-fit payment SNAP recipients will receive for the month of February. They will not receive a payment on their regularly scheduled February payment date. This payment is not a bonus or an increase in the monthly payment. SNAP recipients will need to make this early payment last through an undefined period if the shutdown persists. The state is awaiting further guidance from USDA regarding the availability of benefits for March,” Pennsylvania state Rep. Rosemary Brown posted on Facebook on Jan. 14.

“My roommate receives SNAP. She is limiting her groceries. She is on disability and unable to work to be able to afford to eat, so I’m budgeting to help her with her needs,” said A.M. Franklin, a Monroe County resident.

Franklin is already on a tight budget, and the shutdown is causing additional stress for her as she helps her roommate financially.

“If I were to give anyone advice, I would just tell them to plan ahead and cook stuff that you’re going to have leftovers of. And to watch the snacks. Like right now. I got them last week,” said SNAP recipient Jamie Rogers, who grew up in Monroe County and now lives in Bucks County.

Rogers said she will not touch February’s SNAP funds until the first of the month. She loves to make slow-cooker meals and has enough stored in her freezer.

“I also got lucky at the food pantry and got two rolls of venison. That’s a rarity down here, so I don’t have to buy that meat.”

She goes to a food pantry in Levittown, and others in this area are stepping up to help those in need.

“For every one meal emergency food networks put into the community, SNAP puts in 12,” said Jessica Dokachev, director of Second Harvest Food Bank in East Allen Township. “We are not built to meet that level of need on such a short notice.”

Second Harvest provides food to all the emergency food pantries, soup kitchens and homeless shelters in six Pennsylvania counties: Monroe, Carbon, Lehigh, Wayne, Pike and Northampton.

“We’d have to put out 13 times the amount of food to fill SNAP’s void. We don’t have the trucks or manpower. However, we will meet everyone’s needs to the best of our ability,” she said.

It has more than 200 agencies in its network. These agencies feed more than 60,000 people per month.

Compared to other regions, the Lehigh Valley and northeast Pennsylvania have fewer federal employees who are furloughed, she said. The bulk are at Department of Defense sites such as Tobyhanna Army Depot, which are funded, and at the Lehigh Valley International Airport.

The lack of SNAP benefits is her biggest concern.

“The likelihood of food banks replacing the amount of food that SNAP usually supplies is slim,” she said.

Pleasant Valley Ecumenical Network is one of Second Harvest’s agencies. It is informing its clients about the early release of SNAP funds and providing them with a list of local resources to help in this time of financial uncertainty.

“Hunger is a self-declaration of need. One of our biggest obstacles we run into is pride. People are afraid to ask for help, because they are looked down on,” said Hope Christman, executive director of PVEN. “We don’t judge here. We have a welcoming group of volunteers.”

“If they are furloughed, they’re temporarily not making money and can receive our services,” Christman said.

Its clients can receive food once a month during a scheduled distribution day.

Federal employees who reside in Chestnuthill, Eldred, Hamilton, Jackson, Polk and Ross townships may call the PVEN office, 570-992-3136, to register. Information needed will be ID, indication that you are a furloughed federal employee, proof of residency (a bill or other specific mail with your current address), and names and birth dates of everyone in the household.

“PVEN is very helpful. They are a godsend to us,” said Iris Kozlowski, who received a shopping cart full of groceries on Tuesday morning.

She and her husband, Lance, are not furloughed and do not receive SNAP benefits. For other reasons, they have needed PVEN’s assistance for a few years.

While volunteers loaded the Kozlowskis’ car, Christman and others chipped ice from the parking lot and wore multiple layers in the 22-degree weather.

“This is not good timing for a shutdown,” Dokachev said. “People will have to decide on food or heat.”

Come March, food bank shelves could be nearly empty — and relying more on donations from the public and local businesses.

Second Harvest received its food supply for the first quarter of 2019 back in December. For now, it can meet the demands of its client agencies.

It’s the second quarter food supply that is in question.

“This is uncharted territory for us. There is no road map to guide us,” Dokachev said.

Through The Emergency Food Assistance Program, the United States Department of Agriculture buys the food and ships it to the states, which then distribute it to agencies such as Second Harvest. Second Harvest distributes it to its members, which give it to the public.

Second quarter food should arrive in March for distribution in April, May and June, but all that is up in the air now, Dokachev said.

“The USDA has not provided any guidance yet, and I’m not sure they can until there is a resolution to the shutdown,” Dokachev said.

So far, West End Food Pantry in Kunkletown has not been directly affected by the shutdown.

“We operate on donations only and do not receive government grants for food. However, if the government shutdown continues, we would anticipate an increase in demand for emergency food due to folks running out of SNAP benefits or from those not receiving pay on furlough. We are here to help and will adjust to the demand accordingly,” said its director, Karena Thek.

They feed about 275 families on their distribution days.

Effort United Methodist Church’ food pantry receives some supplies from Second Harvest to feed its 30-some families twice a month.

“We have not seen an increase in clients since the shutdown, but we’re here to help if needed,” said co-director John Ostovich.