Editors’ Note: This story was originally published in the Rockbridge Report on Oct. 30.
Kelly Mecklenburg counts on two things to keep food on the table each month — the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and the Rockbridge Area Relief Association’s neighborhood grocery.
Both are at risk as the federal government shutdown drags on. Earlier this week, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said the state could cover SNAP benefits through November if Democrats and Republicans in Congress fail to resolve their impasse.
Mecklenburg and his wife moved to Buena Vista three years ago to be closer to family. Six months later, he says, doctors diagnosed him with cancer. He quit his job working with at-risk youth to undergo surgery, chemotherapy and radiation.
He says his wife receives Social Security disability benefits. Mecklenburg delivers for DoorDash and Instacart when he feels well enough.
“I’ve always been frugal with money, but it’s getting harder out there,” he said. “The economy’s a mess, and it’s scary to think about how families are getting by.”
The Mecklenburgs rely on SNAP — a federal program that helps low-income households buy groceries — and RARA. He and his wife are among the 200 families a week that shop at RARA’s free neighborhood grocery in Lexington.
Now, both programs that keep families like Mecklenburg’s fed are under pressure. The federal government shutdown that began Oct. 1 has frozen funding for key nutrition programs and could disrupt food aid in the weeks ahead.
SNAP has federal funding through the end of October. Youngkin announced the creation of a state program called Virginia Emergency Nutrition Assistance, or VENA, to fill the gap. The governor declared a state of emergency Oct. 23 to clear the way for him to use the state’s budget surplus to fund VENA.
Youngkin said about $37.5 million will be disbursed each week to about 850,000 SNAP recipients in the state. The weekly allotments will show up on recipients’ benefit cards. The first payments start Nov. 3. Unlike SNAP, which pays once a month, VENA will issue smaller weekly payments while the shutdown continues through November.
RARA hasn’t seen a drop in federal food shipments yet, but its staff are preparing in case that happens.
The pantry gets much of its food from the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, which partners with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to distribute goods to smaller pantries. RARA Executive Director Lindsey Pérez said USDA food makes up about 30% of RARA’s food supply. The rest comes from donated and purchased items such as meat, produce and soup.
Grocery Manager Shadrey Sands said the organization began ordering extra food weeks ago and filling its warehouse to make sure its shelves stay full.
“I think everybody’s budget is just really tight right now,” he said. “We’ve had people ask us if they can pick up a few months’ worth of food when they come because they’re worried that the food is going to go away.”
The Blue Ridge Area Food Bank has developed a contingency plan to support RARA and other food pantries in Rockbridge County through the end of the year, and possibly into 2026, if federal supplies are disrupted.
Sands said the plan would let RARA keep buying food even if USDA deliveries slow down.
“We are not panicking right now,” he said. “We’ll be able to meet the needs of our clients for right now. And hopefully through the end of the year.”
Sands said the timing could not be worse. November and December are RARA’s busiest months as families prepare for the holidays and turn to the pantry for extra help.
“I don’t think it’s ever good timing for folks to not receive the entitlements that they’re supposed to be getting,” he said. “But yeah, this is definitely our busiest time of the year.”
The USDA has instructed states to pause November SNAP payments while Congress remains deadlocked over federal spending.
SNAP provides more than $551,000 each month to nearly 2,000 households in Rockbridge County, according to the Rockbridge Area Department of Social Services.
For Mecklenburg’s family, it amounts to about $48 a month — a sum he says covers staple items like milk, bread and lettuce.
“Every penny counts now, when you add up the bills and see what groceries cost now,” he said.
Art Goldsmith, an economics professor at Washington and Lee University, said local families could feel the strain as SNAP funding shifts to the state level. He said communities with high SNAP use, like Rockbridge County, will face the most pressure.
“These are already fragile families,” he said. “You’re going to add a lot of stress to the environment in the home.”
Mecklenburg agreed.
“When people can’t eat, they get antsy,” he said, “and when they get antsy, people get violent, you know, domestic violence. There’s anger in the home.”
