CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Food pantries across Clarksville are feeling the strain as the ongoing government shutdown leaves federal civilian workers without pay and the recent lapse in SNAP benefits pushes more families to seek help putting meals on the table.
Local organizations say demand has spiked in recent weeks, with shelves emptying faster than donations can fill them, especially as the holiday season approaches.
Loaves and Fishes sees demand double overnight
At Loaves and Fishes, staff say they’re already seeing the effect. “A lot of the impact right now – we’re just feeling the start of it,” said Nikki Baxter, administrative assistant to the executive director of Loaves and Fishes. “Even a small change – like a delay in the benefits – can double the number of people that we serve in a day.”
Baxter said the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is “meant to be the safety net before people need us.” But, as Baxter pointed out, “Once that net is weakened, the demand is going to shift directly onto food pantries and soup kitchens. And since we’re not federally funded, we have to stretch every donated dollar further and further.”
With the holidays approaching, Baxter said donations are falling short. “Our shelves are the lowest they’ve been all year,” Baxter said. “We’re serving more meals than ever. And it’s not just the unhoused population, but working parents, veterans and seniors who aren’t able to make ends meet.”
Baxter emphasized that people need to move past the stigma of food pantries. “Here there’s no shame, there’s no guilt, and there’s no questions asked,” she said. “There are people here who want to serve, honor, and love them. And we’re trying to serve dignity, stability, and hope to people who right now might feel like they’re in a hopeless situation.”
How you can help: Loaves and Fishes is asking for non-perishable food donations, especially canned proteins, peanut butter and ready-to-eat foods. Located at 825 Crossland Ave., Loaves and Fishes is open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Donations can be made on their website or dropped off in person. For those unable to stop by during business hours, staff are willing to stay late or arrange pickups. They can be reached at 931-645-9020.
Manna Cafe sees surge in new clients, including military families
At Manna Cafe Ministries, Chief Operating Officer Doretha Minor spoke on the increased demand. “At last count, we had 60% of new clients coming in,” she said. “About 30% of that is military. So we’ve seen quite a surge in the last month or so.”
Minor said Second Harvest has been helping them secure more food, but they’re still “running a little low.” While food donations help, Minor said monetary donations go further. “We like the food donations, but we can actually get food cheaper than everybody else when we buy it through Second Harvest or Midwest, or another food bank. So money is actually the best and we can also use for things that Second Harvest may be low on. So it gives us a little more freedom to make sure we’re getting the most for our dollar,” she said.
Last year, Baxter said they fed approximately 47,000 people. “We’re not federally funded. … We’re basically funded by Clarksville and Stewart County,” she said. “We could use the help and support from Clarksville to make this an even better food pantry.”
How you can help: Manna Cafe Ministries, located on 605 Providence Blvd., is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. They serve hot meals Tuesday through Thursday and on Saturdays. More information and donations are available on their website, and they can be reached at 931-648-9495.
Salvation Army seeing new faces, but staying stocked for now
At the Salvation Army, Lt. Patrick Lewandowski said they’ve seen about a 30% increase in people seeking food assistance, “especially people who had not walked through our doors before last week.”
“We’ve had a lot of support around the holiday season,” Lewandowski said. “A lot of people are in a giving mood to help our neighbors in need.” Thanks to donations and the help from their divisional headquarters in Louisville, their food pantry remains “pretty well stocked” for now.
But Lewandowski said financial donations are key to keeping it that way. “Right now, I would say we predominantly need financial contributions. That would give us the opportunity to resupply certain key items that we’re missing,” he said. “Such as canned meats and proteins. Any fillers for protein are always in need.”
Lewandowski also emphasized, “All the gifts stay local. Any monetary donations stay local to help us restock our food supplies.”
How you can help: The Salvation Army, located at 210 Kraft St., is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Donations can be made on their website and they can be reached at 1-800-725-2769.
YAIPAK sees ‘real uptick’ in requests across Clarksville, Fort Campbell
At YAIPAK Outreach, Debbie Fields, the organization’s operations executive, said the impact has been widespread. “With this lapse, we have seen a real uptick in the requests for food. And also the Patriot Pantries that we have on Fort Campbell and off of Fort Campbell have seen a massive amount of usage,” she said.
YAIPAK not only serves individual families but also supplies other local food pantries, which has made keeping up with the demand even harder. “We already do numerous requests a month just for the community – approximately 500 that reach over 2,500 people,” she said.
Fields also said non-perishable foods are needed the most right now. “Non-perishable items, canned proteins, and things of that nature. You can drop them off at our warehouse or donate those non-perishable items directly into one of our patriot pantries,” she said.
How you can help: YAIPAK Outreach operates out of 1255 Paradise Hill Road, Suite A. They are open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Donations can be made on their website, and they can be reached at 615-559-8272.
‘Everyone has the ability to do something’
All four organizations stressed that community support is more crucial than ever as demand rises and donations lag.
Field encouraged residents to help however they can. “I think the biggest part of understanding all of this is that we can all do something. Everyone has the ability to do something,” she said. “Whether it’s buying a can of soup for a neighbor or donating to some of these food pantries. Or sometimes to volunteering your time to help deliver food.”
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