BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — As the government shutdown stretches on, thousands of Kern County families who rely on CalFresh — California’s version of the federal SNAP benefits program — are facing an uncertain future.
Many are asking the same painful question: Where will my next meal come from?
For Bakersfield resident Nicole Guzman, a single mother of two, the situation has become dire.
“As a mom, I make something out of nothing all the time,” Guzman said. “But now, with our benefits cut, it’s hard. We have to find other ways and go to different places just to feed our families.”
Guzman has relied on CalFresh for the past decade, but October was the last time she received her benefits. Payments stopped after the federal government shut down, leaving families like hers scrambling to find alternatives.
“I haven’t gotten my CalFresh benefits this month,” Guzman said. “Everyone I know — friends, family — we’re all struggling. We’ve been going to the food pantry on Ming just to get by. There’s no food at home.”
Federal officials say the USDA is currently using contingency funds to keep CalFresh running.
However, recipients are only receiving half of their usual benefits, and even those funds are expected to run out soon.
Kelly Lowery, food bank administrator for Community Action Partnership of Kern (CAPK), says the shutdown’s effects are being felt across all food distribution sites.
“Because of the shutdown, they’re using backup funds to make partial payments,” Lowery explained. “Once that runs out, even those half payments will stop. If this goes into December, there may be nothing left.”At the Kern County Fairgrounds, food distribution lines have stretched down the streets for four straight days. CAPK and its partner organizations report record demand as families run out of money and food.
“By the third week of October, families were already struggling,” Lowery said. “November first wasn’t some magic day — they’d been out of money for weeks.”Meanwhile, a federal judge in Rhode Island ordered the Trump administration to find the funds necessary to fully cover SNAP benefits for November.
The administration quickly appealed the ruling, leaving millions of Americans still waiting for answers.
“The fastest way to restore benefits is to reopen the government,” Lowery said. “We’re calling on officials to come together and make that happen.”The ongoing shutdown has left more than 5.5 million Californians without $1.1 billion in food assistance, according to state estimates.
Families like the Guzmans are now relying on food banks and donations to survive — hoping relief comes soon.
“Is Trump going to make things right?” Guzman asked. “Will he give everyone their benefits back?
It’s not fair — everyone needs to eat.”As of now, it remains unclear when the government shutdown will end — or what lasting impact it will have on federal assistance programs and the families who depend on them.
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