The situation is pressing, as recent data from Jacksonville’s analytics department reveals that 56,000 families in the city depend on SNAP benefits. These benefits have become inaccessible due to the shutdown, leaving many families in a precarious position.

City officials, alongside local nonprofits, are stepping up to combat this rise in food insecurity. “There is an uncertainty about how people will eat on a daily basis,” expressed City Council Member Rahman Johnson, highlighting the urgency of the situation.

In response, Johnson organized an emergency meeting on Friday, aiming to strategize immediate measures to alleviate the food crisis during these challenging times.

Johnson called an emergency meeting on Friday to address food insecurity during the shutdown.

That meeting started with a number – at least a thousand households in every city council district receive SNAP benefits.

“There is no part of the city that is not using SNAP, so when those benefits go away, some homes in that neighborhood will go hungry,” said Jacksonville Chief of Analytics Dr. Parvez Ahmed.

Johnson’s plan – an emergency bill to pull $2 million either out of reserves, debt management or workforce development, to send to Feeding Northeast Florida.

“This is about people who are hurting, and they need these benefits,” said Johnson. “I’m not going to wait on Washington, we need to do what we can right here.”

Feeding Northeast Florida is adding extra distributions and doubling volunteers during the shutdown, with a focus on government workers who may not be receiving a paycheck.

“Has been a little alarming, maybe more than a little alarming, but something the food bank was built to do, handle natural disasters, emergencies,” said Feeding Northeast Florida CEO Susan King.

King says $2 million from the city will certainly help, but it won’t solve the problem.

“One meal provided by a foodbank is the equivalent of nine that are provided by SNAP benefits,” said King. “It’s really hard to plan for something that could change tomorrow.”

Johnson says he plans to file his bill for Wednesday night’s meeting and since it’s an emergency bill, it could be passed that night.

However, Johnson says he won’t file the bill if the shutdown ends.