slides: Central Mass. Nonprofits Suffering from Government Shutdown

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Paige Pihl Buckley, GoLocalWorcester Contributor

Food pantries have been hit especially hard by the government shutdown.

As the government shutdown enters its third week, Central Massachusetts nonprofits are beginning to feel the pinch. Those that aren’t are fearful that a continued shutdown could be a major hit to their resources and, in turn, to their ability to serve families and individuals in need.

To read more about the programs hurt by the shutdown, see the slides, below.

“This shutdown and debt ceiling brinkmanship are politically manufactured crises. Tragically, those who are going to be most impacted as it drags on are our most vulnerable citizens, who depend on government assistance programs - VA benefits, unemployment insurance, disability insurance, fuel assistance, reduced price school meals, WIC, SNAP, etc. – to make ends meet,” said Congressman Jim McGovern.

“Virtually every nonprofit in Central Massachusetts is feeling or will soon feel the squeeze. On one hand, they are experiencing a higher demand and drain on existing resources from low-income populations. On the other, resources that come directly or indirectly from the federal government will be drastically reduced or slowed,” he said. “It’s a vicious cycle, and one we don’t have to be caught in if the GOP will let us take a vote that reopens the government, and raises the debt ceiling.”

Local Nonprofits Hit Hard

Politics aside, the very real consequences of the shutdown are hitting some local nonprofits particularly hard.

“I think in our case one of the first programs to go with the shutdown has been the WIC program,” said Gordon Hargrove, Executive Director of Friendly House in Worcester. “This program buys food for babies, formula and other food for infants.”

WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) is a federal assistance program for pregnant and breastfeeding women, and children under 5 years old.

“People have been coming to us for formula and we don’t have very much unfortunately,” said Hargrove. “In turn people will use their money and, because formula is fairly expensive, they’ve been buying that first and then they’ve been having problems paying rent and utilities.”

This has led to increased demand for financial assistance said Hargrove, and lengthening lines at food pantries.

“We’re trying to stock up for Thanksgiving and the holidays but we’ve had to use most of our set aside applies to help folks in the immediate times,” said Hargrove.

End Of The Month Could Bring More Problems

Other organizations have not been hit by the shutdown yet, but worry that if the shutdown is not over before month’s end there will be serious repercussions.

“As of today, none of the funds that support our facility or health benefits have stopped,” said Frances Anthes, President and CEO of the Family Health Center of Worcester, Inc.

“But everybody’s really worried that if it goes on to the end of the month, there’s a problem for lots of different programs,” she said. “Many of the patients that come to the Health Center rely on government programs for something, and many of the patients seem very anxious because people are very afraid that they’re going to lose benefits they need to survive.”

David McMahon, Co-Executive Director of the Dismas House of Massachusetts, Inc. expressed a similar sentiment.

“Currently there has not been enough time for the full federal shutdown to impact our small nonprofit,” he said, “but if it drags on longer we anticipate it will hurt state programs that fund such organizations as ours, so we are hopeful for a resolution soon.”

Hope For Compromise

Tim Garvin, President and CEO of the United Way of Central Massachusetts, said that while his organization has not yet been affects they have been working to help other partner organizations that have.

“We at the United Way are concerned about the continued shutdown,” he said. “We have reached out to those who serve the most basic needs of food to make sure they don’t run out of food. We don’t want anyone to be hungry. Should we hear from our partner agencies, if they are struggling, we will provide assistance where we can.”

Garvin also noted several developments, which he said we reasons to be optimistic. He said that late Friday night his office received word from United Way Worldwide that their federal emergency food and shelter funding would grow in the coming fiscal year. He also said he had received assurances from the USDA that current funding would last through the end of the fiscal year.

“We do remain aware and fearful,” Garvin said, “but we are also hopeful. There are good people in Congress that are going to work to resolve this. I’m optimistic that they’ll always do the American thing and help our neighbors in need.”

Related Slideshow: Central MA Nonprofits Hit By Government Shutdown

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SNAP

The Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), more commonly referred to as food stamps, could be affected if the government shutdown continues. According to the Food Research and Action Center, there were 86,142 SNAP recipients in Worcester County in 2010. SNAP recipients were already set to receive decreased benefits starting in November 2013 as raises associated with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act come to a close.

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TANF

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) could run out of funding if the government shutdown continues. Most TANF offices are currently running on cash on hand, while Washington works to resolve its problems. TANF provides cash assistance to needy families for a maximum of 60 months over a lifetime. Individuals who receive TANF as a child, may be eligible for an additional 60 months as an adult.

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WIC

Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Nutrition Program is a supplemental nutrition program that provides health education, healthy food, breastfeeding support, and other services to families who qualify. The programs supports nearly 9 million low income women nationally. While the Massachusetts’ WIC program is currently running on cash on hand, several states have closed the program to new applicants or shut it down completely until the shutdown is resolved.

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Head Start

Head Start is a federally funded program that provides preschool education to low-income children. In addition to its services for children, the program also provides adult education opportunities to parents, nutrition and health services, and Social Security support to families. According to Worcester Public Schools, Head Start currently serves 730 children and families in Worcester. Local Head Start programs have not been affected by the shutdown, but nationwide some programs have been forced to close.

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LIHEAP

Low Income Heating and Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps more than 200,000 Massachusetts families keep warm during the Bay State’s biting winters. If the income continues through November 1, the program will be suspended leaving several residents out in the cold.

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Federal Perkins Loans

College students applying for financial aid may be too late in submitting their applications for the Spring semester as IRS offices remain closed, making it impossible for many to submit the necessary paperwork. Students receiving money from the Federal Perkins Loan Program may be unable to access those funds.

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Veterans' Benefits

If the shutdown continues, educational, disability, and pension benefits, as well as living stipends for Massachusetts’ 394,000 veterans could be significantly affected. No new applications for benefits will be processed until the shutdown is over, and while the active military will continue to be funded, come November 1 benefits to those already receiving support could cease.

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Hit To Local Nonprofits

While local nonprofits receiving federal funding will be hit particularly hard, other nonprofits will suffer as well. Already meager resources will be stretched further as local nonprofits pick up the slack for federal benefits that no longer come.