I get a bit of pushback from my grandchildren about my “grandpa jokes.” A grandpa joke might be a silly pun that I make. It might also be a joke or a story I’ve told over and over again. There are a few one-liners that have become almost automatic responses to specific topics. One of those overused tropes takes the form of me bragging about my strength. I’ll say something like, “I am a lot stronger than I used to be. When your grandmother and I were first married, I needed a grocery store employee to help me carry $25 worth of groceries to my car. Now I can carry $200 worth of groceries in one trip all by myself.”

It is, of course, an exaggeration. When we were graduate students, a trip to the grocery store generally cost about $25. We paid with a personal check, and we kept a close eye on the balance in our checking account. There wasn’t much extra there. In general, I was earning enough from part-time jobs to cover groceries. Our biggest expenses were rent and tuition, and we paid those by the academic semester with a combination of fellowships, grants, loans, and funds earned from summer jobs. We never had much extra, but we always had enough. And we knew we had our parents' backing. Were we to run short, we knew where to turn for support.

Our first job after graduation was a single full-time position we split, each of us earning half a paycheck. Our paychecks in those days were less than what we now pay for health insurance each month. On the side, I took on a series of part-time jobs to supplement our income. We weren’t saving much money, but we were getting by.

So far in this life, we have always had enough for the basics. We have had safe housing and been able to afford groceries and health care. We realize that we are the lucky ones. We have been able to contribute to funds that help others who have fewer resources than we do. We have been able to donate non-perishable funds to food drives,

There are many people who, through no fault of their own, don’t have enough money for the necessities of life. The costs of essentials have risen faster than wages. The combination of inflation and wage stagnation means many people are working full-time yet don’t have enough money for rent and groceries.

Before the recent government shutdown, some of the people with the greatest needs received support directly from the Federal Government through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funds. These were paid via an electronic payment card that could be used at grocery stores. Many American citizens depended on the program. Around 12% of the total population is considered low-income and in need of nutrition support. That support had been costing the federal government between $8.5 and $9 billion per month. That sounds like a lot of money, but it is a tiny fraction of the overall federal budget.

As the shutdown stretched into the longest in history with little visible progress towards a solution, the administration has cut off SNAP payments. The administration has been ordered by a District Court to pay the benefits, but has appealed that decision to the US Supreme Court. On Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court issued an administrative stay, giving the lower court two additional days to consider the administration’s formal request to fund the SNAP program partially.

Here in our county, far from the centers of power and the political wrangling, more than 35,000 people depend on SNAP payments to put food on the table. That’s approximately 15% of our county's population. And, unlike the federal government, they don’t have extra days for politics. When the credit didn’t appear on their cards nine days ago, they faced a crisis.

They aren’t the only ones running short of groceries. Rounds of layoffs have accompanied the federal shutdown. Other governmental employees who still have jobs are not receiving their paychecks. Of course, members of the administration, Congress, and the courts continue to receive their pay, isolating them from the crisis.

The result here is that the demand for food assistance at local food banks is increasing exponentially. We are trying to support them. Our church held a fundraiser last month to support the Bellingham Food Bank, which netted almost $10,000. Community organizers are setting up several emergency events to raise additional funds. The goal is to raise $100.000 by November 22. In addition, the food bank continues to receive food donations and passes them on to those in need.

Other food banks in the county are similarly scrambling for additional donations of food and funds. Here in our small community, the Bridge Community Hope Center Food Bank serves about 65 families every week, distributing food on Friday afternoons. A few miles away, the Blaine Food Bank serves roughly 3,000 households per month.

While the politicians engage in high-level power plays, everyday people are running short. It doesn’t matter how strong you are if you can’t get enough groceries to feed your family. It is easy to feel powerless in the face of the sheer size of federal budgets and the incredible wealth of individuals and corporations who influence federal politics.

Now and in the foreseeable future, we are trying to do what we do in a crisis. We are doing what we can to support our neighbors. We are pulling together to raise funds, encourage food donations, pack grocery boxes, and do what we can to get food to the people in need. We have felt the strength of our communities when flooding displaced many families a few years ago. We are drawing on that strength once again. We pray that the federal administration will find a way to do the right thing, but in the meantime, we will care for our community. I hope communities all across the nation are doing the same thing.