Beginning Saturday, Nov. 1, Sacramento County residents who rely on CalFresh, California’s version of the federal SNAP program, are due to stop receiving benefits indefinitely as the government shutdown halts funding. That will affect nearly 270,000 county residents who depend on the monthly aid for food. With no timeline for the shutdown’s end, local officials warn of a growing food crisis that could worsen poverty, strain the local economy, and push more residents toward homelessness.
For Dennis McGlothen, 58, the $298 a month he receives in food assistance is his only income.
“That’s all I have. That’s all I get because I can’t work,” said McGlothen, a former occupant of Camp Resolution who was housed in July. “I’m very concerned, not just for myself, but what about other people — people that’s older than me and can’t go out to get a hustle? It’s going to be very bad if people don’t get their food stamps.”…