WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — The federal government shutdown is already impacting some of the most vulnerable families in North Carolina. The Women, Infants and Children program, better known as WIC, is among the first federal nutrition benefits to end, and food banks say demand is expected to spike in the coming weeks.
At Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina, staff and volunteers are moving about 35 tons of food every day out of their Winston-Salem warehouse. This week alone, they are preparing more than 11,000 meals for children and seniors.
But leaders say the shutdown means families who rely on federal programs like WIC and potentially SNAP will now turn to community organizations for support…