ORLANDO, Fla. – As Thanksgiving approaches, thousands of Central Florida families are bracing for the holiday with empty cupboards and little hope for relief, as the federal government’s shutdown of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits stretches into a second week, leaving many anxious and local food pantries overwhelmed.
“It’s panic and fear—those are the words we’re hearing most,” said Kimberly Landsverk, an intake specialist at Charity and Love Inc. in Orlando who not only coordinates donations but also relies on SNAP benefits herself. “I know what it is to struggle on that side, and it truly breaks my heart to think of children or fathers feeling they can’t provide for their families, especially over the holidays.”
The stoppage of SNAP payments hit just as families were preparing for the most food-centric holiday of the year. Landsverk and other pantry volunteers reported an outpouring of emotion from parents, many sharing gut-wrenching details of skipping meals so their children could eat…