As the federal government shutdown nears the one-month mark, the effects are hitting home in Wilton — particularly for residents who rely on food assistance. Starting Saturday, Nov. 1, the U.S. government is expected to pause SNAP benefits (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), leaving more than 200 Wilton residents without a crucial lifeline for groceries.
For Wilton Social Services Director Stephanie Rowe, that means the town’s food pantry is preparing for a surge in demand.
“Our food pantry has always been a supplement, not a primary source of food. It’s always been an extra,” Rowe said. “But I think now that SNAP will supposedly be gone Nov. 1 until the shutdown ends, our food pantry is going to be a primary source for people who have been relying on SNAP.”
Currently, 236 Wilton residents — including children — receive SNAP benefits. And Rowe said 120-130 households, representing about 365 people, already rely on the Wilton Food Pantry for help each month.
To respond to the expected increase in need, Social Services will begin providing additional bags of groceries to pantry clients.
“Starting Nov. 3, we’re going to be giving individual households two bags and families three bags of groceries each week until the shutdown ends,” Rowe explained.
Rowe also wants to get the word out to any Wilton resident who isn’t currently associated with Social Services and who needs assistance, to reach out to her office. She can be contacted by phone at 203.834.6238, or via email. All information kept strictly confidential.
The Hidden Face of Need in Wilton
Rowe emphasized that food insecurity isn’t always visible — especially in a town like Wilton.
“For Wilton, it’s hard. … People don’t look how you think they’re going to look. They are our neighbors,” she said. “There’s no dress or criteria that says, ‘That person needs food assistance.’”
To preserve dignity and privacy, the pantry operates discreetly from the lower level of Comstock Community Center (180 School Rd.), with its own entrance and separate hours for donations and client visits.
“We try to keep our clients’ privacy as much as possible, which is why we don’t allow donations during pantry hours,” Rowe noted.
While SNAP and food access are the most immediate concerns, Rowe said residents are also anxious about healthcare programs during the shutdown.
“The SNAP and the food pantries — that’s what’s hitting us first,” she said. “We do have people worried about their Medicaid benefits and even Medicare… but SNAP is the majority of what’s affecting us right now.”
Community Already Stepping Up
Despite economic pressures affecting everyone, Rowe said Wilton residents are responding with compassion.
“The best part about Wilton is that people really come together when their fellow neighbor needs them,” Rowe said. “And this is definitely the time when their fellow neighbor needs them.”
Donations typically spike during the holiday season, but residents have begun reaching out early to help. “We’ve had more Wilton residents than usual reach out and say, ‘I heard this is happening — what can we do?’” she said.
Rowe added that local organizations are also mounting efforts to add support. “We had a huge donation from the new Church of Latter-Day Saints, which has been helping us a lot,” Rowe added.
Financial Support
The Wilton Community Assistance Fund (WCAF) currently funds 80% of the cost of offerings at the Wilton Food Pantry with grants made to the Town of Wilton. This is made possible by the generous donations to WCAF by Wilton residents, foundations and organizations, and past proceeds from Wilton Rocks for Food.
The remaining 20% of annual costs is funded by donations directly to the town, the quarterly food collections and fundraising by Wilton Kiwanis, which also donates gift cards to the local supermarkets. There are also food drives held by Wilton’s faith- and non-faith-based organizations, student groups and other non-profits and businesses that help keep the food pantry’s shelves stocked..
With the anticipated sharp increase in need, the WCAF announced Wednesday, Oct. 29, that it will increase its financial support to meet whatever additional costs the food pantry will incur as a result of the suspension of SNAP benefits.
Thankfully, WCAF is able to do so, but the need for ongoing support is always a present reality, especially as Wilton Rocks no longer holds its annual event.
“Wilton Rocks for Food is the reason we have more than one year of operating funds. Fortunately, we still have remaining WRFF funds so we’re able to draw on those to fill in any gap for SNAP,” WCAF Treasurer Lynne Vanderslice said. “But going forward we still need donations from the community. Our next year’s budget is contingent on continuing to receive the donations we receive.”
In addition to funding the food pantry, WCAF (a 501(c)(3) nonprofit) works with Wilton Social Services to support residents most in need by funding annual heating assistance, children’s holiday gifts, summer camp and extracurricular scholarships, aftercare, and unique needs, including transportation, medical and housing assistance.
Residents interested in supporting the work of the WCAF may mail donation checks, made out to Wilton Community Assistance Fund, to P.O. Box 7051, Wilton CT, 06897.
How to Help
In addition to donating to the Community Assistance Fund, residents can stop in at the Wilton Social Services offices at Comstock to drop off gift cards to Stop & Shop or Village Market in $25 increments.
“Honestly, whatever anyone will give, we’ll figure out how to make it work,” Rowe said.
Residents can donate non-perishable food and volunteer to help stock shelves during food drives.
“If they think they can share even one or two cans, that’s probably the right thing to do,” Rowe said. “You don’t have to run a food drive — you can just donate one or two cans, or even your time.”
What else is needed?
“When it’s not a government shutdown, we ask for personal care items, but since SNAP is not going to be around, we’re asking more for food than for personal care,” Rowe said. She listed several items: cereal, pasta, gluten free items, pasta sauce, peanut butter and jelly, canned soup to canned vegetables, mac and cheese, rices, pancake mix, granola bars, snacks for children, juices for kids, coffee, tea, canned tuna and canned chicken.
UPDATE: Rowe has posted an Amazon wish list with items that the food pantry typically stocks, making an even easier option for people to help. Items ordered online there will be shipped to Social Services directly.
Working Moms Facebook Group Leading Collection Efforts
The 1,900-member Facebook group Working Moms of Wilton is also organizing a community-wide effort to lend a hand. Through November, the group is collecting food, personal care items, and donations to support local families facing food insecurity — and organizers hope the Wilton community will join in.
“As mothers ourselves, the members of WMoW were immediately driven to respond. Losing nearly $200 a month in food money is devastating for a low-income household, and we know that cut immediately affects children,” WMoW founder Vivian Lee-Shiue said.
“A freeze to SNAP isn’t just a number; it’s a child’s dinner plate,” WMoW member and community volunteer Lara Smithson Paschalidis said, adding, “… this cut creates a sudden, deep hole. We want every family in this area to know that their community sees them and is determined to keep this vital safety net strong.”
WMoW’s “Help Feed Local Families” drive offers several ways for Wiltonians to contribute:
- Drop-Off Donations: Non-perishable food (especially healthy snacks, shelf-stable milk, low-salt canned goods and sauces) and personal care items (shampoo, soap, feminine hygiene products) are being collected for the Wilton Food Pantry until Nov. 20 at Trackside Teen Center (15 Station Rd.) and Southern Yankee (237 Danbury Rd.).
- Financial Aid: Grocery gift cards (in denominations of $25 for Village Market or Stop & Shop) can be brought to Social Services (180 School Rd.) or checks made out to the Wilton Community Assistance Fund (WCAF) can be mailed to P.O. Box 7051, Wilton, CT, 06897.
- Online Healthy Food Drive: Donations to the #GetHealthy food drive support Filling in the Blanks in supplying fresh fruits, vegetables, and other healthy foods to children in our area.
In addition, WMoW members are volunteering to pack meals at Filling in the Blanks just before the December school break. Each week, Filling in the Blanks distributes 10,000 bags of snacks, fresh food and pantry staples to kids who rely on free and reduced school food programs, keeping them fed when school is not in session. Individuals can volunteer for packing shifts throughout the year.
Long-time WMoW member Katie McCabe, who’s planning to pack meals with her 14-year-old, said WMoW is the first place she looked to take action.
“WMoW is a network of mothers who can mobilize quickly and leverage skills across all disciplines. Our power is in our numbers, and right now, hundreds of small actions can really make a difference for our neighbors,” McCabe said.
Editor’s note: the story has been updated to include a link to a food pantry Amazon wish list, for anyone wishing to donate that way.