Imagine coming home after a long day, opening your refrigerator, and finding it completely empty, the freezer bare, the cupboards stripped clean. Every loaf of bread, carton of eggs, and bag of rice gone without warning… and with no financial resources to replenish the loss. That’s what it will feel like for millions of Americans on Nov. 1, when SNAP benefits aren’t paid out due to the ongoing government shutdown.

SNAP is not a luxury; it’s a lifeline. It keeps food on the table for working families, seniors, and veterans. And food insecurity is not just about hunger; it’s about survival. Parents will skip meals so their children can eat. Seniors will forego prescription refills in order to purchase food. Families will experience stress and fear that few of us can imagine. The loss of food assistance doesn’t just empty cupboards; it is a terrifying reality for millions of Americans.

At Reclaim, we see the human impact of this every day. We meet parents working full-time who still can’t afford groceries after paying rent. We see seniors living on fixed incomes, choosing between food and heat. We see the emotional toll of people trying to hold their lives together when meeting their most basic need (food) is uncertain.

When SNAP funding halts, the burden shifts directly to local food banks and human service providers who are already stretched thin and constantly struggling to meet the need. Food bank shelves aren’t bottomless, and local budgets alone can’t fill the gap. The result will be longer lines, empty shelves, and exhausted community workers trying to do the impossible.

This is not just a food problem. Empty fridges mean declining health, missed work, interrupted schooling, and instability that ripples through every part of a person’s life. No community should have to watch its neighbors go hungry simply because resources are stretched too thin.

By supporting local food banks and human service agencies, donating what we can, volunteering our time, and spreading awareness, we can help ensure that no family goes hungry when the system falters. We can fill shelves and protect the dignity of our neighbors in need.

When you picture that empty refrigerator, don’t imagine it in someone else’s home; imagine it in yours. Because this isn’t happening somewhere far away. It’s happening next door, across the street, and sometimes right within our own walls.

If we can imagine that loss personally, we can also find the courage to act collectively, to stand with those most affected, and to strengthen the safety net within our own community. No one in the Snoqualmie Valley, or anywhere in America, should ever have to live with the reality of an empty fridge.

Here are a few of our local food banks — please reach out to see how you can help:

Snoqualmie Valley Food Bank

122 E 3rd St, North Bend

(425) 888-7823

Tolt UCC

4851 Tolt Avenue, Carnation

425-333-4254

Preston Food Bank

31104 SE 86th St, Preston

425-222-5573

Holy Innocents Food Pantry

26526 NE Cherry Valley Rd, Duvall

425-788-1400

Fall City Food Pantry

4326 337th Place SE, Fall City

425-269-8098

Jen Kirk is the Executive Director of Reclaim, a Snoqualmie Valley–based nonprofit providing pathways to stability, opportunity, and connection for individuals and families facing housing and economic insecurity. www.reclaimstability.org.