Shutdown Drags on, Wyoming’s Food Bank Braces for a Bigger Hunger Wave

The original story by John Habershaw for Wyoming News Now.

With Washington’s stalemate rolling into a third week, the ripple effects are starting to hit home. At Food Bank of Wyoming, the alarm bells aren’t blaring yet—but they’re getting louder.

“We anticipate that the need will increase if the government shutdown is prolonged,” said executive director Danica Sveda.

Wyoming is already at a 10-year high for food insecurity, she noted, with roughly one in seven residents facing hunger.

“It’s only getting more pronounced as the shutdown goes on, so we do know there are people feeling the pinch.”

The Cheyenne-based nonprofit isn’t directly disrupted—yet—but it’s moving into contingency mode. Staff are leaning harder on grocery rescue partnerships and private donations to keep shelves filled while they watch for any slowdown in federal commodities.

“We’re working on plan A, B, and C to make sure the community sees no disruption in the food we can offer, even if we do lose some government commodities as the shutdown goes on,” Sveda said.

If needed, the group will coordinate with neighboring states’ food banks to backstop supplies.

Cash, she added, stretches the farthest right now. A single dollar can provide up to three meals—fuel the organization says it will need if the impasse drags on and more families find themselves choosing between groceries and everything else.