Chicagoans who depend on WIC groceries, SNAP benefits worry as government shutdown looms

CHICAGO (WLS) -- In the Chicago area, there are major concerns on Friday about the impact of a potential government shutdown on food and other benefits for those who need them most.

ABC7 spoke with a woman buying formula from the WIC grocery store in Auburn Gresham nearly 48 hours before a potential government shutdown.

"They need a lot of milk, a lot of food, a lot of diapers, a lot of everything," said Michelle Jackson.

READ MORE | House fails to pass short-term spending bill that would keep government open through Oct. 31

It's a situation Jackson hoped she'd never be in. She could be forced to pursue a different path to purchase necessities for her 6-month-old son, Joseph.

"They need to do something really good. They need to do something," Jackson said.

She and her companion, James Weber, went to the WIC grocery store in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood, picking up baby formula for her infant boy through the special supplemental program that supports low-income women and young children with nutritious food and more. It's a program that could lose federal funding starting this weekend.

"As far as the babies are concerned, it's just going to be disastrous. It's gonna be like a third-world country," Weber said.

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Weber did not mince words about the human cost of a government shutdown that could reduce or eliminate WIC and SNAP benefits if it becomes drawn out.

"It's going to be devastating," Weber said. "You don't want to have a generation of people that can't function because the government refused to appropriate money to keep them healthy."

"When you're struggling for your basic human needs, and you're deciding between food and medical services and your housing, these are really tough decisions, because any of these that you don't have can threaten your life," said DuPage Pads Executive Director April Redzic.

DuPage Pads works to provide housing for people and families experiencing homelessness. Redzic says even small lapses in benefits can be catastrophic for her clients.

"I see the faces of people who are affected by this, and they are infants. They are toddlers, they are adults, fleeing domestic violence. They are seniors with high needs, medical conditions, and we would really like to see them all be OK at the end of this," Redzic said.

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The Greater Chicago Food Depository says the USDA will continue to provide shipments, although reimbursement for storage costs will be impacted. But, they stressed that any person facing food insecurity can receive food through their partner pantries.

Local EPA officials, military members and others are also expected to be impacted. While SNAP and WIC programs may still have days and weeks of funding left, the longer a government shutdown continues, the more precarious the situation becomes for the most vulnerable of our neighbors.

Nicole Cantello, president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 704, which represents Region 5 employees, released a statement:

"A government shutdown would create an unprecedented emergency for human health and our environment. We urge leaders on both sides of the aisle to come together and reach a comprehensive budget agreement, which includes full funding for the EPA. Don't put lives at risk by forcing a government shutdown.

A government shutdown would mean that there would be no environmental cop on the beat policing big polluters and keeping our air, water and soil safe from toxic chemicals. That's not a risk congressional leaders should be willing to take."