When the federal government shut down on Oct. 1, Larry Donnelly expected only a small uptick in families visiting the St. John Vianney Inter-Faith Food Pantry in Prince Frederick, Maryland. By early November, volunteers were loading boxes of groceries into cars as fast as they could carry them.
To meet the surge in need, the pantry added Monday hours for Calvert County’s federal employees, active-duty military families, and federal contractors affected by the shutdown.
“Our food bank has been running for 12 years, and we’re entirely volunteer-operated,” said Donnelly, the pantry’s director. “We’ve seen a real uptick since the shutdown and the changes to SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits, from about 120 clients a week to 164.”
On Nov. 4, the pantry served 172 families, a significant jump from 123 families helped during the first week of October. Food costs have risen roughly 33 percent in the past year, Donnelly said, and keeping shelves stocked has become harder even as demand grows.
While he admits the growing need is a concern, Donnelly said he trusts in Divine Providence.
“God has always helped us meet our community’s needs,” he said. “This year, government families will receive a full holiday meal, while our regular clients can choose between turkey, roast, or chicken — depending on family size. As Catholic Christians, when there’s a need in the community, our call is to respond with love. That’s why I volunteer, to show love to people and help them do good.”
In the pantry’s storeroom, volunteers pack bags of produce and nonperishables for clients ranging in age from infants to the elderly. Among them is Sam Woods, who began volunteering after recovering from a long illness that left him wanting to give back.
“I had no idea so many people were hurting,” Woods said. “The best part is being able to reach people, to spread joy, and to pray with them.”
Across the room, volunteer Noel Grennan, a retired parishioner, said he was struck by how smoothly the pantry runs. “Like clockwork, but with heart,” he said. “I cherish the sense of community it offers, but above all, the chance to see the works of mercy lived out in real time.”
After six years of volunteering, Arthur Gantt said the work is about showing people they’re not alone.
“It shows the community that we care,” he said. “When you’re down and the world seems to be stepping all over you, it’s a good surprise to find there are still people who truly care, and people need that more than ever.”
The need Gantt describes is not unique to Calvert County; it reflects a growing struggle across the Washington area.
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington spans the District of Columbia and the five surrounding Maryland counties — Calvert, Charles, Montgomery, Prince George’s, and St. Mary’s — where federal employment drives much of the local economy.
Even before the shutdown, roughly one in three households in the Washington region faced food insecurity, according to the Capital Area Food Bank.
Now, as federal workers miss paychecks, that insecurity has become visible in long lines outside food pickup sites. The Capital Area Food Bank opened five emergency centers for furloughed federal employees and contractors, distributing boxes of pantry staples and fresh produce.
“In the first week alone, more than 1,500 households received food,” the food bank reported in an Oct. 30 update, noting turnout was twice what organizers expected.
The shutdown has also disrupted federal nutrition programs such as SNAP and WIC, which serve hundreds of thousands of families and children in the archdiocese, forcing local agencies to rely on dwindling reserves. WIC is the government’s supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children.
“Every day the shutdown continues, people fall further behind on bills, credit, and peace of mind,” said one furloughed paralegal who asked to remain anonymous. “It’s humbling to ask for help. There’s a mix of pride and vulnerability in admitting you need support.”
Stories behind the statistics
Her story echoes those of many others across the region. Several federal employees affected by the shutdown shared their experiences with the Catholic Standard on condition of anonymity.
“The shutdown has created a lot of uncertainty,” said one furloughed worker. “With my income on hold, I’ve had to stretch every dollar and prioritize what absolutely has to be paid first.”
Another respondent, who continues to work without pay, said, “Stop using federal workers as pawns in your political game. I still go to work every day and do not get paid.”
A third worker said the shutdown has forced her to choose between her mortgage and utilities while helping her elderly mother. “People think federal workers make a lot of money, but many start at a grade 3, which is unlivable for a single parent with kids at home,” she said. “There’s still a stigma around asking for help. I live in a small town; if I went to a food bank, someone would probably recognize me or my mom.”
Others said that even with savings, the shutdown has forced them to cancel vacations, scale back expenses, and worry about how long they can sustain it. “We wish we were at work earning our honest paychecks,” one respondent said. “If we don’t get paid, lawmakers shouldn’t either.”
As local organizations including Catholic Charities (see sidebar story) work together to meet growing needs across the region, national Church leaders have sought to address the crisis at its source.
Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and head of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, has been a prominent Catholic voice during the shutdown. He urged Congress to pass the “Pay Our Troops Act of 2026,” a measure that would guarantee pay for active-duty service members, reservists, and civilian defense employees during a government shutdown. The bill (H.R. 5401), introduced in September 2025, has yet to advance.
Speaking on behalf of the nation’s bishops, Archbishop Broglio also cautioned that interruptions to federal nutrition programs such as SNAP could prove “catastrophic for families and individuals who rely on SNAP to put food on the table,” warning that the burden would fall most heavily on “the poor and vulnerable of our nation.”
At the same time, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul USA described the shutdown’s impact as “increasingly devastating,” leaving most federal workers without pay and causing uncertainty and delays in programs that serve those most in need. John Berry, the society’s national president, urged lawmakers to act swiftly so that “our most economically vulnerable brothers and sisters” are not left without basic necessities.
“It would be intolerable for people to go hungry as the shutdown heads into its second month,” Berry said.
As the shutdown entered its sixth week, lawmakers in Washington appeared to reach a breakthrough. Late on Nov. 9, 2025, the U.S. Senate passed a bipartisan deal to fund most federal agencies through Jan. 30, 2026, and ensure back pay for furloughed employees, while restoring funding for key nutrition programs such as SNAP and WIC. The measure now awaits action in the House of Representatives and the president’s approval.
The vote followed growing national disruptions, including widespread flight delays and cancellations after the Transportation Security Administration and Federal Aviation Administration reported critical staffing shortages. Many TSA officers and air traffic controllers had been working without pay, forcing reductions at major airports across the country.
In Prince Frederick, volunteers at the St. John Vianney Inter-Faith Food Pantry say they’ll keep serving anyone who comes through the door. Volunteer Patricia Block said the best part of her work “is showing people love and letting those who need help know we’re here for them.”
For Larry Donnelly, the mission is both practical and spiritual. “This is what we’re called to do,” he said. “When we put food in someone’s hands, we’re reminding them — and ourselves — they’re not forgotten.”
For those facing empty cupboards and unpaid bills, that reminder may be as sustaining as the groceries themselves.
