The government shutdown starting Wednesday is impacting San Diego's military and veteran families. It's prompting local organizations to mobilize emergency assistance for service members and federal workers facing paused paychecks.
"As you know, during the shutdown, active duty military still continue to come to work, but they don't get paid, and we're concerned about military families and how they sustain themselves," David Boone, president and CEO of SDMAC said.
SDMAC has partnered with four other organizations to form an emergency action group aimed at helping military families navigate financial hardships during the shutdown.
Those groups are Feeding San Diego, Armed Services YMCA, Support The Enlisted Project (STEP), and Zero8 Hundred.
The coalition's message is clear: military personnel need to focus on their mission, not worry about their next meal.
"When you're deployed and your family's back home, and they don't have enough food, you can't concentrate on your mission," said Tracy Owens, senior programs manager with Support the Enlisted Project.
Owens speaks from experience, having served in the Navy for 30 years and lived through a previous government shutdown.
"Our social workers have stepped up, and we're expecting an increase in cases," Owens said.
Robert Kamensky, CEO of Feeding San Diego, said his organization is prepared to act quickly as families face increasing food insecurity. He adds that their emergency action group has been planning a response to the government shutdown for the past three weeks.
"We have not stockpiled food, but we are prepared to move quickly to help replenish food stocks for people who may be facing food insecurity once some of their current benefits or their finances start to get into extreme situations," Kamensky said.
Feeding San Diego distributes 3.5 million pounds of food annually to combat food insecurity, including mobile food pantries that serve military families at Camp Pendleton, Miramar, and Hancock Elementary School. This existing network will be the primary method for reaching families during the shutdown.
The scope of potential impact is significant. Ashley Camac, CEO of Zero8Hundred, noted that San Diego County has roughly 100,000 service members.
"If you look at the family members, you're talking upwards to 175,000 souls that are connected to those over 100,000 active duty members," Camac said.
The organizations are providing support beyond food assistance, offering financial help, resources, and counseling services. For families facing the stress of a government shutdown, these services can be life-changing.
"We see families come back and tell us you made such an impact in our lives, or we've heard you saved our marriage. My husband and I can talk about money now," Owens said.
This coalition was formed last year and first responded together to the Murphy Canyon plane crash back in May. Now they have mobilized again for this government shutdown.
"I feel much more prepared. We ran through what we call a red team review to build a standard operating procedure for us to work by. So instead of it being more chaotic or reactive now we're being proactive, which is the way we want to operate," said Robert Kamensky, CEO of Feeding San Diego.
The emergency action group will utilize existing mobile pantry sites at Camp Pendleton, Miramar, and Hancock Elementary School to reach military families during the shutdown. Kamensky said they are also preparing to expand services to meet additional needs, depending on how long the shutdown lasts.
