Food Pantry In Northern Utah Seeing Increase For Assistance As Federal Shutdown Continues

OGDEN, Utah – Thousands of federal workers call Ogden home. That includes roughly 5,000 employees who work for the Internal Revenue Service.

As the federal shutdown continues, that means the need for help increases.

Workers at Catholic Community Services of Northern Utah are definitely noticing more people who need assistance with food.

Catholic Community Services

As of Thursday, 508 federal employees have come into the building for food since Jan. 1. That’s in addition to the nearly 850 people who normally come to the pantry for help in the same time period.

Now, with federal workers starting to look at the possibility of missing a third paycheck, workers at the pantry think the need is only to grow.

Maresha Bosgieter

“Normally, in an average month, we give out about 200,000 pounds of food. So, that means another 100,000 pounds of food that we are needing right now,” said Maresha Bosgieter, who is the director of Catholic Community Services in Northern Utah. “The majority of the families who are coming through right now have never had to ask for help before.”

CCS Warehouse

It’s not just those 508 federal workers.

When you count their family members who also need food assistance, CCS says they have counted nearly 1,400 extra people who have come to the pantry for help.

Donations are being accepted at their building off 25th and F Avenue in Ogden.

Workers say they need canned food, like fruit, meat, and beans, as well as, peanut butter and baby food.

There are also freezers so donations of fresh meat can be accepted.

“We’re doing OK and we feel like we’re covering it right now and it’s not too big of an issue,” said Bosgieter. “But for us to maintain this indefinitely, I’m not really sure what we would do.”

For more information on the services Catholic Community Services of Northern Utah provides, you can visit ccsnorthernutah.org.