Empty shelves line the inside of the building of the Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley in Pharr.

Workers there said they’re seeing a high demand they are struggling to keep up with, and are worried that the ongoing federal government shutdown will affect their efforts.

During the 2018 government shutdown that lasted over a month, federal workers also started relying on food banks. They weren't getting paid by the federal government and turned to these types of organizations to feed their families. 

Food Bank of the RGV CEO Libby Saenz said she believes the same thing could happen again — stretching their already thin budget.

“It will affect everything. If I don't have more resources coming in, then instead of giving a family 50 pounds of food, I am going to need to give them 40 pounds of food or 30 pounds to make our food stretch,” Saenz said.

The food bank is funded by several federal programs. The longer the shutdown continues, the greater the impact to programs like the RGV food bank.

“If it continues, our admin fund won't come in, and the food that we receive won't come in as well,” Saenz said, adding that the food bank will rely on donations to stay afloat.

Click here to donate to the Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley.

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