Responding to the Government Shutdown with Both Charity and Justice
We currently find ourselves in the second longest government shutdown in U.S. history, with no end in sight. As a result, our neighbors in need will suffer. As of this writing, there is no federal funding being directed to critical nutrition programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps), which benefits close to 42 million low-income people in the U.S. Additionally, most federal workers have now missed a full paycheck, and members of our community who do not traditionally visit our ministries may need your help now.
What can we do?
First, do what you Vincentians do best. Continue to be beacons of hope in your communities, serving as many neighbors as you can in the ways that you can. If you have not done so yet, I encourage you to check in with your fellow Conference and Council members about how you might be able to prepare for increased requests for assistance as many of our friends in need will not receive SNAP benefits as soon as November 1.
Along with the work of charity, please consider engaging in the work of advocacy as well. As Pope Benedict XVI wrote in Caritas In Veritate, “Not only is justice not extraneous to charity, not only is it not an alternative or parallel path to charity: justice is inseparable from charity, and intrinsic to it. Justice is the primary way of charity…” Earlier this week, our national president and national board chairman, John Berry, released a public statement regarding the shutdown and its impact on the most vulnerable, expressing:
“Our most economically vulnerable brothers and sisters should not be forced to go without basic needs as a result of a partisan impasse, and it is time for both Republicans and Democrats in Congress to come together to ensure that the most marginalized among us will not abruptly lose critical benefits. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul USA, therefore, urges the U.S. Department of Agriculture to immediately use every available mechanism, including the utilization of contingency reserves, in order for the 42 million people who benefit from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to be able to buy food next month. It would be simply intolerable for people to unnecessarily go hungry as the shutdown heads into its second month.”
I encourage all of you to join John in calling on Congress to urge the USDA to immediately use every available mechanism to avoid a lapse in SNAP benefits, as well as implore Congress to work towards a bipartisan solution to end the shutdown. You can easily do so through the Society’s electronic advocacy campaign available here. The platform allows you to easily send a pre-written message to your U.S. Senators and Representative, while also giving you the option to personalize the message.
Your experience as Vincentians is powerful. You recognize the God-given human dignity in everyone you meet, and you have unique perspectives on both the root causes of poverty and successful ways to help people out of poverty. Beyond the critical urgency of this moment, your expertise will continue to help shape our advocacy priorities and inform policymakers.
Please use the email address stories@svdpusa.org to send me your observations of how your communities are being impacted by the shutdown and recent changes to the social safety net. Please send me examples of both success stories and challenging scenarios. Most importantly, please pray for our growing advocacy work so that together we may build a more just society.
With gratitude,
Ingrid