Uncertainty and instability – these are the realities facing Berks County as recent federal and state funding constraints collide with a rising demand for health and human services. Local nonprofits, already stretched thin, struggle to support our most vulnerable neighbors. The stability of essential community programs is at risk.
Ashley Chambers, Sr. Vice President of Community Impact at United Way of Berks County, shares how these challenges affect Berks Countians and the organizations that serve our community.
What did the funding changes mean for our community?
Chambers explains that the impact has been immediate and significant. “This was a perfect storm of crises. Local nonprofits have been affected because they have not been receiving the dollars they typically rely on. Many depend on these public funds to support food insecurity, housing, and childcare. Without this funding, some agencies had to reduce services at the very same time more people are in need. Some organizations even had to furlough staff, while others were forced to close their doors.”
What does the shutdown mean for our community?
“The ripple effects are felt by families across Berks County. Individuals struggle to access the basic needs that keep them thriving,” Chambers adds. “They’re trying to figure out how to address their food insecurity and how to get connected with housing resources that may not be available right now.”
The loss of these benefits are especially strenuous for individuals who are living paycheck to paycheck, but are still unable to afford basic expenses. These households are considered ALICE: Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. Though they have income above the federal poverty line, it is not enough to afford basic expenses in the county where they live. Programs like SNAP and Medicaid were a helping hand for hardworking individuals who make just enough to afford their essential life expenses.
Defunding these programs creates an added strain to individuals who are already forced to make impossible choices — such as deciding whether to pay for utilities or a car repair, whether to buy food or fill a prescription. Director of 211 East, Patricia Espinosa-Vargas, shares how the pause on SNAP benefits drastically impacted our community in a short amount of time.
How did these issues affect 211 services?
Espinosa‑Vargas describes a surge unlike anything her team had prepared for. “We were not ready to continually field the volume of food referrals we received,” she shares. “During the five weeks of the federal shutdown, we made more than 520 food referrals – something we might normally do over two or three months. Navigating people to food pantries 20–30 miles away, especially when many lacked transportation, led to conversations we simply weren’t prepared for.”
Although the federal shutdown and state budget impasse have ended, their consequences remain. Nonprofits will need time to recover, and many individuals and families continue to face instability as they wait for resources to return. In addition, there will now be additional renewal and enrollment processes which may cause eligible individuals to lose benefits because of a paperwork burden. Due to these changes, it is anticipated that about 5% of SNAP families in Berks will lose benefits, which translates to about 3,600 people out of 61,000 SNAP recipients. About 14% of those that receive Medicaid will lose access to coverage, which is about 13,000 people out of the 90,000 individuals that receive Medicaid.
Those looking to support their neighbors can:
- Check with local nonprofits about volunteer opportunities
- Donate to food pantries and clothing banks
- Serve as advocates for restoring and strengthening community resources Even small acts of support can help rebuild stability for families who need it most.