“I Don’t Know How We’ll Eat”: Military Families Hit Breaking Point During Shutdown
Screenshot via Youtube / The Newz Square
As the government shutdown drags into its 37th day, military families across the country are facing something many never imagined: the refrigerator is running empty.
On Thursday, CNN’s Brianna Keilar highlighted a growing emergency among the families of service members, especially those whose loved ones are deployed overseas. The crunch was already real before the shutdown — but now, organizations say the situation has escalated into a staggering food insecurity crisis.
Shannon Razadin, CEO of the Military Family Advisory Network, said her organization was flooded with nearly 50,000 requests for grocery assistance in less than 72 hours.
“A lot of military families are really living paycheck to paycheck,” Razadin said. “The stories we’re hearing are frankly heartbreaking.”
Families describe having to put food back at the register because they can’t afford it. Parents are telling their kids they’ll have to skip snacks. And deployed service members overseas are now worrying not only about the mission — but whether their spouses and children back home have enough to eat.
“It’s real panic,” Razadin said. “We could not sit with that. We’re doing everything we can — but we can’t meet this need without more funding.”
While active-duty service members have continued to receive pay during the shutdown, many National Guard and Reserve families have not, leaving them caught between rising prices and disappearing paychecks.
“These families cannot wait for policy changes,” Razadin stressed. “They need groceries now.”
The nonprofit is prioritizing the hardest-hit households and is urging the public to step in where the shutdown has left a void.
Anyone who wants to help can donate directly at: CombatMilitaryHunger.org.
Every dollar goes straight toward groceries for military families — no delays, no middle steps.
Watch the CNN report –
