DETROIT (WXYZ) — Congress has until Monday to come to an agreement on the nation's spending to avoid a government shut down. If no deal is reached by then, local pantries worry food insecurity would rise to amounts they wouldn't be able to handle.
The nonprofit All Things Women, Inc. is a pillar on Detroit's west side, offering resources, food, clothing and shelter to women and families that cannot provide for themselves.
“We have people that line up around the back. People are hungry. People are in need," Executive Director Mena Davis said. "This is definitely a lifeline for the community.”
For Davis, it's business as usual every Tuesday and Thursday when the community stops by for baby formula and food. But it's not business as usual at the federal level as the government shutdown continues to loom.
If the shutdown begins Monday, that's the day government employees would be without pay, and places like All Things Women would become busier than they could handle.
“Usually, we get our food Monday, we put it out and usually by Tuesday night, it’s gone," Davis said.
Davis says they will continue to serve the community government shutdown or not. She just hopes Congress can do the same.
“It’s very scary to this population. It may not be scary to men who are just flipping through pages having to make a yes or no decision and looking at the bottom line," she said.
Davis says she personally understands the uncertainty of not knowing where your next meal is coming from and is a former recipient of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) when she was a young mother — another program that would quickly run out of funding if the government were to shut down.
“In this community, WIC is a staple. It’s actually the thing that helps families go from one week to the next week," Davis said.
All Things Women always welcomes donations. Their community closet is open to anyone every Tuesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
